October 10. 1914 
LAND AND AVATEB 
A DIARY OF THE WAR. 
SYNOPSIS. 
Auccsr 38D.— Sir Edward Grey stated I?riti«Ii policy :ind revealed 
Germany's amaziiij; offer, in the event of our neglecting our oliligations 
to I'Vance. Mobilisation of tlifl Army. Ultimatum to Clonnany. 
Clermiiii and freiich Ambassadors loft I'aris and JJerlin. 
AiH.usr 4th. — Germany rejected England's uUir.iatutn. luiglisli 
Cjo'.erument took over control of railways. War declared between 
England and Germany. 
August 5ih.— Lord Kitchener appointed .'lecretary of iState for 
AVur. H.M.S. Ampliioii struck u niTiie and foundered. 
Aunr-ST 6in. — Ifousc of Commoni?, in five minutes, pas.«ed a vote of 
cr-.-tlit for £100,000,000, and sanctioned an increase of the Army by 
60t;,000 men. Slate control of food prices. 
AvccST 8i-H.— Lord Kitchener i.ssued a circular .Tsldng for 100,000 
vas -sunk hv II. M.S. 
Aucrsr 9rH.— The enemy's submarine, UlS, 
Jiirnihig/iain. 
ArcrsT lOrH. — France declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germans 
Jidviinced on Namnr. The new Tress IJureau established by the 
Government for the issue of official war news. 
Arcusr 11th. — England declared war against Austria. 
Auf;r3T 15th. — The T.sar addressed a Troclamation to the Toli.sh 
populations of Russia, Germany, and Austria, promising to restore to 
I'oland complete autoiinniy and guarantees fur religious liberty and 
the use of the Polish hing'uage. 
AtiorsT 16Tn.— Japanese ultimatum to Germany demanding the 
withdrawal of lier vessels of war from the Far Ea.^*!.' 
August 17th. — The British E.tpeditionai-y I'orce safely landed in 
J- ranee. 
The lielgian Government transferred from Brussels to Antwerp. 
AufiU.ST ISth.- General .^'ir If. Rmilli IVaricn appointed to com- 
mand of an Arni,v Gorps of the Briti.sh Expeditionary Eorce, in 
•iiccession to the late General Gricrson. 
August 20rH. — The Servians gained a decisive victory over the 
Ausiriana near i!'liabatz. 
Auuu?T 21sT.— The German forces entered Brussels. 
August 22.N-n. — Servia announces that their army had won a great 
viclorj- on the Orina. The Austrian losses were very heavy. 
August 23rd. — Japan declared war on Germany. The Russian 
army gained an important victory near Guml-orneu against u force of 
160,000 Germans. 
August 24ni.— It wa.s announced that Namur had fallen. 
The British forces were engaged all day on .Sunday and alter dark 
in the neighbourhood of Moua, and held their ground. Luueville was 
occupied by the Germans. 
August 27i-h. — Mr. Churchill announced in the House that the 
German armed merchantman Kuhcr Wilhehn der (lioftf had been 
sunk by H.JI.8. IJiijhflyrT on the West Africa (.'oa.sl. 
August 28rH. — A concerted operation was attempted against the 
•Germans in the Heligoland I'lght. 
'J'he Eirst I-ight t'ruiser Squadr.m sank the Mnin:. The Fir^t 
Jialtle (;ruis€r t^cpiadrou sank one cruiser, Koln class, and another 
•cruii'er disappeared in the mist, heavily on fire, and in a sinking 
cuiuiition. 
Two German destroyers were sunk and many damaged. The total 
British casualties amounted to «i.\ty-nine killed and wounded. 
Lord Kitchener announced that " The Government have decided 
■that our Army in France shall be increased by two divisions and 3 
ovalry division, besides other troops from India." 
f Ki'TEMBER IsT.— The Russians met witji a check in Eaft Prussia, 
but were successful in minor engagements in Galicia. 
S'Ki'rKMBER 2.\n. — Cimtinuous fighting was in progress ahing almost 
the whole line of battle. The British Cavalry engjiged, with distinc- 
tion, the Cavalry of the enemy, pushed them back, and captured ten 
guns. Tlie French Army gained ground in the Lorraine region. The 
Russian Army completely routed four Austrian Army Corps near 
Lember-;, capturing 150 gims, 
•"^ttTKMBER 3rd. —The French Ciovernment moved to Bordeaux. 
Sm'TKVbp.r 4rH. — The Russian Army under General Ruzsky. cap- 
tured Lemberg, and the Army of General Brussiloff took Halicz. 
StKreMBER Stu. — The formal alliance of England, France, and 
IJns.-iia was signed in lyondon by the representatives of the three 
(J'lvernmenis concerned, binding each nation to conclude peace, or 
discti*! terms of peace, only in conjunction with its Allies. 
^KrxKMBKR 6th.— It Was announced that the scout-cruiser Patli- 
findi-T foundered on Saturday afternoon after running upon a mine. 
St.ncMBKR 7iH. — Gen<"ral Jolfres' plans were l)eing steadily carried 
out. The Allied forces acted on the offensive and were snccessful in 
clucking and forcing back in a north-easterly direction the German 
forcvs opposed to them. 
Sr.ritMBF.n 8i-u. 'Vhc Allies gained ground on the left wing along 
the line of the Oureq and the Petit Morin river. Here the Britisli 
troop? drove the <-nemy back ten miles. Further to the right, from 
A'itry Ic-Krancois to Sermaise-Ies-Baing the enemy wag pressed back 
ill the direction of Kheims. 
