Recording Campaigns on All Fronts and Collateral Events From September 19 Up to and Including October 18, 1917 UNITED STATES Congress adjourned on Oct. 6, after passing measures appropriating $21,000,000,000 for war purposes, and enacting the War Revenue bill, which provided for the raising of $2,700,000,000 by taxation. The campaign for the second Liberty Loanan issue of $3,000,000,000-opened Oct. 1. President Wilson appointed Oct. 24 Liberty Loan Day. Colonel Edward M. House was appointed by the President to gather data that would be needed by American envoys to the peace conference. A proclamation governing the distribution and licensing of foodstuffs was issued by the President on Oct. 10. The Trading with the Enemy act, which was passed by Congress, was put into effect by an order issued by President Wilson on Oct. 14. It provided for the supervision of all exports and imports, for the use of enemy patents, for a strict censorship of news, and for licensing of foreign-language publications. The Exports Administrative Board was replaced by the War Trade Board. SUBMARINE BLOCKADE The American steamships Lewis Luckenbach and Platuria were sunk. An American destroyer was torpedoed by a German submarine in European waters on Oct. 16. A petty officer was killed and five men were injured. The vessel was disabled, but managed to reach port. England's losses for the week ended Sept. 23 included thirteen vessels of over 1,600 tons; for the week ended Sept. 30, eleven; for the week ended Oct. 7, fourteen, and for the week ended Oct. 14, eighteen. A British destroyer was sunk at the entrance to the English Channel on Sept. 23. The cruiser Drake was destroyed, and an officer and eighteen men were killed. Fiftysix lives were lost when the cruiser Champagne was sunk. French and Italian losses averaged two or three vessels of over 1,600 tons each week. The French munitions steamer Medie was torpedoed in the Mediterranean on Sept. 23, and 250 lives were lost. Norway lost nineteen ships in September. The Chinese ship Glenogie was sunk.. The Argentine Senate voted for a break with Germany on Sept. 19, and Sept. 22 the Government sent an ultimatum to Berlin demanding an explanation of the behavior of Count Luxburg and a repetition of the promise made on concerning Argentine shpiping. On Sept. 23, just as the Chamber of Deputies was preparing to vote for a break in relations, a message was received from Berlin repudiating Luxburg. The Chamber voted on Sept. 25 to sever relations, but President Irigoyen refused to act. Costa Rica severed relations with Germany. Peru sent an ultimatum to Germany on Sept. 26, demanding that satisfaction be given for the sinking of the bark Lorton. On Oct. 5 the Senate and Chamber voted to sever diplomatic relations, and the German Minister was given his passports on Oct. 6. Ecuador announced that Dr. Perl, the German Minister to Peru and Ecuador, would not be received by the Ecuadorian Government. Uruguay severed relations with Germany Oct. 7, and waived her neutrality rules in favor of the Allies. CAMPAIGN IN EASTERN EUROPE Sept. 22-Germans capture Jacobstadt, together with positions on a front of 26 miles, six miles deep, on the west bank of the Dvina River. Sept. 24-Russians occupy German positions in the Silzeme sector. Sept. 25-Russians repulse attacks on positions south of the Pskov-Riga highroad. Oct. 1-Russians advance in the Riga region, pushing the foe back in the Spitals Farm sector. Oct. 13-Germans land troops on the coast of the Gulf of Tagalab, and on Oesel and Dagö Islands; garrison of Oesel fights the invaders. Oct. 14-Germans occupy the whole northern and eastern part of Oesel Island, but fail in attempt to seize Moon Island. Oct. 15-German forces occupy Orensburg on Oesel Island. Oct. 16-Germans extend their gains on Oesel Island and institute an offensive against the Svorb peninsula. Oct. 17-Germans take the entire island of Oesel and crush Russian force on Svorb peninsula; Russians frustrate their attempt to throw a bridge across the Dvina River. Oct. 18-Germans capture Moon Island. CAMPAIGN IN WESTERN EUROPE Sept. 20 -British penetrate German line on eight-mile front along the Ypres-Menin road to a depth of more than a mile and capture the villages of Velahoek and Zevenkote; French repulse attacks southeast of Cernay. Men of the United States Navy, Stationed at Newport, R. I., Marching to Church to Hear a Sermon by Dr. Manning of Trinity Church, New York City General View of Camp Dix, Where New Jersey's Drafted Men Are Being Trained for Service in the National Army Sept. 21-British thrust Germans from their last strong point northeast of Langemarck and consolidate their gains; Germans in Champagne lose heavily in unsuccessful attack on Mont Haut. Sept. 22-German counterattacks south of the Ypres-Menin Road repulsed. Sept. 24-French repulse German attacks north of Bezonvauz and near Beaumont. Sept. 26-British pierce German line on a four-mile front in the Zonnebeke region. Sept. 27-28-British repulse seven fierce counterattacks east of Ypres. Sept. 30-British break up German offensive near Tower Hamlets. Oct. 1-3-Germans fail in attempt to drive British from new positions east of Ypres. Oct. 4-British advance on an eight-mile front from north of Langemarck to a point south of Tower Hamlets, winning the crest of the Passchendaele Heights. Oct. 5-French repulse surprise attacks on the Aisne, in Champagne, and in Upper Alsace. Oct. 9-British drive Germans from their last positions in Poelcapelle and push on for nearly two miles to the northwest; French pierce German positions to a depth of a mile and a quarter on a mile and a half front, capturing St. Jean de Mangelaers and Veldhoek. Oct. 10-French gain more ground toward Houthulst Forest; Germans northeast of Verdun reach advanced French lines near the Bois de Chaume. Oct. 13-British advance southwest of Passchendaele Village and take part of Houthulst Wood. Oct. 15-Germans bombard British positions south of Broodseinde. ITALIAN CAMPAIGN Sept. 23-Italians repulse Austrian attacks on the Bainsizza Plateau in the region of Kal and west of Volnik. Sept. 