Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1917 — PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THIRD YEAR OF THE WAR [ARTICLE]

PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THIRD YEAR OF THE WAR

Aug. 1, 1916.—Merchantman U-boat Deutschland leaves Baltimore homeward bound on first trip. Somme battle continues. Russians in heavy battle after crossing Stokhod river. August 2. —Russians within ten miles of Kovel. August 3. —French recapture part of Fleury,/near Verdun. Sir Roger Casement hanged in London for participation in Irish revolt. August 4. —French take Thiaumont, near Verdun. August 5. —British overwhelm Turks at Romani, near Suez canal. August 6. —Russians cross rivers Sereth and Graberka and take six villages from Austrians. August 8. —Italians take Gorizia bridgehead and capture 10,000 prisoners. Russian General Letchitzky takes two towns and many villages. August 9. —Gorizia falls 'to Italians In great offensive. near Stanislau withdraw on wide front. August 10. —Russians take Stanislau. August 11. —Allies seize Doiran in Balkan drive. August 13. —Austrians evacuate line of the Strypa river. August 14. —Russians capture Tustobaby. August 15. —Russians take Jablonitza, near Carpathian pass.

August 16. —Allies take three miles of .trenches near the Somme. Announced Russians have taken 358,000 prisoners since June 4, 1916, when drive began. August liJ.—Russians advance three miles into Hungary. August 20.—British advance on 11mile front at Thiepval, near Somme' river. Allies attack on 150-mile front Ju Balkans. Two British light cruisers and one or two German U-boats sunk in North Sea battle. August 22. —Announced big Russian contingent has landed at Saloniki. August 23.—The Deutschland reaches Bremen. August 24. —Russians recapture Mush, Armenia. August 27.—Roumania declares war on Teutons and invades Transylvania. Italy formally declares war on Germany. August 29. —Kaiser makes Von Hindenburg chief of staff of all German armies in place of Von Falkenhayn. August 31.- —Roumanians cross Danube and occupy Rustchuk, Bulgaria. Austrians fall back in Transylvania. September 2. —Roumanians, far in Transylvania, take Hermannstadt. Zeppelins raid London and one' is brought down in flames. September 3. —Allies take three villages on Somme. Roumanians capture Orsova, Austria. Germans and Bulgars invade the Dobrudja. September 4. —French take five more villages on Somme; allies’ prisoners in two days, 6,000. September 6. —Teutons take Danube city of Turtukai and 20,000 Roumanians.

September 8. —Roumanians and Russians drive foe back a little in Dobrudja. September 10. —Teutons take Roumanian fortress of Silistria. September 11. —British drive across Struma river in Balkans. September 12. —Allies capture threemile line on Somme. Roumanians overwhelmed in Dobrudja. September 15. —British take German Somme positions on six-mile front. Use “tanks” for first time in warfare. „ September 18.—Allies take Florina, Macedonia. September 19. —Serbs fight their way back onto their own soil. September 21. —Russians and Roumanians announce they have thrown back the invaders in Dobrudja. September 22. —Announced allies took 55,800 prisoners in Somme battle between July 1 and September 18. September _23. —Roumanians inDobrudja driven back in disorder. Zeppelins invade England; one burned, another captured. September 25. —Allies advance along 15-mile front on Somme. Venizelos leaves Athens to lead revolt against King Constantine. September 2G. —Allies take Combles and Thiepval in Somme battle. September 30. —Von Falkenhayn routs Roumanians at Hermannstadt, Transylvania. October 1. —A Roumanian army crossed the Danube.