HfciTKMBER 9iH.— The English Army crossed the Marne, and the 
enemy retired about twenty-five miles. 
.SwrKMBKii llii!.— Our Ist Army Corp.? captured twelve Maxim 
guru and some piisoncrji, and our 2nd Army Corps took 550 prisoners 
and a balttry. 
Slpikmbkb 13th. — On the left wing the enemy continued his retreat- 
ing movement. The Belgian .\rmy punlied forward a vigorous offensive 
to tha south of Licrrc. 
SiiprRMai-.r. 14ia. — All day the enemy etubbornly disputed th» 
passage of the Aisne by our troops, but nearly all the croseing.! wer« 
secured by sunset. On our right and left the French troojw vera 
confronted with a similar task, in which they were successful. 
SfrTEMaER 15rit. — The Allied traopa occupied Rheiras. .Six 
hundred prisoner.^ and twelve guns were captured by the Corps on 
tlio right of tlie iiritish. 
NoTEVBER 16rH.- Submarine E9, Lieutcn.Tnt-Commrnidcr Ma.x 
Kennedy Horton, returned safely after having torpedoed tiie Gerniati 
cruiser llda, six miles south of Heligoland. 
SurreMBER 19™. — The Russian army sei/.ed the fortified po-iitions 
of Sicniawa and Sambor. 
Sbitembf.r 20th. — ^Rheims Cathedral was wantonly bombarded, and 
nothing is left but the four bare walls. 
The British auxiliary cniiser Cnrmania, Captain Xoel Ciianl, Royal 
Navy, sank the Cap Trafalgar off the east coa.st of South America. 
'J'he action lasted one hour and forty-five nrinutes, when the German 
ship capsized and sunk, her survivors being rescued by an empty 
colli'!!'. 
Septe.mkkr 22.SD.— H.M. ships Ahotil-ir, llorjue, and Cressi/ were 
sunk by submarines in the North Sea. The Aboulcir was torpedoed, 
and whilst tha Uogue and the Cress;/ had closed and were standing 
by to save the crew, they were also torpedoed. 
SBro:.\iBEB 23Rn. — -British aeroplanes of the Naval wini; delivered 
an attack on the Zeppelin sheds at Diisseldorf and Flight l.iouten.'iiit 
Collet dropped three bombs on a Zeppelin shed, approaching v.ithin 
400 feet. 
Septkmber 25th. — The German right wing v.a.'^ strengthened l>y 
tl'P transfer of .\rmy Coi-ps both from tlio centre of their line and from 
their left in Lorraine and the Vosges. Along the line of the Aisuo there 
was little change in the general posiiion. 
September 26th.— There was much activity on the part of the 
enemy all alon" the line. Some heavy counter-attacks were repulsed, 
and ( onsid^rable loss was inflicted on "the enemy. 
SErTF.MBKR 27th.— Between the Oise and the Somme and to the 
north of tlio Somme, the battle continued along a very extensive front 
Nvith perceptible progress on our part. By tlie evening our 
troops regained the ground they had lost. Between the Argoniie and 
tlie Mcuse there was nothing" new to report. In the south of th-^ 
Wocuvro the Germans occupied a line which passed through St. Mihiel 
and the north-west of Pont-a-Moussom. 
Seitember 28tii.- At certain points, notably between the Aisne 
and the Argoime, the enemy made further violent attacks, wliich were 
repulsed. 
SEFreMBER 29ih. — There was praotically no change in the situation. 
The Allied left had some very heavy fighting, but they well held their 
own. 
DAY BY DAY. 
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1st. 
Tlie Allifd lino iiio\ cJ forward to the north of the Somme and 
in the Soiitlicrn Woeuvie, the district to the east of Verdun. Tiia 
ariiv'iil of the Indian Kxpeditionary Force at Marseilles was 
annoiinof'l. 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2nd. 
On the left wing the baltlo continued very fiercely, particu- 
laily in the neighbourhood of I'oye. On the Meuse the Cicrman'i 
attempted to throw a bridge acrcss the river near 8t. Mihiel, but 
it was destroyed. On the remainder of the front everything was 
(juiet. The Secretary of the Admiralty communicated tlu^ 
following : " The (lerman policy of mine-laying combined with 
their submarine activitie.?, makes it necessary on military grotmils 
for the Admiralty to adopt counter-measures. His Majcst3's 
fiovern7ncnt have, therefore, authorised a mine-laying policy 
in certain areas and a .system of mine-fields has been established 
and is being developed upon a considerable scale. 
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th. 
On OTir left wing the battle was in full progress in the Arras 
r.-'^ion. Progress was made in the Soissons region, where the 
enemy's trenches were taken. On almost all the remainder 
of the front the lull continued. A German anny, four corps 
strong, established between the frontier of East Prussia and the 
Niemen, has had its left wing thrown back on Mariampol and 
Sinvalki. 
MONDAY, OCTOBER Sth. 
On our left wing to the north of the Oise the battle continued 
with great violence. At certain points wo liad to yield ground. 
Oa the remainder of the front there was no change. In Ru.ssia, 
after a battle which lasted ten daj'S, the German army which 
was operating between the front of East Prussia and the Nieman 
was beaten all along the line and retreated, abandoning a 
considerable quantity of material. 
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th. 
Tlie situation remains "in statu quo." 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7tli. 
It was reported tliat a Gorman destroyer had been sunk by a 
British submarine off the German coast. The authorities at 
Antwerp announced the probability of bombardment of the city. 
11 
