Today -100: July 30, 1914: Of bombardments, mobilizations, warships, and presidents running amuck

Austria is bombarding Belgrade.

Russia mobilizes 1,200,000 men.

(Tsar Nicholas’s diary: “Had a delightful bathe in the sea.”)
 
The NYT says diplomats find some hope because “Germany, France, Great Britain, and Italy do not want war, and do not think the Austro-Servian quarrel important enough to justify it.”

Austria is taking as prisoners of war all military-age Serbs living in Austria, although they weren’t actually in the Serb Army.

To show how much of an emergency this is, Russia is temporarily suspending the restrictions on Jews serving on boards of directors.

World War I continues on the Los Angeles front, where a Serb, Steven Galich, shoots one Austrian and stabs another, saying “We’ll kill all you Austrians off before you get to the old country.” Other armed Serbs are arrested.

Headline of the Day -100: “Spain Assembling Her Warships.” Fucking Ikea instructions, ammirite?

Supposedly, Russia would refrain from backing Serbia if Austria promised not to chop up and annex parts of the country (NYT: “The Vienna theory that the war is a mere punitive expedition is not admitted by Russia.”) In fact, Austria’s intentions regarding Serbia are unclear, not least to itself. Earlier this month, the chef de cabinet of the Austrian Foreign Office, Graf von Hoyos, was asked about Austria’s objectives by his German counterpart and had to improvise something on the spot; he said that Serbia would be partitioned between Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania. The Foreign Office had to walk this back.

Headline of the Day -100: “Not Running Amuck, President Says.” Wilson responding to complaints from the National Trade Association of Wholesalers about his anti-trust legislation, which he says will calm the agitation about business practices. He seems to think businessmen feel bad that their fellow citizens think they have come by their millions illicitly. Isn’t Woodrow just adorable?

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