24-Italians repulse Austrian counterattacks in Marmolada region. Sept. 29-Italians gain ground by surprise attacks above Gorizia. Sept. 30-Italians capture high ground south of Podlaca and southeast of Madoni, in new drive on the Bainsizza Plateau. Oct. 3-Italians repulse attacks on the western slopes of San Gabriele. Oct. 15-Heavy fighting on the Julian front; Italians make successful attack on the southern slopes of Monte Rombon. CAMPAIGN IN ASIA MINOR Sept. 28-British capture Mushaid Ridge and occupy Ramadie on the Euphrates, taking prisoner Ahmed Bey, the Turkish commander, and his staff. Oct. 4-Arabs, in revolt against the Turks, have effected a junction with the British in southern Palestine and control the Hedjaz Railway as far north as Maan. Oct. 5-Russians in the Kikatsh-Amadia sector of the Caucasian front take the vil German aviators bombarded London and the southeast coast of England on Sept. 24. Fifteen persons were killed and seventy injured. The next night another raid was made on London, and seven persons were killed and twenty-six injured. Two German machines were brought down in a raid on Sept. 29; eleven persons were killed and eighty-two injured. Nine persons were killed in a raid on Sept. 30. On Oct. 1 four squadrons of German machines made the strongest air attack yet made on coast towns; ten persons were killed and thirty-eight injured. British naval airmen bombarded Ostend, Zeebrugge, and other Belgian coast towns, and dropped bombs German bases back of the Flanders line. on The French raided German bases from Lorraine to Belgium, and bombarded Frankfort-am-Main, Stuttgart, Treves, Coblenz, and Baden. The Germans made several air raids in the Baltic, in the region of the Gulf of Riga. NAVAL RECORD British warships bombarded German naval works at Ostend on Sept. 22. The presence of two German raiders in the South Pacific Ocean, manned by the crew of the German raider Seeadler, was announced by the Navy Department, and allied warships scoured the seas to find them. The Italians captured an Austrian destroyer in the Adriatic Sea. German warships silenced Russian batteries on Oesel and Dagö Islands as their troops landed on Oct. 13. In an engagement between Russian and German naval forces on Oct. 14, in Soeia Sound, two German torpedoboats were sunk and two damaged. One Russian torpedo boat was sunk. On Oct. 18 the Germans seized Moon Island, trapping the Russian battleships in the Gulf of Riga, and sinking the battleship Slava. RUSSIA General Alexeieff resigned as Chief of the General Staff. Premier Kerensky appointed General Tcheremisoff to succeed him. General Soukhomlinoff, former Minister of War, was sentenced to hard labor for life after conviction on the charges of high treason, abuse of confidence, and fraud. His wife was acquitted. M. Terestchenko resigned as Foreign Minister in the Cabinet of Five. The Congress of Non-Slav Nationalities met in Kiev and passed a resolution declaring that Russia must be a federal democratic republic. A revolution occurred in Turkestan against the Government at Petrograd. The Democratic Congress was held in Petrograd. It declared in favor of a coalition Government, with the bourgeois element excluded, and opposed coalition with the entire Constitutional Democratic Party. Kerensky formed a coalition Ministry, including four Constitutional Democrats. MISCELLANEOUS Austria-Hungary and Germany replied to the Pope's peace proposal, accepting his offer as a basis for the beginning of negotiations, but avoiding any suggestion of definite concessions. It has been reported that Germany sent a supplementary note offering to give up Belgium for trade and military guarantees on condition that Belgium maintain administrative separation of the Flanders and Walloon districts. France has been investigating reports of acts of treason. Louis J. Malvy, former Minister of the Interior, was accused by Leon Daudet of betraying secrets to Germany. Deputy Louis Turmel was arrested on a charge of trading with the enemy. Bolo Pasha was arrested as a spy, and revela tions concerning his efforts in the United States to buy control of the French press in the interests of a separate peace with Germany were made public. In this plot, former Ambassador von Bernstorff was found to be involved. Great Britain declared an absolute embargo on the northern neutrals to stop the sending of supplies into Germany, and cut off all commercial cable communication with Holland until the Netherlands Government should place an absolute restriction on the transit of war materials through Holland from Germany to Belgium. In retaliation, Holland stopped all ships to England. Vice Admiral Capelle announced in the German Reichstag on Oct. 9 that a plot had been discovered in the navy to paralyze the fleet so as to force the Government to make peace. A mutiny occurred on war- The Emperors of Germany and Austria-Hungary named a Council of Regency for Poland. The Swedish Minister at Washington asked the aid of the United States in obtaining the release of official mail held by the British Embassy in Washington. A Homesick Soldier's Letters A French soldier, René des Touches, tells in his " Pages of Glory and Suffering a little story that actually happened. In his regiment at the front there was a brave little fellow who was depressed because he never received any letters. Every day the "vaguemestre," or baggage officer, brought mail for others-letters from wives, sweethearts, and friends-and while the fortunate poilus retired in silence to devour the precious words from home, the lonely man endured new pangs of homesickness. But one day a letter-a real letter, delightfully long-came for this man, who had been born in one of the invaded provinces; and that was the beginning of a regular correspondence, soon, alas! cut short by his death in a gallant charge. Before dying, he had had the joy of thinking that some one back yonder, far from the front, had thought of him. The little story ends with these words: Now, it was the good baggage officer, who, seeing the desolation in the eyes of the lonely man, had written those letters." 8 |