The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04

The laws or presidents OF civilized
warfare began to give way in the month
Of March. the eighth OF the great Euro
pean conflict. Reprisals in their dead
Hest form were instituted and the bitter
ness between the nations was intensified.
In retaliation for the Allies blockade
OF Germany the German submarines be-
gan sinking the merchantmen OF enemy
countries, without warning, drowning
non-combatant crews and passengers
irrespective of Sex. with the declaration
You starve our non-combatants, we will
drown yours" Asserting the Russians
had burned German towns the Germans
destroyed towns and villages of sore
stricken Poland ~ wholesale There
we're fights without quarter in the Car
pathians. aerial boz bardments OF French
and Belgian towns entailing much loss
Of life to non-comba 'ants.
This stranglng OF German trade and
German submarine activity as sequel,
the progress OF the attack on the Oar
danelles, the fall OF Peremysl, followed
by the beginning of the battle Of the Car
pathians. which has for its object the
Russian invasion of the plains of Hun
gary; and the almost spontaneous up
rising in England against the liquor
traffic We're the principal developments
of the four weeks.
Operations In Caucasus.
Secondary in interest We're the dead
lock on the western battle front where
the armies await the spring. and the ar
rival Of Brtain's new army. the Russian
operations in Caucasus and Persia, the
incident of the German auxiliary cruiser
Prinz Eitel Friedrich. which crept into
Newport News, creating another diplo-
matte complication for the United States
The Allies answer to the declaration
II Q German maritime zone OF danger
around the British Isles and the north
ern coast OF France came on March 2,
when France and England by a joint
world must cease indirectly or directly
TO trade with Germany.
They reserved the right 20 seize all
ships under any flag which might be
conveying a cargo for Germany. Aus
tfia or Turkey, no matter to what neu-
trail country this cargo was consigned.
Legally II was not a blockade, accord
ing to International law. In effect II
was, and joint protests were formulated
by the United states, the Scandinavian
countries and Holland. The protests
have awaited nothing
on the following day Germany offered
to modify her danger zone decree II the
United States could persuade England
to permit cargoes OF food to go into
the country. This failed. Diplomatic
negotiations are still pending,
Germany's answer came in the las,
week OF the month, when the passenger
steamship Falaba, bound for the west
coast of Africa, was sunk. followed
quickly by the Aguila. the loss Of life In
tho two ships being liz passengers and
W the sinking Df tho
Emma. French ship, with her crew.
and on March 81 the Seven Seas was
Junk thirty non combatants losing their
lives The United States was again in
VOWED when IT was discovered that one
~ the passengers on the Falaba was
Leon Chester Thrasher. American by
birth, a civil engineer on his way to the
Gold Coast.
RrprisaIs to Continue.
There was every indication as the
month ended that the reprsas or
drowning or starvation would continue
on larger scale.
Progress in the Dardanelles by the
allied fleets was not 20 swift az il waS
though Il would he when the lombard
mont was begun in the latter part OF
February, The forts proved stronger
than was believed, the artllcrymen
showed the result or teaching by 'iers
San officers and the forts were just a
little stronger than had been estimated
there IL no doubt that the principal
.oits AT the entrance to the straits
were either destroyed or crippled, but
further in the success was not 80 great
II was realized on March II, when
the British cruiser Amethyst tried to
dash through the mine fields that 1t
was not target practice The
cruiser came back hit hard, with
Nwerty -Sght of her men dead and
thirty injured, Three days later the
british Admiralty announced that tho
British battoships Irresistible and
Ocean and the French battleship Bou-
vet had been sunk with great loss of
life. The lnnexiblc. the flagship of
Admiral Garden, and the Gaulols, were
crippled There was greet, encourage.
mcnt when the Russian BLACK Sea fleet
appeared at the mouth of the Bospurlls,
signaiizing her ADVENT W ponlbarding