October 2. —Another Zeppelin shot down near London. October 4.—Mackensen drives Roumanian invaders of Bulgaria back toward Danube. October 5. —Roumanians flee across the Danube. Serbs cross Cerna river y drive on Monastir. October 7. —German submarine U-53 visits Newport, R. 1., on mysterious mission. Sinks five ships off Narragansett Light night of October 7-8. October 8. —Roumanians driven back to Transylvania frontier. October 10.—Roumanians in rout flee through mountain passes. October 11.—Greece turns over her fleet to France on allies’ demand. Italians, resuming Carso drive, take 5,000 prisoners. October 22.—Roumanians in Dobrudja retreat basely. October 23.—Teutons occupy Constanza, principal Roumanian seaport. Germans throw Russians back across Narayuvka river. October 24. —French take 3,500 prisoners at Verdun.

October 25. —-Roumanian city of Cernavoda falls. Defenders blow up great bridge across Danube. October 26. —Light craft clash in English channel. Six British drift-net boats, a transport and a destroyer and one German destroyer sunk. November 1. —Deutschland reaches New London, Conn., on second transAtlantic trip with cargo worth $lO,000,000. U-53 arrives in a German port. November 2.—Germans evacuate Fort Vans, at Verdun. Italians take 4,731 in new offensive. November 3.—ltalians take 3.495 more prisoners. , .-T'-.

November 5. —Central powers proclaim kingdom of Poland. Italians announce, have taken 40,365 Austrians since fall of Gorizla. \ November 9. —Teutons driven back twelve miles in Dobrudja. November 13.—British advance north of Ancre; take 3,300 prisoners. November 15. —England announces food controller will be appointed. November 17.—News received of wholesale deportations of Belgians for forced labor in Germany. November 19. —Allies take Monastir, Macedonia. November 21. —Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria dies and Charles Francis becomes ruler. Teutons take Craiova in drive on western Roumania. November 23. —Russian dreadnaught Imperatrita Maria sunk by internal explosion ; 200 killed. November 24. —Teutons capture Tur-nu-Severin and Orsova from Roumanians. November 25.—Teutons cross Alt river and sweep rapidly through Roumania.

November 26. —Venizelos party declares war on Germany and Bulgaria. Teutons invading Roumania from nQjth. and. gotjtU 191 m junction* November 27. —Teutons take Alexandria, Roumania. Zeppelins raid England; two downed bv gunfire. f November 29 Beatty replaces Jellicoe in command of British fleet. December 2.—French and Greeks clash in Athens streets. Teutons win great battle for Bucharest. December 6. —Bucharest falls. December 7. —Lloyd George becomes premier of Great Britain. December 8. Twenty-seven thousand Roumanians surrender. December 10. —Deutschland arrives home. December 12. —Germany announces she is ready for peace parleys. December 14. —Russia officially rebuffs German peace offer. December 15. —French under Nivelle take 9,000 prisoners on seven-mile front at Verdun. Nivelle then leaves to become commander in chief of all France’s home armies. Buzcu and all Wallachia lost to Roumanians.

December 18. —Russian troops take over whole Roumanian front. December 19.—Lloyd George tells commons Germans must makt restitution and reparation to get peace. December 20. —Wilson sends notes to both sides in war asking their aims. December 24. —Switzerland officially indorses Wilson’s plea for statement of war aims. December 25. —Teutons take 9,000 Russians in Roumania. December 26. —Germany replies to Wilson, suggesting peace conference, but not stating own war aims or terms of peace. December 30.—Allies in reply to German peace proposal call offer empty and Insincere and refuse conference. December 31. —King Constantine of Greece thanks President Wilson for his note to the belligerents. January 4, 1917. —British transport Icernia sunk by U-boat in Mediterranean; 150 lost. January 5. —House of representatives rules committee begins investigation of Wall street “leak” of Wilson peace note news. January 6. —Russians retreat across Sereth river in Roumania. January 8. —Russians launch offensive near Riga.

January 11. —Allies in reply to Wilson note outline aims, but refuse to parley with an unbeaten Germany. January 17. —Learn German raider Moewe has sunk 21 ships and seized three others in South Atlantic. Entente,, in supplementary note to Wilson, amplifies war aims. January 19.—British steamer Yarrowdale, Moewe’s prize, reaches a German port with 469 prisoners. January 22. — Wilson makes his “peace without victory” address in senate, demanding United States enter world league at clos& of war. January 24. —After initial successes;, Russians are forced back near-Riga. January 25. —Mine sinks British auxiliary cruiser Laurentic off Irish coast. January 31. —Germany declares ruthless submarine war, revoking all pledges to the United States. February 3. —United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany. President Wilson in address to senate outlines crisis. United States seizes interned German warships.

