Chapter 27

March 15--Text made public of British Order in Council cutting off trade to and from Germany; British Government, replying to American note, refuses to permit foodstuffs to enter Germany for civilian population as suggested; British Government also replies to American note of inquiry as to particulars of embargo, Sir Edward Grey saying that object of Allies is, "succinctly stated, to establish a blockade to prevent vessels from carrying goods for or coming from Germany."

March 17--Secretary Bryan makes public full text of six recent notes exchanged between the United States and the Allies and Germany regarding the embargo and the war zone; Allies contend German war methods compel the new means of reprisal.

March 18--Denmark, Norway and Sweden make an identical representation to the Allies against the embargo decree on trade to and from Germany.

March 20--Holland protests to Allies against embargo.

March 21--German submarine U-28 seizes Dutch steamers Batavier V. and Zaanstroom and their cargoes.

March 22--Holland asks explanation from Germany of seizure of Batavier V. and Zaanstroom.

March 25--Submarine U-28 sinks Dutch steamer Medea.

March 26--Dutch press is aroused over the sinking of the Medea; Ministry holds extraordinary council.

March 27--Germany tells Holland that investigation into seizure of the Batavier V. and Zaanstroom has not been concluded.

AERIAL RECORD.

March 2--It is learned that in a recent air raid German aviators killed two women and a child at La Panne, a bathing town on Belgian coast.

March 3--German aviator bombards Warsaw.

March 4--French bombard German powder magazine at Rottweil.

March 5--Zeppelin raid over Calais fails; Pegoud receives French military medal for his services.

March 7--French official statement shows that French airmen during the war have made 10,000 aerial reconnoissances, consuming 18,000 hours in the air, and have traveled more than 1,116,000 miles; Zeppelin reported captured by allied airmen near Bethune.

March 9--British seaplanes drop bombs on Ostend; Lieut. von Hidelen, who dropped bombs on Paris in September, is at Toulon as a prisoner of war.

March 12--German airmen bombard Ossowetz.

March 14--Strassburg is threatened by a fire started by French airman's bomb; allied aeroplanes said to have wrecked Zeppelin near Tirlemont.

March 17--German airman unsuccessfully aims five bombs at British coasting steamer Blonde in the North Sea.

March 18--Bombs from Zeppelin kill seven in Calais.

March 20--German airmen drop bombs near Deal, but all fall into the sea; one bomb narrowly misses American bark Manga Reva.

March 21--Two Zeppelins drop bombs on Paris, but damage is slight; eight persons are injured; Zeppelin drops bombs on Calais, with slight damage, and is driven off by guns.

March 22--Rotterdam reports that German aviators are aiming bombs indiscriminately at ships in the North Sea, one Taube dropping five bombs near a Belgian relief ship; airmen of Allies drop bombs on Mulheim, injuring three German soldiers.

March 23--German aeroplane aims seven bombs at British steamer Pandion, all missing; Paris Temps says that authorities plan hereafter to fight Zeppelins by aeroplanes over Paris, something which had hitherto been avoided because of danger to Parisians.

March 24--British airmen, in dash on Antwerp shipyards, destroy one German submarine and damage another; German aviators aim bombs and arrows at British freighter Teal, doing little damage.

March 26--French drop bombs on Metz, killing three soldiers; little damage to property.

March 27--German aviators drop bombs on Calais and Dunkirk; little damage.

March 28--German aviator drops bombs on Calais; little damage.

March 29--Germans state that during recent raid on Strassburg, bombs dropped by allied aviators killed two children and wounded seven others and one woman.

March 30--Copenhagen reports that two Zeppelins have been badly damaged by a storm while manoeuvering for a raid on England; Turkish seaplane drops bombs on British warship outside Dardanelles.

March 31--Thirty German soldiers are killed and sixty wounded near Thourout, Belgium, by bombs dropped by airmen of Allies; fifteen German aeroplanes drop 100 bombs at Ostrolenka, Russia; German aeroplane aims bomb at Dutch trawler in North Sea, but misses her.

AUSTRIA.

