LAND AND WATER 
August 22, 1914 
tion. Ealher, ttc niaj look for a continuance of the pi-esent 
•tate of affairs. The German policy is clearly to attempt to 
weaken iLe British force by subniisrine attack and by mines. 
How far the Germans Lavo gone in for initiscriminata 
mine- laving we Lave no means of ascertaining, though personally 
I do not think they did anything of the sort. The mines -which 
sunk the Amfhio'n wero laid under the impression that the 
Britisli Expeditionary Force Trould sail from the Thames Estuary 
or Harwich. It is not desirable to say anything about the ti-ans- 
port of that force, except that the German calculations conccniing 
it were not successful. 
Tho war has already been a war of surprises, and chief 
among these is tlie extremely small inconvenience caused to 
British merchant shipping. It is reasonable to expect that such 
commerce-destroyers as Germany may have on the high seas will 
automatically die a natural death from want of coal unless they 
are allowed to supply themselves by the " coal sufiScicnt to reach 
the nciircst German harbour " subterfuge. Even so, their power 
for mischief Las apparently been greatly exaggerated in the past. 
We most of us seemed to have failed to realise how very rigid 
the trade routes are. To do any mischief at all a privateer must 
get on the trade route, -where she is sure to meet cruisers looking 
for her — cruisers in -wireless communication -with the proposed 
victims of the corsair. 
The capture of a merchant ship is an operation requiring 
time for its performance — time enough for a defending cruiser 
to come up, if anywhere near. In addition, there is the problem 
as to what is to to be done with prizes when captured, owing to 
the virtual impossibility of getting them into a German harbour. 
Many people have anticipated that the German battle cruisers 
will sooner or later attempt to rush for the trade routes. Of 
course, they may do it ; but, if so, they will be very ill-advised, 
and there will not be the least occasion for the public to be 
perturbed. It is moderately certain that, if they do manage to 
get out, they will ne-ier get back again ; and even getting out is 
not likely to be easy. 
Tho general indications are that for the present the "War 
on the water will continue uneventfully until circumstances 
force the Kaiser to send his entire fleet to sea as a forlorn hojje, 
in much the same way that circumstances more or less com- 
pelled Napoleon to order Villeneuve to leave harbour in the 
Trafalgar campaign. 
The official Germ^n war plan, however, is for the fleet to 
remain safe behind the impregnable fortifications which stud the 
whole of the German coast in hopes that the British battleships 
will come off the coast and allow themselves to be thinned down 
by submarine and destroyer attacks. 
If and when the rush does come, it is more likely to be via 
the Channel than in the more obvious Scapa Flow direction. 
It -would be a rush of desperation -with the object of doing 
as much damage as possible. However, it is inadvisable to 
speculate in details. 
DIARY OF THE WEEK 
DAY BY DAY, 
FRIDAY, AUGUST Hth. 
The French War Ministry olncially announced that the 
French troops which entered Belgium by Charleroi are 
in touch with the Belgian Army. 
The situation at Liege remained the same, all the forts 
were intact, and the troops in excellent spirits. 
The Secretary of State for the Colonics vras informed by 
the Governor of Nyasaland that on Thursday morning 
the Nyasaland Government armed steamer Gvcndolen 
seized the German Government armed Bteamer Yon 
Wissmann at Sphinx Haven on the eastern shore of 
Lake Nyasa. The guns and engines were removed 
from the Von Wissmann and her crew taken prisoners. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST ISih. 
The Tsar addressed to the Tolifih populations of Ru.ssia, 
Germany, and Austria a proclamation promising to 
restore to Poland her territorial integrity with complete 
autonomy and guarantees for religious liberty and the 
use of the Tolish language. A great battle took place 
in and around Dinant, on the river Meuse. The action 
lasted from six in tlie morning till six in the evening, 
when the Germans had been diiven about nine miles 
south to a point bet-neen Givct and Eoehcfort. All 
the forts at Lii'ge reported to be still intact. 
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16th. 
