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THE FATHERLAND , 13-.
Today, thirty days after the declaration of war, three
English and from ten to fifteen French corps, after having
been repeatedly defeated, are pressed together and sur-
rounded at both flanks, on the line Chateau Porcien-Signy
l‘Abbaye-Hirson-Guise-La Fere.
What this means can be fully appreciated only by those
whose knowledge of strategy enables them to measure cor-
rectly the enormous extent of the results accomplished.
At the eastern frontier of Germany and Austria-Hungary
three Russian armies appeared about August 20th. One of
them, advancing through the northern part of East-Prussia
has, after suffering a temporary defeat at Gumbinnen, ap-
Darently invested Koenigsberg.
A second Russian army, entering the southern part of
East-Prussia along the river Narew, has been decisively
defeated and almost destroyed in a three days’ battle be-
tween Ortelsburg and Gillenburg.
The Austro-Hungarian army had begun its offensive.
movement with a victory over four Russian corps at Kras-
nik, and is advancing beyond Lublin.
Other Russian armies are attacking Galicia on both
sides of Lemberg. The results of this movement are not:
yet known.
The German fleet controls the Baltic completely, and aside-.
from the loss of a few cruisers England, has secured no ad-
vantage in the North Sea. '
The final result of this first month consists in a contin-
uous chain of victories, and the complete proof of the su--
periority of the German and Austro-Hungarian troops on.
every battlefield.
The just cause for which the United Germanic nations are
fighting against the Slavic tide and the arrogant assumption‘
of Great Britain to rule the world, will lead their childnen
from victory to victory, and give them the strength to bring.
this fight to a glorious end.
WHAT MOST N-EWSPAPERS SUFFER FROM
ABOUT THIS TIME IS RUMORTISM.
HENEVER an event occurs in which the inhab-
itants of one country grasp their weapons and
' give vent with fire, and sword to a resentment which has
long been smouldering against neighborly interference,
We pierce into the mists of the past and with positive
assurance vociferate all the horrible predictions that.
Were then prophesized.
Thus it is now! In these days of emulation we often
hear the words of Napoleon 1, Emperor of France and
Conquerer of Europe quoted. it is said that one hundred
Years ago he gave utterance to the following statement:
"In a hundred years Europe will be either under the
lash of the Cossack or there will be nothing but republics
there."
Allowing that Napoleon really said this; which seems
‘llllte specious, we should not, however, accept it as a
Prophecy. We must take into consideration the time in
which the words were spoken. Napoleon was then a
broken, bitterly disappointed man, robbed of all his great
Power and a prisoner on a small island in mid-ocean
without the shghtest prospect of ever again wielding l’llS
fallen sceptre. His dream of ruling the world with a
Napoleonicdynasty was shattered in the cold wastes of
Russia. He lived long enough to see the map of the
world which he had changed for a while, readjust itself
and kings, emperors and lords rule again fmm me”
accustomed places. A malignant hatred filled his soul
and what was more natural than that he should especially
select the nation which gave him his unhealing wound-
Russia? He wished disaster to overtake Europe and
Wished to see it under the knout of the Cossacks. His
self-torture of ineffable hatred of the European lords
Who finally "shook his fetters from them and triumPh5d
Wet‘ him and France was so strong that it was but natur-
31 for him to want to see their rule everlastirlgli’ damfled
and aboigshed. He forgot that he not only humbled
France, but all of Europe by his iron will, as robbed of
his power he sulked and grumbled at St. Helena. Con--
sidering the circumstances we hardly can accept Napo--
leon as prophet for through his abhorrence of his con--
querors this monographic outburst was forced from his-
deeply wounded soul.
HOW AMERICAN COMMERCE WAS DESTOYED..
(From the New York Evening Post of Aug. 8, 1914.)
. URING the first year of the civil war, fishing schooners,.
old slavers, tugboats, and other craft were employed-.
to prey on Northern shipping, and although they succeeded‘
fairly well, the blockade of the Southern ports hampered
the work. Consequently, many of these craft were diverted.
to the pursuit of carrying contraband, and the Confederate.-
navy took up the task of destroying commerce. The use off
privateers was not justified by international law, but there‘
was nothing in the rules of war to prevent the operation of’
naval vessels as commerce destroyers. The Federal author-
ities realized this, but as the South had virtually no com-
merce to destroy, there was no work in that direction for-
the Northern warships. They had to confine themselves to
the blockade and the pursuit of the enemy at sea. One of-
the first commissioned naval vessels to scour the seas was-
the Sumter, and before her cruise was over the Confederate
Government decided to acquire other vessels abroad. it is.
unnecessary to retell the story of how the neutrality laws-
were violated by Great Britain in meeting the Confederates
demand for commerce destroyers. The British Government:
.paid handsomely for its indiscretions when the Alabama.
claims were adiusted by arbitration after the war.
The vessel that did the most damage was the Alabama,
which took some seventy or more prizes, and left few of‘
them afloat. Some of the other offenders were the Florida,
Tallahassee, Shenandoah Olustee, and Nashville. All were-.
built in England, [manned and equipped there.-Ed.] it was.
customary for the destroyers to burn ships and cargoes, be-
cause it was impossible to take them into the blockaded‘
ports, and they were barred from utilizing neutral harbors.
for this purpose. A few vessels were handed, but the torch
was applied to the majority, and the dissolution of the mer-
chant marine was completed by the sale to foreign owners.
of many of the ships that escaped the destroyers.
Nearly fifty years have passed since the Civil War ended,
and the United States is virtually without ocean carriers,
although the coastwise fleet, restricted, as it is, to vessels.
of American registry, has assumed large proportions.