February 4. —Wilson asks neutrals to break with Germany, United States reserve fleet ordered in service. February 5. —Announced American seaman was killed when German submarine shelled lifeboat of British ! steamer Eavestone. | February 6. —Learned Germany is holding United States Ambassador Gerard. February 7. —British liner California, one American aboard, sunk, nn- | warned, off Ireland; 41 lives lost. I Spain calls new U-boat decree unlawful. February 8. —Germany tries to get Ambassador Gerard to sign a paper reaffirming Prussian treaties with the United States, but he refuses. February 10. —Gerard finally allowed to leave Berlin. , > February 12.—Announced officially

Germany has asked parley with Unit’ ed States through Swiss minister at Washington and been snubbed. Germany masses five army corps to overawe Holland. February 13.—British hem in Turks at Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia. February 15. Germany releases American Yarrowdale prisoners. February 17. —Learn German embassy gave orders for crippling of German merchantmen here before publication of ruthless warfare note. February 20. —Austria backs Germany in ruthless warfare. Food riots in New York, probably stirred up by German agents. February 22. —Germany torpedoes seven Dutch ships leaving Falmouth in violation of her pledge. February 23. —British stringently restrict imports to fight submarine war. February 25. —Germans make “stra»- ' tegic” retirement on Ancre front. Laconia, British ship, sunk unwarned off Ireland; two American women killed. February 26. —President asks congress for authority to arm American merchantcraft. British capture Kut-el-Amara.

February 28. —Germany’s plot to ally 3 Mexico and Japan with her against the United States and her promise of three American states to Mexico revealed. March I.—President Wilson confirms story of German attempt to incite Mexico and Japan. Tokyo denounces plot. House passes bill to arm ships, 403 to 13. March 3. —Russians take Hamadan, Persia, from Turks. March 4 President Wilson denounces “willful mep” Id senate who filibustered against armed ship bill, killing it by ending of administration term. British take over 25-mile Somme front from French. President X<?r second term. March 6. —President’s advisers tell* him he has power to arm ships without action of congress. March 7. —Berlin admits sending intercepted Zimmermann note to Mex9.—President calls extra con* gress session for April 16. March 11. —British capture Bagdad. Russian revolution starts. Petrograd' troops desert government. March 12. —German U-boat shells and sinks United States merchant ship Algonquin without warning. March 14.—China breaks diplomatic < relations with Germany. March 15. —Czar abdicates. March 16. —Grand Duke Michael of Russia renounces throne, bringing Romanoff dynasty to an end. Duma in control.

March 17. —Germans begin big re-, treat on west front. Announced vote of Russian people will decide form of government. March 18.—News received of sinking of American ships City of Memphis, Illinois and Vigilancia by Üboats; 22 men mlssipg. March 21. —Wilson calls on congress to meet April 2 instead of April 16. Twenty lost when United States tanker Healdton, bound for Holland, is sunk by U-boat in North sea. March 25. —President orders partial mobilization of National Guard to protect property from german plotters. Navy ordered to get ready. March 27. —Fifteen thousand more National Guardsmen called out. April 3.—Wilson asks declaration, of state of war by congress. Germans drive Russians acrpss Stokhod river, taking a large number of prisoners. April 4. —Senate passes war resolution, 82 to 6. April 5. —House passes war resolution 373 to 50. April 6.—President signs congress resolution and proclaims state of war. Government takes over German liners. April 7. —Cuba declares war on Germany.