March 1--Two Czech regiments revolt.

March 2--It is learned that the troops executed 200 civilians in Stanislau.

March 17--Conviction is stated to prevail in Vienna that war with Italy is inevitable in the near future; many Austrians are declared to be indignant that Germany is trying to force the nation to cede territory to Italy.

March 18--Russian prisoners and Galician refugees are working on defensive fortifications in the Trentino, which are being prepared in event of war with Italy; heavy guns are being mounted in the mountain passes; fleet is again concentrated at Pola; Austria and Serbia agree to exchange interned men under 18 or over 50, and also women.

March 22--Men up to 52 are now being trained for active service; men formerly rejected as unfit are being called to the colors.

March 24--Five hundred thousand troops are massed in Southern Tyrol and the Trentino; many villages near the Italian frontier have been evacuated and many houses destroyed by dynamite, so as to afford better range for the big guns.

March 26--Army contract frauds are discovered in Hungary; rich manufacturers jailed.

BELGIUM.

March 2--Gen. von Bissing, German Governor General, says the tax recently ordered imposed on Belgians who do not return to their homes was suggested by Belgians themselves.

March 8--Belgian Press Bureau announces that King Albert now has an army of 140,000 men, a larger force than that which began the war.

March 9--As a result of new royal decrees calling refugee youths to the colors the number of recruits is increasing daily; a few days ago King Albert presented a number of recruits to two veteran regiments in a speech; Belgian officials are arrested by Germans on charge that they induced Belgian customs officials to go through Holland to join Belgian Army.

March 17--Government issues protest against the German allegation that documents found in Brussels show that Belgium and England had a secret understanding before the war of such a nature as to constitute a violation of Belgium's neutrality; the Government declares that conversations which took place between Belgian and British military officers in 1906 and 1912 had reference only to the situation that would be created if Belgium's neutrality had already been violated by a third party; it is declared that the documents found by Germans, "provided no part of them is either garbled or suppressed," will prove the innocent nature of negotiations between Belgium and England.

March 18--Firm of Henri Leten is fined $5,000 for violating order of German Governor General prohibiting payments to creditors in England.

March 20--One million pigs owned by Germans are billeted on the civilian population of Belgium, the Belgians being required to feed and care for the animals.

March 21--Germans are relaxing iron regulations to some extent in attempt to get the normal life of Belgium moving again.

March 23--Seventeen Belgian men are shot in Ghent barracks after having been found guilty by German court-martial of espionage in the interests of the Allies.

March 28--Belgian Legation at Washington issues official response to statement made by Herr von Jagow, the Imperial German Secretary of State, that "Belgium was dragged into the war by England"; response says that it was Germany, not England, that drew the nation into war.

BULGARIA.

March 6--Mobilization is now completed of three divisions of troops near Tirnova.

March 12--Heavy artillery is being transported to Janthe, near the Greek frontier.

March 20--Three Bulgarian soldiers are killed and several Greek soldiers are wounded in a fight which followed an attempted movement by strong Bulgarian force into the region of Demir-Hissar, formerly Turkish territory, now Greek.

March 26--Opposition leaders are demanding an interview with the King with a view of bringing about a change of policy favoring the Anglo-Franco-Russian alliance; Field Marshal von der Goltz is in Sofia.

March 30--Bulgaria is holding up shipments of German artillery and large quantities of ammunition destined for Constantinople.

CANADA.

March 5--Three transports arrive in England with 4,000 Canadian troops.

March 14--Second contingent is now in camp in England; it is expected that these troops will soon go to the front.

March 26--Publication of first account by Official Canadian Recorder with troops in the field of contingent's experiences; he states that there have been but few casualties so far; the infantry was held in reserve in the Neuve Chapelle fight, but the artillery was engaged.

March 27--There is made public in Ottawa the address delivered by General Alderon, commanding the Canadian Division, just before the men first entered the trenches; he warns against taking needless risks and tells the men he expects them to win, when they meet the Germans with the bayonet, because of their physique.

ENGLAND.

