light cruiser on September 5, 1914 and on September 22, a submarine sank the armored cruiser Aboukir in the North Sea. Two other ships of the same class rushed to the aid of the doomed vessel and waiting submarines sank both of these vessels. It was a lesson to the British and thereafter no ship was to go to the rescue of a torpedoed craft. The horrors of war were being truly magnified.

Such losses, however, became rarer as naval experts learned of ways to meet the danger of the new warfare. Germany realized soon that her policy of "attrition" was not to succeed. Her hope that by submarine destruction of English war-vessels the enemy's naval strength would be reduced to an equal basis with her own soon became a forlorn one.

The Teuton then turned his attention to the destruction of allied commerce. His new purpose was to destroy the food and munition supplies and also the vessels carrying men from England's colonies or to points in Macedonia and Mesopotamia.

Germany scattered mines in the waters near the British coast. The fact that this was a direct violation of international law meant little to the lawless Hun. For the highways of the sea are for neutral as well as warring nations and the indiscriminate placing of mines meant danger not only to the fighting factions but to neutrals as well.

Great Britain to meet this action of the enemy declared that the North Sea would be safe for ships only through one certain channel (through the straits of Dover). English ships cleared this channel of enemy mines and guarded it closely. Ship that took other courses did so at their own peril.

Germany countered by declaring that Great Britain had closed the North Sea to neutrals and so she declared that all waters surrounding the British

Isles was war zone. She announced that all enemy merchant ships found there would be destroyed without guarantee of warning or any promise for the safety of passengers or crew. Neutral ships were also warned.

Germany felt that this would bring England to her knees. She did not reckon, or possibly, she felt that the effect on England more than offset the righteous protests from neutrals. It brought a note from the President of the United States declaring that Germany would be held to "strict accountability" for offenses against international law and the laws of humanity.

This followed a series of lawless, murderous UBoat attacks on neutral and defenseless allied ships. The story of the Lusitania is well known and is described in Vol. VI. Chapter CXIX, Page 1897 where mention is also made of other German depredations.

From that time when Count Von Bernstorff after the sinking of the Arabic declared that there was no possibility of a recurrence and when on February 9, 1916, Germany in her last note on the Lusitania affair, was willing to pay full indemnity for the loss of American lives repeating again the pledge that "unarmed merchantmen shall not be sunk without warning and unless the safety of the passengers and crew can be assured," she attempted continuously to evade her responsibility and guilt.

It was on April 26th, 1916, that President Wilson trying hard to keep the country honorably at peace sent Germany word again which concluded as follows:

"If the Imperial German Government should not now proclaim and make effective renunciation of its present methods of submarine warfare against passenger and cargo ships, the United States Govern

ment can have no other choice than to break off completely diplomatic relations with the German Government."

The Imperial German Government made reply as follows:

"In accordance with the general principles of visit and search and destruction of merchant vessels recognized by international law, such vessels, both within and without the area declared as a naval war zone, shall not be sunk without warning and without saving human lives, unless these vessels attempt to escape or offer resistance."

In the last part of January the German Government declared that "From February 1st, 1917, sea traffic will be stopped with every available weapon and without further notice" (without warning) in zones around Great Britain, France, Italy and in the Eastern Mediterranean. American passenger ships would be undisturbed if they sailed once a week, bore certain markings, took a prescribed course, landed only at Falmouth, arrived on Sunday and departed on Wednesday and carried no contraband.

On February 3rd, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Germany on the ground that the German Government's announcement of January 31st "Withdraws the assurance given on May 4, 1916 that Germany would confine her war operations to the fighting forces of the belligerents.' The German ambassador at Washington, given his passports, requested the Swiss minister, Dr. Paul Ritter, to take charge of German affairs in the United States.

President Wilson expressed his belief to other neutral nations that it would make for the peace of the world if they would all take action similar to that of the United States. The American am

bassador to Germany, James W. Gerard, left Germany, placing the affairs of his government in the hands of the Spanish ambassador.

Other neutral nations replying to the German Government's note in relation to unrestricted submarine warfare showed varying degrees of firmness and warning; all refused to recognize the blockade as legal, but none followed the example of this government.

The German Government requested, through the Swiss minister at Washington, the opportunity to discuss matters of difference, but the United States refused to do so unless Germany first withdrew the proclamation of January 31st. In compliance with the request of the German authorities, all Americans were withdrawn from relief work in Belgium.

The Senate and House passed the Immigration Bill over the veto of the President. The literacy test was thus adopted after Presidents Cleveland, Taft and Wilson had vetoed it.

Possibly no other time in the history of the United States or in any other country staged so many important and epoch making events as did the year 1917 for this country.

Disclosures on February 28th made public at Washington showed that Zimmerman, the German Secretary of Foreign Affairs, proposed to the Mexican Government through the German ambassador at Mexico City, an alliance with Mexico in event of war between Germany and the United States; Mexico to receive financial support and to be compensated with New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. The note also suggested that Japan be invited to adhere to the plan.

In March, the Russian Duma met, in defiance of the Czar's decree of dissolution. Three days later

the Czar abdicated for himself and his son in favor of his brother Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovitch. The Grand Duke, however, renounced his right to the throne, until such time as a constituent assembly, on a basis of universal suffrage, should have established a form of government. A new cabinet was formed in Russia and so "almost without bloodshed, did Russia turn from a despotic monarchy to what will probably be a democratic form of government." The Foreign Minister of the new government, Paul Milyukoff, announced that the new regime was resolved to fight side by side with its allies.

March saw a bill passed authorizing and empowering the President to arm merchant ships. A measure was also passed forbidding the interstate shipment of liquors to such states as prohibit the sale and manufacture of such liquors.

The Naval Bill passed by both houses on March 4th carried appropriations of $535,000,000 and authorized a bond issue of $150,000,000 to hasten naval construction and the building of thirty-eight new submarines.

The Senate of the Sixty-fifth Congress met in special session on March 5th, with sixteen new members.

On March 5th Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated for his second term. The Sixty-fifth Congress met in extraordinary session on April 2nd. Champ Clark was re-elected speaker by a vote of 217 to 205. The President addressed both Houses, meeting in joint session and advised, that "the Congress declare the recent course of the Imperial German Government to be nothing less than war against the government and the people of the United States." He recommended an immediate addition of 500,000 men to the army, chosen upon the principle of universal