April 9. —Austria-Hungary breaks diplomatic relations with United States. British storm Vimy Ridge, taking 6,000 prisoners on first day of battle. Wilson joins fight to raise new armies by universal service principle. April 10. —British prisoners at Vimy reach 11.000. Brazil breaks diploinatic relations with Germany, British advance 50 miles beyond Bagdad. April 11. —Herbert C. Hoover, ac»—cepts offer to direct foocT supplies of United States. April 13. —British cut into Hindenburg line. President defines war zone off coast. April 14< —House passes seven billion war loan bill. April 15. —Wilson calls on nation to support him in war. April 16.—French in- 25-mile offensive toward the “Ladies Roard” and in Champagne take 10,000 prisoners first day. April 17.—Big war credit passes senate. German wounded die when U-boats sink British hospital ships Donegal and Lanfrano without warning.

April 18. —French prisoners in hew offensive total 17,000. April 19. —Fight is started for prohibition during war. American freighter Mongolia sinks a U-boat —the first American victory of the war. April 20. —In confused night battle of destroyers in English Channel British and German vessels lock, and crews fight with cutlasses. April 21.—Balfobr commission from Great Britain reaches United States. April 24. —French commission arrives in United States. April 25. —U-boats sink 64 British, vessels in week, it is announced, causing alarm in Britain. Wilson tells Balfour United States will not make a separate peace. United States makes first foreign war loan —$200,000,000 to Great Britain. -* April 28. —House votes conscription, army bifl, 397 to 24, and senate, 81 to

8. Guatemala breaks off relations with Germany. April 29. —Petain chosen to lead 'French armies in place of Nivelle., J off re asks United States army In France without delay. May 2.—Announce first'Liberty Loan [bond issue will be $2,000,000,000. Secretary of State Lansing warns U-boat sinkings are serious. May 2.—Russians abandon Mush, Armenia, to the Turks. May 3, —News received of mistreatment of Jews in Palestine by Turks. May 4. —French take Craonne from Germans. May G. —French in second battle of the Aisne take 6,100 prisoners. May 7. —Orders given to raise 11,000 engineers here for work in France. May 10. —Critical situation in Russia and civil war - is feared.

May 14.—Great Britain turns over to United States 1,024,500 tons of shipping building for her here. May 15.—New Italian offensive begins. May 16. —Announced squadron of American destroyers is assisting the British; U-boat losses sink to 26 in week. , May 18.—President proclaims conscription law, calling on 10,000,000 men, aged twenty-one to thirty-one years, to register June 5. Italians announce 6,432 prisoners. May 25.—Italy launches renewed Corso offensive, taking 9,000 prisoners first day. »German airplanes kill 76 persons in Dover and Folkestone. May 26.—Germany announces she will sink hospital ships . without warning unless they obey certain strict rules about the courses they 1 take. Announced Italy has captured 22,414 Austrians since May 14. June 3. —General Chang Hsun named dictator by royalists of China. June 5. —United States registers for the army draft without disorder. General Brusiloff made head of Russian armies. June 7. —British blow up Messines ridge; explosion heard in London; 5,000 prisoners taken on first day of offensive.

June B.—General Pershing, commander of American expedition, arrives in England. Secretary of War Baker plans for 100,000 American airplanes. . One hundred American aviators arrive in France. June 9—Wilson tells Russia what United States is fighting for. Japan offended by United States note urging China to maintain order. June 11. —Lord Northcliffe, famous publisher, arrives to co-ordinate British missions in United States. June 12. —King Constantine of Greece abdicates in favor of his second son, Alexander, at command of the allies. June 13. —In greatest air raid so far on London, 153 are killed and 430 injured. Pershing reaches Paris. Elihu Root and American mission in Petrograd. June 15.—Liberty loan oversubscribed. Great Britain frees all the Irish rebels. June 17. —Doctor Ivers, who wrote Germany’s official reply to the Belgian atrocity charges, is sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment in Berlin for extorting $30,000 from the mother of a soldier by threats; evidence shows he is a chronic drunkard and morphine fiend. Duma demands immediate offensive by Russian troops. June 19.—United States Admiral. Sims put in command of allied fleet off Ireland.