March 2--Order in Council promulgated providing for prize money for crews of British ships which capture or destroy enemy vessels to be distributed among officers and men at rate calculated at $25 for each person aboard the enemy vessel at beginning of engagement; British spy system has been so perfected that it is said in some respects to excel the German; Embassy in Washington denies that women or children are interned in civilian camps.

March 4--Government appeals to aviators of British nationality in United States and Canada to join the Royal Flying Corps.

March 8--Shipowner offers $2,000 apiece to next four merchant ships which sink German submarines.

March 9--House of Commons authorizes Government to take over control of engineering trade of country in order to increase output of war munitions.

March 14--John E. Redmond, leader of the Irish Nationalist Party, declares in speech that Ireland is now firmly united in England's cause, and that 250,000 Irishmen are fighting for Britain.

March 15--Kitchener discusses the war situation in House of Lords, he expresses anxiety over supply of war materials and blames labor unions and dram shops in part for the slow output; he praises the Canadian and Indian troops and the French Army; passport rules for persons going to France are made more stringent.

March 16--Heavy losses among officers cause anxiety; T.P. O'Connor says Irish are with the Allies; stringent passport rules are extended to persons going into Holland.

March 19--In six days 511 officers have been lost in killed, wounded, and missing; newspapers hint at conscription.

March 20--Officers lost since beginning of the war, in killed, wounded, and missing, now total 5,476, of which 1,783 have been killed.

March 23--It is reported that a second German spy was shot in the Tower of London on March 5, that a third spy is under sentence, and that a fourth man, a suspect, is under arrest.

March 24--Earl Percy is acting as Official Observer with the expeditionary force; warships are ordered not to get supplies from neutral nations in Western Hemisphere.

March 26--Field Marshal French says that "the protraction of the war depends entirely upon the supply of men and munitions," and if this supply is unsatisfactory the war will be prolonged; German newspapers charge British atrocities at Neuve Chapelle; Colonial Premiers may meet for consultation before terms of peace are arranged.

March 27--Storm of protest is aroused by suggestions of Dr. Lyttelton, Headmaster of Eton, that concessions should be made to Germany.

March 28--Premier Asquith is attacked by the Unionist press for alleged lack of vigor in direction of the war.

March 30--Three of the nine prison ships on which prisoners have been kept are vacated, and it is planned to empty the others by the end of April, prisoners being cared for on shore.

March 31--King George announces that he is ready to give up use of liquor in the royal household as an example to the working classes, it being stated that slowness of output of munitions of war is partly due to drink; Lord Derby announces that Liverpool dock workers are to be organized into a battalion, enlisted under military law, as a means of preventing delays in making war supplies.

FRANCE.

March 1--Official note issued in Paris states that there are 2,080,000 Germans and Austrians on the Russian and Serbian front, and 1,800,000 Germans on the French and Belgian front.

March 5--War Minister introduces bill in Chamber of Deputies giving authorization to call to the colors the recruits of 1915 and to start training those of 1916.

March 6--French Press Bureau estimates the total German losses since the beginning of the war, in killed, wounded, sick, and prisoners, at 3,000,000.

March 10--Foreign Office issues report on treatment of French civilian prisoners by the Germans, charging many instances of cruelty.

March 11--Eight thousand German and Austrian houses have been sequestered to date; bill introduced into Chamber of Deputies provides for burning of soldiers' bodies as a precaution against possible epidemic of disease; Mi-Carême festivities omitted because of the war.

March 12--Fine of $100,000, to be paid before March 20, is imposed on inhabitants of Lille, in hands of the Germans, because of a demonstration over a group of French prisoners of war brought into the city.

March 14--Copenhagen report states that there has been a revolt in Lille.

March 25--War Ministry denies General von Bernhardi's charge that France and England had an arrangement for violation of the neutrality of Belgium.

March 28--A cannon is mentioned in the orders of the day for gallantry in action; General Joffre decorates thirty men for gallantry in action in the Champagne district.

March 31--Intense indignation is expressed by the French press over sinking of British passenger steamer Falaba by German submarine.

GERMANY.