Ultimatum delivered by Japan to Germ.any demanding 
the withdrawal of her vessels of war from the Far East 
and to deliver on a date not later than September loth 
to the Imperial Japanese authorities, without condition 
or compensation, the entire leased territory of K.iao- 
chau, with a view to the eventual restoration of tho 
game to China. Germany given till noon on Sunday 
next to send her reply. The Japanese ultimatum to 
Germany was regarded in America as the gravest 
development of the war. Viscount Chinda, the Japanese 
Ambassador, informed tho United States Government 
that every American neutral interest would be safe- 
guarded. Japan's promise to restore KiaocLau to 
China regarded by the United States as satisfactory. 
MONDAY. AUGUST 17th. 
The Press Bureau announced that the Expeditionary 
Force, as detailed for foreign service, has been safely 
landed on French soil. The embarkation, trans- 
portation, and disembarkation of men and stores 
were alike carried through with tho greatest possible 
precision and without a single casualty. Mr. F. E. 
Smith, who made this announcement, stated, " Lord 
Kitchener wishes me to add that he and the country 
are under the greatest obligation to the Press for tho 
loyalty with which all references to the movements of 
the Expeditionary Force in this country and on their 
landing have been suppressed." 
Lieutcnant-General Sir James Grierson died while 
travelling in the train. General Grierson had been 
designated to command the Third Corps of the Expe- 
ditionary Force. By his death the Army lias lost one of 
its best leaders. General Grierson was fifty-five years 
of age, and joined the Eoyal Artillery in 1877. In 
1914 he was appointed Director of Military Operations 
at the War Office, and afterwards commanded the 
Fir,st Division at Aldershot. In recent years he had 
greatly distinguished himself at manoeuvres. He was 
a brilliant linguist, and was a qualified interpreter in 
French, German, Eussian, and Spanish, 
The Belgian Government transferred from Brussels to 
Antwerp, and adequate measures taken to assure the 
defence of Brussels and to protect it from a surprise 
attack. 
The Press Bureau announced that tho French troops, in 
the course of a rapid advance along tho Valley of 
Schirmeck, secured a thousand prisoners. 
The French Fleet in the Mediterranean made a sweep up 
the Adriatic as far as Cattaro, and a small Austrian 
ci-uiser of the Aspcm type was fired on and sunk, 
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th, 
It was announced that the King had approved the 
appointment of General Sir H. Smith-Dorrien to 
command of an Army Corps of the British Expeditionary 
Force, in succession to the late General Grierson. 
The Press Bureau issued the following statement : " Some 
desultory fighting has taken place during the day 
between the British patrolling squadrons and flotillas 
and German reconnoitreing cruisers. No losses are 
reported or claimed. A certain liveliness is apparent 
inr the Southern area of the North Sea. 
The French captured the greater part of the Valleys 
of the Vosges on the slopes of Alsace, from which the 
French Army will soon reach the plain, 
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19th. 
Eepoi-tcd that the Germans had entered Tirlemont early 
on Tuesday afternoon, and that a fierce battle was 
taking place between the Belgian and German troops 
along an extended front. 
From official sources in BerlLa came the nev.'s that 
Germany will not consent to evacuate Kiaochau, or 
to agree to Japan's other demands. The capture of 
Kiaochau, it -was declared, would have no more effect 
on the war than the taking of Togoland. 
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20th. 
Reported that the Servians had gained a decisive 
victory over the Austrians near Shabatz. Three 
Austrian regiments were practically wiped out. 
The Eussian forces came into collision v.'itli First German 
Army Corps near Stallu-Poncn, defeating the enemy 
and cnpluriijg eight guns, tv.elve caissons, and two 
maxims. 
Despatches received suggest that the German advance 
in Belgium, North of the ileuse, has begun. The Liege 
forts still hold out. An official statement was received 
from Brussels to the efiect that severe fighting had 
begun along the whole front from Bale to Diest. 
Latest despatches announced the evacuation of 
Mechlin by the iUlied troops on tho Belgian fighting 
front, and a threatened attack on Brussels by the 
German forces. In the eastern war area the Russian 
Army_ was reported to have vigorously assumed the 
offeusive. 
U* 
