remain content
with such brief summary as has been given, supplemented with the
following extracts from a very lengthy _resume_ of the leading events
of the war up to date, which were published in a special War
Supplement issued by the _Daily Telegraph_ on the morning of Tuesday
the 28th of June 1904:--

"Although little more than a period of six weeks has elapsed since
the actual outbreak of hostilities which marked the commencement of
what, be its issue what it may, must indubitably prove the most
colossal struggle in the history of human warfare, changes have
already occurred which must infallibly mark their effect upon the
future destiny of the world. Almost as soon as the first shot was
fired the nations of Europe, as if by instinct or under the influence
of some power higher than that of international diplomacy,
automatically marshalled themselves into the two most mighty hosts
that have ever trod the field of battle since man first fought with
man.

"Not less than twenty millions of men are at this moment facing each
other under arms throughout the area of the war. These are almost
equally divided; for, although what is now known as the
Franco-Slavonian League has some three millions of men more on land,
it may be safely stated that the preponderance of naval strength
possessed by the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance fully counterbalances this
advantage.

"There is, however, another most important element which has now for
the first time been introduced into warfare, and which, although it
is most unhappily arrayed amongst the forces opposed to our own
country and her gallant allies, it would be both idle and most
imprudent to ignore. We refer, of course, to the two fleets of
war-balloons, or, as it would be more correct to call them, navigable
aerostats, possessed by France and Russia.

"So tremendous has been the influence which these terrible inventions
have exercised upon the course of the war, that we are not
transgressing the bounds of sober truth when we say that they have
utterly disconcerted and brought to nought the highest strategy and
the most skilfully devised plans of the brilliant array of masters of
the military art whose presence adorns the ranks and enlightens the
councils of the Alliance.

"Since the day when the Russians crossed the German and Austrian
frontiers, and the troops of France and Italy simultaneously flung
themselves across the western frontiers of Germany and through the
passes of