March 5--Interned French civilians are sent to Switzerland for exchange for German civilians held by the French.

March 6--Government asks the United States to care for German diplomatic interests in Constantinople if Allies occupy the Turkish capital; two British prisoners of war are punished for refusing to obey their own officers.

March 7--Copenhagen reports that men up to 55 have been called out; it is stated that there are now 781,000 war prisoners interned in Germany.

March 8--British charge that German dumdum bullets were found after a recent battle in Egypt.

March 10--Reichstag is informed that the budget is $3,250,000,000--four times greater than any estimates ever before presented; a further war credit is asked of $2,500,000,000, to insure financing the war until the late Autumn; Landsturm classes of 1869-1873 are summoned to the colors in the Rhine provinces.

March 15--Prussian losses to date (excluding Bavarian, Württemberg, Saxon, and naval losses) are 1,050,029 in killed, wounded, and missing.

March 16--German committee is planning to send Americans to the United States as propagandists to lay German case before the American people; 20,000 high school boys have volunteered for service.

March 18--Copenhagen reports that Emperor William and General von Falkenhayn, Chief of the German General Staff, arrived today at the German Army Headquarters near Lille to participate in a council of war; Chief President of the Province of East Prussia states that 80,000 houses have been entirely destroyed by the Russians and that 300,000 refugees have left the province; German War Department states that for every German village burned by the Russians three Russian villages will be burned by the Germans.

March 21--Archbishop of Cologne asks children for prayers and offerings, and suggests that they do without new clothes at confirmation.

March 22--Lieut. Colonel Kaden urges teachers and parents to foster hatred of England.

March 23--English women and children allowed to leave Belgium.

March 30--It is reported that Emperor William is holding an important war council in Berlin with military chiefs.

March 31--Much enthusiasm over sinking of British passenger steamer Falaba; official statistics of second war loan show that $2,265,000,000 was subscribed, of which $17,750,000 came from 452,113 persons in sums of $50 or less; local option is permitted by German Federal Council.

GREECE.

March 3--Crown Council meets at the palace in Athens under Presidency of the King; among the eminent statesmen present are five ex-Premiers; deliberations deal with question whether Greece should take part in the war; further conferences of the Council are planned, and Parliament has been summoned to meet, after the deliberations are finished.

March 4--Crown Council meets again.

March 10--M. Ghounaris completes formation of a new Cabinet; Ministerial statement declares that the observance of neutrality is imperative on Greece if she is to protect her national interests.

March 14--M. Venizelos, former Premier, says that Greece will soon be forced by course of events to abandon neutrality and join with Allies in operations against Constantinople and Smyrna; by so doing, he says, the Government can quadruple the area of Greece.

March 17--M. Venizelos is quoted by an Italian newspaper correspondent as saying that the Allies have twice asked Greece since the outbreak of the war to help Serbia, but attitude of Bulgaria prevented Greece from doing so; Venizelos resigned, according to this correspondent, because Crown Council overruled his plan to send 50,000 men to aid Allies.

HOLLAND.

March 2--Semi-official circles deny persistent reports that country is to enter the war; American Minister van Dyke says that he sees no signs of any change in the attitude of Holland.

ITALY.

March 2--Much Italian comment caused by introduction in Chamber of Deputies of bills against espionage, contraband, and publication in newspapers of news of military movements; Italy is hiring hulks of ships for grain storage.

March 3--General Zupelli, Minister of War, speaks in Chamber of Deputies in favor of a bill authorizing a recall to the colors of reserve officers; Government asks Chamber for authorization to take control of every industry connected with the defense of the country, including wireless telegraphy and aviation.

March 8--Premier Salandra hints at war at inauguration of new military harbor at Gaeta.

March 10--Garibaldians in the French Foreign Legion are allowed by French Government to return to Italy in response to call of certain categories of reservists by Italian Government.

March 11--Military preparations are being pushed with much vigor.

