by Richard van Pelt, WWI Correspondent

From The Daily Capital Journal:

THE GREATEST WAR IN WORLD’S HISTORY SEEMS INEVITABLE

History’s greatest war seemed all but inevitable in Europe today.

Germany had served ultimatums on Russia and France.

The former demanded a cessation of Russia’s mobilization.

The latter asked France what its attitude would be if Germany and Russia went to war.

Russia’s mobilization was only hastened; Russo-German diplomatic relations were broken, and Germany’s ambassador to Russia was reported returning home.

France answered that it ”must consult its own interests at this time,” and then ordered its army and navy mobilized.

It was expected the German ambassador in Paris would demand his passports tonight.

England notified France that it would co-operate with the latter.

GERMANY MAKES WAR DECLARATION AGAINST RUSSIA

Readers learned that “Germany declared war today against Russia. Mobilization of her forces is said to be complete. It was reported, but not officially, that the German fleet has been ordered to attack the Russian fleet. Declarations of war by France and Great Britain are expected hourly.”

SITUATION IS AT BREAKING POINT NO HOPE OF PEACE
Armies and Navies Mobilized and Spark Will Start Conflagration
FRANCE WILL STAND SOLIDLY BY RUSSIA
And England by Both; Germany Cuts Wires Across French Border

Intensely critical conditions prevailed today along the Franco-German frontier. A message from Paris said the French believed Germany was trying deliberately to provoke a clash by repeated acts of petty aggression.

A German cavalry force was reported to have entered France and then been quickly withdraw. Another German destroyed the railroad tracks near Paguy-Sur-Moselle. Four French locomotives were seized by Germans at Montreaux Vieux. At Amanvillers Germans confiscated French rolling stock, cut the wires and forced French railroad men to walk back across the frontier. French automobile parties on the German side of the frontier were deprived of their cars and driven into France on foot.