measures.  The Russian authorities purposely avoided the usual course of sending these orders through the Russian Consuls, and they assigned “military exercises” as the object of this call to the colors.

July 25—­Military exercises at Krasnoye-Selo were suddenly broken off and the troops returned at once to their garrisons.  The manoeuvres had been called off.  The military cadets were advanced at once to officers, instead of waiting, as usual, till Autumn.

     July 26—­All ships and boats are forbidden to sail in the waters
     between Helsingfors and Yorkkele; and navigation between Sweden and
     Finland is closed.

July 28—­Partial mobilization; sixteen army corps to be increased to the strength of thirty-two corps.  On the same day the Czar begs for friendly mediation; and on the same day the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Minister of War give the German Military Attache, upon their own initiative, their solemn word of honor that no mobilization has taken place.

July 30—­The Second and Third Russian Cavalry Divisions appear on the German frontier between Wirballen and Augustov.  The Czar issues a ukase calling to the colors the reserves in twenty-three entire Governments and in eighty districts of other Governments; also the naval reserves in sixty-four districts, or twelve Russian and one Finnish Government; also the Cossacks on furlough in a number of districts; also the necessary reserve officers, physicians, horses and wagons.

July 31—­General mobilization of the whole Russian Army and Navy.  The German steamer Eitel Friedrich, which keeps up a regular service between Stettin and St. Petersburg, is stopped by a Russian torpedo boat and brought into Revel, where the crew were made prisoners.  The Russians blow up the railway bridge on Austrian territory between Szozakowa and Granica.

Night of Aug. 1—­Russian patrols attack the German railway bridge near Eichenried and try to surprise the German railway station at Miloslaw.  A Russian column crosses the German frontier at Schwidden, and two squadrons of Cossacks ride against Johannisburg.

     Aug. 1—­(At last) Germany’s mobilization.

And France?

     July 27—­The Fourteenth Army Corps breaks off its manoeuvres.

     July 31—­General mobilization.

Aug. 2—­French troops attack German frontier posts, cross the frontier, and occupy German towns.  Bomb-throwing aviators come into Baden and Bavaria; also, after violating Belgium’s neutrality by crossing Belgian territory, they enter the Rhine Province and try to destroy bridges.

     Only after all this is the German Ambassador at Paris instructed to
     demand his passports.

And England?

In London war must already have been decided upon by July 31; the English Admiralty had even before that date advised Lloyd’s against insuring German ships.  On the same day the German Government gave emphatic support in Vienna to the English mediatory proposal of Sir Edward Grey.  But the entire English fleet had already been assembled.