March 12--Soldiers near Austro-Italian frontier are drilling daily; new cannon is being tested; fleet is in readiness under Duke of the Abruzzi; Prince von Buelow is reported to have failed in his efforts to satisfy Italian demands for Austrian territory as the price of continued neutrality; it is said that Italy was asked to be satisfied with the Trentino, while nothing was said as to Trieste.

March 14--Rome reports that Emperor Francis Joseph, despite urgent solicitations of Emperor William, refuses to sanction any cession of territory to Italy and insists that von Buelow's negotiations with the Italian Government be stopped; Premier Salandra's personal organ, the Giornale d'Italia, says Italy must obtain territorial expansion; National League meets at Milan and demands, through intervention in the war, the liberation of all Italians from Austrian rule.

March 15--Exchange of telegraphic money orders with Austria is suspended; the traveling Post Offices on trains bound for the Austrian frontier are also stopped; it is denied that Austria has refused to cede any territory whatever, but that what she is willing to cede is far too little from the Italian viewpoint.

March 16--Report from Rome states that an authoritative outline of the territorial demands of Italy shows that she wishes a sweep of territory to the north and east which would extend her boundary around northern end of the Adriatic as far south as Fiume on the eastern coast; this would include Austrian naval base at Pola and the provinces of Trent and Trieste; von Buelow is said to have assured Italian Government that concessions will be made.

March 18--Germans are leaving the Riviera.

March 20--Identification cards for use in active service are distributed among soldiers.

March 21--King signs the decree promulgating a national defense law, which will become operative tomorrow; the law gives the Government various powers necessary for efficient war preparations; Parliament adjourns until the middle of May, leaving military preparations in hands of the Government.

March 22--Austrians and Germans are advised by their Consuls to leave Italy as quickly as possible.

March 23--Crowds in streets of Venice clamor for war; Government orders seizure of twenty-nine freight cars with material destined for Krupp gun works in Germany.

March 26--All is ready for general mobilization; seven complete classes are already under the colors; Austrian and German families are leaving.

March 27--Italian Consul at Buenos Aires calls a meeting of agents of Italian steamship lines and warns them to be in readiness for possible transportation of 60,000 reservists.

March 28--Report from Berne that Emperor William in person has persuaded Emperor Francis Joseph to cede the territory to Italy which the latter desires; it is also said that negotiations are being conducted with Rome directly and solely by Berlin.

PERSIA.

March 18--India Office of British Government says that documents have reached London showing that German Consular officers and business men have been engaged in intrigues with the object of facilitating a Turkish invasion of Persia.

March 20--Persian Government calls upon Russia to evacuate the Province of Azerbijan, Northwest Persia.

March 25--Kurds and Turks are massacring Christians at Urumiah, Northwestern Persia; situation of American Presbyterian Mission there is described as desperate; Dr. Harry P. Packard, doctor of the American missionary station, risks his life to unfurl American flag and save Persian Christians at Geogtopa; 15,000 Christians are under protection of American Mission and 2,000 under protection of French Mission at Urumiah; it is learned that at Gulpashan, the last of 103 villages to be taken after resistance, the Kurds shot the male citizens in groups of five, while the younger women were taken as slaves; 20,000 Persian Christians are dead or missing, while 12,000 are refugees in the Caucasus; disease is raging among the refugees.

March 26--Turks force their way into the compound of the American Mission at Urumiah, seize some Assyrian Christian refugees and kill them; Turks beat and insult American missionaries; American and British Consuls at Tabriz, near Urumiah, have joined in appeal to General commanding Russian forces at Tabriz to go to relief of American Mission at Urumiah, which is described as practically besieged by Turks and Kurds; United States State Department is active and asks Ambassador Morgenthau at Constantinople to urge the Turkish Government to send protection; Persian War Relief Committee cables funds to American Consul at Tabriz for relief at Urumiah.

March 27--Turkish Grand Vizier issues orders that Christians in disturbed Persian regions be protected and uprisings be suppressed.

March 28--Turkish regulars are due to arrive at Urumiah to protect Christians and suppress disorder; Turkish War Office says that "no acts of violence had been committed at Urumiah"; Grand Vizier states that reported atrocities are "grossly exaggerated."