Today -100: July 27, 1914: The interest of civilization and humanity

Headline of the Day With the Word “War” In It -100: “Francis Joseph in War Mood.”

Headline of the Day With the Word “War” In It -100, Runner Up: “British Troops Shed First Blood in Ulster War.” Trying to seize rifles smuggled to the Nationalist Volunteers in Dublin. Four or more are killed with bullets and bayonets by the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Some of the police refused to attack and have been suspended. I’m unclear on how many of the 1,000 rifles the authorities managed to capture.

Headline of the Day With the Word “War” In It -100, Miss Congeniality: “10,000 Sing War Songs.” Germans. In Brooklyn. The Allied Germanic Societies of Brooklyn sends the kaiser a telegram congratulating him on his forthcoming war, by which they hope “the supremacy of the German race in Europe shall be established for the future in the interest of civilization and humanity.” Nothing expresses civilization and humanity quite so well as the strains of “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles.”

Although the war hasn’t officially kicked off, rumor says that Serbs shot across the Danube at ships transporting soldiers.

Belgium is preparing for war by mining its bridges. Britain’s King George is preparing by canceling plans to go to the race track, because sacrifice.

Carranza says he intends to issue an amnesty, but won’t promise one, because “amnesty is only granted by the conqueror to the conquered as an act of generosity” rather than as a condition of surrender.

The US Navy will now allow enlisted men to buy their way out of their enlistments. Enlisted men guilty of drunkenness, or overstaying their leaves twice, will be dishonorably discharged. The Navy can afford to do this because there is a waiting list to get in.

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