June 22. —Announced Liberty loan subscriptions total $3,035,226,850. June 25. —American Red Cross campaign closes, with subscriptions over the hundred million dollars sought. June 26. —Official Mesopotamian report scores British civil and military leaders. Canadians within one mile of Lens, great French coal center. June 27. —Arrival of first United i States army in France announced. June 28.—Brazil joins in war by annulling her decree of neutrality between the entente nations and Germany. June 29. —Greece breaks diplomatic relations with the central powers. June 30.—Russians begin big offensive in Galicia. War Minister Kerensky leads attack. Haig gains mile on fbur-mile front before Lens. July I.—Washington announces United States is ready to equip army of 2,000,000. July 2. —Russian prisoners counted in her offensive number 10,273. Chinese empire re-established. July 3. —Government tells of two submarine attacks on transports bear-

ing Pershing’s men; one U-boat sunk. Russia announces 6,000 more prison- - ers. Germans make vain five-mile offensive at Verdun. July 4. —Eleven killed in German air raid on Harwich. July 5. —Republicans and monarch- _ Ists battle 35 miles from Peking. July 6. —Leaders of German spy system in United States arrested. July 7. —Twenty-two German Gotha airplanes, mounting four guns, each, raid London, killing 43 and injuring 197. July 8. —Wilson orders export embargo on food, fuel and many other things to prevent supplies reaching Germany. British foreign office states German crops this summer will not be above 40 per cent of normal. United States shipping board states expects to build 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 tons in 18 months, instead of the 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 originally aimed at. July 9.—British dreadnaught Vanguard blown up; all but two aboard killed. July 10.—Germans in sudden drive along seacoast beat* British back to 'Yser river and capture 1,250 men. Crisis over electoral reforms and war aims in Germany. Russians take Ilalicz, Galicia. ■' r ,

July 11.—Russians seize town of Kalusz. , July 12. —Widespread labor disorders in West caused by Industrial Workers of the World; German agents suspected. Chang Hsun, leader of Chinese monarchists, flies to Dutch legation in Peking. July 13. —British bring down 30 German airplanes on west front in biggest air battle so far. July 14. —Chancellor Bethmann-Holl-weg resigned and Dr. G. E. Michaelis succeeded him. Germans took French posts south of Courcy. House passed $640,000,000 aviation bill. July 15.- —French took important hills positions from Germans south of Reims. , July 16. —Russians took Lodziany from Austrians, but evacuated Kalusz. July 17. French took German trenches near Melancourt. Three nlembers of Russian cabinet resigned ; riots in'Petrograd suppressed. Shakeup in British cabinet. July 18, —-Increased activity on Roumanian front. Russians took part of Novica. July 19. —Great German attack between Craonne and Hurtebise partly successful. Chancellor Michaelis declared for submarine warfare. Russians driven back in Vilna region. Teutons make advances in Galicia.

July 20.—Draft for American National army held. Premier Lvoff of Russia succeeded by Kerensky. Germany called 2,000,000 of her youngest men to the colors. July 21. —Senate passed food control and aviation bills. Russians in disorderly retreat, burning villages. July 22. —German aviators raided England, killing 11 in coast towns, but were driven away from London. Siam declared state of war with Germany and Austria-Hungary. July 23. —Kerensky given absolute powers as dictator of Russia. Germans lost heavily in along the Chemin des Dames. July 24 —Goethals, Denman and White out of shipping board; Rear Admiral Capps, E. N. Hurley and Bainbridge Colby succeeded them. McAdoo asked congress for $5,000,000,006 more for war. Russians evacuated Stanislau, their whole line periled. French defeated Germans on Craonne front. July 25 —Division of traitrous Russian troops blown to pieces by own artillery as part of General KornilofTs measures to restore order. Lenine, Russian pacifist agitator, captured after greatest man hunt Russia ever knew.