The Ordway new era., 1915-01-01
STORY OF YEAR MARKED
BY SENSATIONAL EVENTS
Most Momentous Twelve Months Of Modern Times
Reviewed Great European War, Mexican
Troubles and Other World Happenings.

lowed In rapid srccession, until late In
the autumn, the greatly outnumbercd
Teutonic allies began to show signs Of
declining offensive ability.
The Japanese confined their military
operations entirely to Asia. They i'm
mediately proceeded against tho German
forts at Kiauchau, China, which were
taken by assault after ten weeks attack.
Russian and Turkish fleets have been en-
gagged in the Black sea, there has been
fighting on small scale in Egypt. and
the Portuguese in Africa have made sew
eral attacks upon German colonists. In
dian troops have been engaged with Tur-
kish forces in an effort to keep the Sues
Canal open.
From the first. there has been a prac-
ticRl deadlock in the naval situation. The
British fleet sailed under sealed orders Au-
gust :. and big naval battle In the
North sea was confidently expected by
the waiting world. 1t soon became np-
parent that Great Britain's purpose was
to deal a fatal blow al German commerce.
safeguard that Of Belgium. France and Its
own and render the enemy's fleet inopera-
tive by holding It in the Baltic. A week
later. the port authorities of New York
were notified that the Atlantic lines were
unobstructed. and a few days afterwaro
the Pacific lines were pronounced "open
and safe" Sixty British war vessels
guarded the exit OF the Kiel Canal and
prevented the thirty German battieships
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 or 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
nV,fIr fxNtr -nt1 1ntu
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 nn action of the coast OF
| ships sank the Monmouth and Good Hope
with all on board. On October N-al-
though 1t was not known to the public
for fortnight afterward-the British
super-dreadnaught Audacious was sunk
by a mine OF the coast of ireland. Short
ly afterward. the British admiralty de-
clared the North sea a closed military
| area.
On December 8 the German cruisers
Scharnhorst, Gneisau. Leipzig and Nuern-
berg, under Admiral Won Spec. were sunk
by British squadron under Vice-Adsniral
Sir Frederick Sturdec, of the Falkland
islands, The German cruiser Dresden es-
capped, badly damaged December 16 a
German fleet bombarded the English coast
towns of Hartlepooi, whitby and Scar
borough. killing $50 and wounding 300 citi-
| xens and causing much property damage.
Three British merchant vessels were sunk
by mines laid by. the .bombarding leet.
At the close OF the year operations in
the west seem practically at stnndstill.
December II the Germans reported q 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 n little actual
hardship. Much relief was afforded the
Belgian sufferers and large sums OF
money for the purpose were raised all
over the country.
The American Red Cross sent the relief
ship Red Cross to European waters.
with a full equipment of physicians
nurses and supplies. on September Il.
Chaotic Conditions In Mexico.
Early in tho year foreign nations began
to be critical of the Administrations
''hands-or" Mexican policy and to insist
that the job of pacifying Mexico belonged
logically to the United States. Victo-
riano Huertn had held the provisional
presidency for a year and boastcd 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 fercest battle
OF the revolution. which was fought for
almost two weeks, ended in victory fer
the rebel forces.
There was an appalling loss of life in
this long continued fight, and more than
| four thousand fugitives crossed the Rio
Grande and took refuge In American ter
ritory. Here they were cared for by the
United States authorities.
On February 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 "A. Prcsi-
dent Wilson instructed Secretary Daniels
to assemble an imposing naval force at
Tampico. ON the Mexican coast. This
Was due to the refusal Of the Mexican
president and his military aids to salute
the American flag as an essential feature
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 misundersta anding in which all the par
ties concerned shared about equally. 1t
to comply with any request of the WASH
ington authorities. however politely and
even delicateiy made. He refused to or
der the salute. and the naval demonstra-
tion followed.
Congress passed n resolution sustaining
the president In the position which he
had taken. On April q Admiral Fletcher
seized the custom house at Vera Cruz.
The Mexicans resisted the occupation of
the custom house and the result was a
tight. in which 1e Americans were killed
and Il wounded. General Mas, in COM
mand OF the garrison. withdrew and left
the Americans in possession.
Nelson O'Shaugnessy, the American rep
resentatve 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.