Today -100: October 30, 1914: Turkey has pronounced her own doom

Turkey starts war against Russia (without declaring war), attacking the Crimea and the Caucasus, making it the 10th combatant (if you don’t include Canada, South Africa, Togo and other colonies).  The London Times says: “By her foolish yielding to the instigations of Germany, Turkey has pronounced her own doom.”  Doom, I tell you!

Oh, let’s name the 10 warring countries, in case those of you playing the home game have forgotten any of them (Montenegro, you’ve forgotten Montenegro, admit you’ve totally forgotten Montenegro): Austria, Serbia, Germany, Russia, France, Montenegro, Belgium, Britain, Japan, Turkey.

Speaking of Canada, some Canadians along the border fear an invasion by Germans and Austrians living in the US.

Germany is said to be building new submarines four times as large as existing ones, able to remain at sea without resupply for 40 days.

The Comte de Chambrun, once the French military attaché in Washington but now an artillery officer, has had what he calls “the great pleasure” of having to bombard his own château, which the Germans are occupying.

A “League of Honour” is formed in Britain for educated girls to show lower-class ones how to be nice to soldiers – but not, um, too nice.

A politician asks Gen. Joffre what his plans are: “I’ll just keep nibbling at them for the time being.”

IWW activist Becky Edelstein is tried for making speeches against John D. Rockefeller.  She tells the jury that she has the right of free speech, and that whatever they do she will “come back here and harass John D. Rockefeller.”  She is acquitted.

Alice Paul, head of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, says no California woman should vote for a Democrat for any office because Wilson and congressional leaders haven’t supported the women’s suffrage amendment.

The Mexican convention continues. Zapata’s delegates have finally arrived.  They demand the break-up of the large landed estates.  “The convention for several minutes was in confusion.  The delegates reached for their revolvers, but finally yielded to the becalming speeches of their colleagues.”

Prince Louis of Battenberg resigns as First Sea Lord, in response to a xenophobic press campaign against him (he was born in Austria and raised abroad in Germany and Italy, but has served in the British Navy for 45 years, since he was 14).  The Battenbergs will change their name to Mountbatten later in the war in an attempt to avoid more of this sort of thing.

Woodrow Wilson asks his attorney general if he has the power to close the mines in Colorado (the White House will deny this story). Gov. Ammons says it’s perfectly safe to withdraw the federal troops, as the state national guard (now even more heavily infiltrated by mine-company guards) is perfectly capable of keeping order.

US business is booming because of the literal booming in Europe.  Belligerent nations have placed orders for 2.2 million pairs of shoes in New England.  The hob-nailed boots the French army wants have to be made by hand.  Also tinned meat, lots of tinned meat.  And 20,000 horses.

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