Gilpin observer., 1914-12-31
STORY OF YEAR MARKED
BY SENSATIONAL EVENTS
Most Momentous Twelve Months of Modern Times
Reviewed-Great European War; Mexican
Troubles and Other World Happenings.

British fleet sailed under sealed orders Au-
gust 4. and a big naval battle in the
North sea was confidently expected by
the waiting world. 1t soon became ap-
parent that Great Britain's purpose was
to deal a fatal blow at German commerce,
safeguard that of Belgium, France and its
own and render the enemy's fleet inopera-
tive by holding 1t in the Baltic. week
later, the port authorities of New York
were notified that the Atlantic lines were
unobstructed. and a few days afterward
the Pacific lines were pronounced open
and safe" Sixty British war vessels
guarded the exit of the Kiel Canal and
prevented the thirty German battleships
anchored there from coming out. Within
| few days. more than thirty of the great
| German ocean liners were interned in
neutral waters and a number of German
merchant ships were captured OF de-
| stroyed.
By the middle of November more than
four hundred war vessels and merchant
men on all sides had been captured or in
termed In neutral ports The Emden in
| the Pacific and the Karlsruhe in the
| South Atlantic. two German raiders
preyed successfully upon allied and neu-
trail commerce until the former was put
out of action. During the past three
months the Germans have destroyed a
| number of British cruisers by means of
| torpedoes. In an action Off the coast of
Chile, squadron of five German war;
ships sank the Monmouth and Good Hope
with all on board. On October Gal
though It was not known to the public
for fortnight afterward-the British
| super-dreadnaught Audacious was sunk
by mine of the coast of Ireland. Short
ly afterward. the British admiralty de-
| clared the North sea a closed military
| area.
On December s the German cruisers
Scharnhorst, Gneisau. Leipzig and Nuern-
berg. under Admiral Won Spec. were sunk
by a British squadron under Vice-Admiral
| Sir Frederick Sturdee. off the Falkland
Islands. The German cruiser Dresden es-
capped. badly damaged. December 16 a
German fleet bombarded the English coast
! towns of Hartlepool, Whitby and Scar
borough, killing $50 and wounding 300 citi-
zens and causing much property damage.
! Three British merchant vessels We're sunk
by mines laid by the bombarding fleet.
At the close of the year operations in
the west seem practically at a standstill.
December II the Germans reported a vic
| tory in Poland.
AS result of the immediate paralysis
in the financial world due to the sudden
embodiment of the European nations.
Americans abroad were subjected to
great inconvenience and not a little actual
hardship. Much relief was afforded the
Belgian sufferers and large sums of
over the country.
The American Red Cross sent the relief
ship Red Cross to European waters,
with q full equipment of physicians
nurses and supplies. on September u.
Chaotic Conditions in Mexico.
Early in the year foreign nations began
to be critical of the administrations
| that the job of pacifying Mexico belonged
| logically to the United States. Victo-
riano Huerta had held the provisional
presidency for a year and boasted in his
cups that he would hold his Office longer
than President Wilson would remain in
| the White House. Meanwhile the bandit
! chief Pancho Villa was steadily gaining
| ground In the north. The fiercest battle
| Of the revolution. which was fought for
| almost two weeks, ended in victory for
| the rebel forces.
| There was an appalling loss of life in
this long continued fight and more than
| four thousand fugttives crossed the Rio
Grande and took refuge in American ter
ritory. Here they were cared for by the
| United States authorities
| On February 8 President Wilson re-
voked an order by his predecessor in Of
flee to put stop to the shipment of arms
and ammunition into Mexico by citizens
OF the United States. On April IA. Presi-
\ dent Wilson instructed Secretary Daniels
1 to assemble an Imposing naval force at
Tampco. on the Mexican coast. This
] was due to the refusal OF the Mexican
|
| the American flag an essential feature
| of an apology for an unwarranted arrest
and Imprisonment of several American
bluejackets who had landed on Mexican
soil to obtain supply of gasoline.
| Although the episode was the result of
n misunderstanding I'm which all the par
| ties concerned shared about equally. It
was manifest that Huerta was In no mood
to comply with any request OF the WASH
ington authorities. however politely and
even delicately made. He refused to or
| der the salute, and the naval demonstra-
tion followed.
| Congress passed Il resolution sustaining
the president in the position which he
| had taken. On April 2l Admiral Fletcher
| seized the custom house at Vera Cruz.
| The Mexicans resisted the occupation of
| the custom house and the result was n
| fight, in which 1G Americans were killed
4 and II wounded. General Maas, In COM
mand of the garrison, withdrew and left
the Americans In possession.
Nelson o'Shaugnessy. the American rep
rcsentative. was given his passports and
requested to leave the country. Brig.
Gen. Frederick Funston. commander OF
the American forces at Vera cruz, was
ready TO enter on vigorous campaign.
Before hostilties We're carried further
the diplomatic representatives at WASH
! ington OF Argentina, Brazil and Chile sent
in 20 the Office % the department of state
| n formal tender OF their services as medi-
ators, President Wilson accepted the Of
| fer and both Hucrta md Cnrrnnza nc-
cepted the proffered mediation.
The mcdintory conference was held at
Niagara Falls Canada. and opened on
| May 20. on June Il the conference had
agreed upon plan accepted both by
President Wilson and Huerta. Then n
deadlock arose over the choice for presi-
dent-the American delegates declined TO
accept tho name of any nonconstitutIonal-
ist
Meanwhile, the constitutionallsts were
making unmistalsable advance toward the
capital. Their success was 30 pronounced
that II was evident they would soon be I'm
control OF the government
On July l the conference came to an
end without definite result and four days
later Hucrta was reelected president by
his partlsans. On July 10 the dictator re-