The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-12-29
SERIOUS CRISES
MARKS PAST YEAR;
MORE THREATENED {
S. - - 4 - - .=.>.ss --..:s ;y-
Bond P. Geddes Writes Of United
States Relations With European
Countries in 1915. " -.
ALL RECORDS BROKEN IN :
DIPLOMATIC NOTE WRITING
Country Today Has Increased Power
and Prestige; Vera Rife With
+. Diplomatic Dynamite.
ALL RECORDS BROKEN IN
DIPLOMATIC NOTE WRITING
Bv Rond p Geddes

| Washington, Dec. 29.-An epochal
year in United States relations with
the world family of nations marked
1915. Serious crises marked the
twelve-month; and more threaten in
1916. This nation passed safely
through the vortex of the world war
and the tangled skein of war poll
tics, though often very near severing
relations with European powers. Its
peace has been threatened from with
in and without.
Has Big Problems.
The country faces in the new year
more delicate problems, including new
and old disputes with Europe's bel
ligerents.
The killing of over 100 Americans
on the high seas, destruction, seizure
and attacks upon American vessels,
ruthless confiscation of American
property and interference with Amer
lean commerce, dismissal of foreign
diplomats, resignation of it's own Sec
retary of state and European criti-
cism of it's neutrality were the out
standing events of 1915 in American
world diplomacy.
Many Red Letter Days.
Peaceful settlement of the dispute
with Austria over her attack upon
the Italian liner; Ancona, with Eng
land over her trade interferences,
with Germany over the Lusitania in
cident and with the Teutonic powers
over unneutral conspiracies in this
country were the quarette of domin-
ant and delicate problems facing us
in 1915.
Red Letter days on the 1915 cal
endar were:
March 15-England's blockade of
Germany; May 7-sinking of the Lu-
|sitania: June 9-Secretary Bryan's
resignation; Aug. 19-sinking of the
Arabic; Sept. 10-recal1 of Austrian
Ambassador Dumba; Oct. 4-half bill
lion loan to the Allies; Nov. 9-sink-
ing of Oncona; Dec. 3-recall of Ger
man Captains Boy-Ed and Won Pa
pen.
Numberless Tangles.
These and numberless other entan-
clements of the war caused Uncle
Sam to break all records in diplo-
matte note writing. Hundreds CT
notes were sent. The chief years
diplomatic victory was the enforced
modification by Germany of her sub
marine warfare.
Today the United States stands
with increased power and prestige,
but still weighted with the task of
perfected peaceful settlements with
England, France, Germany and Aus
tria in most delicate and difficult com
pltcations. The passing year was
rife with diplomatic dynamite. A
chronicle of the more important in
ternational events follows:
JANUARY 5-United States agrees
with England to certify non-contra-
band cargoes. 8-England denied
unduly selling American ships. H.
England protested transfer of cotton
steamer Darcia from German to U. 8.
registry. 28-American schooner
William P. Frye sunk by German
raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
England is Warned.
February 5-Because of German
government confiscating all food
Istuffs, England seized American grain
steamer Wilhelmina. IL u. S. warn
ed England and Germany not to abuse
use of American flag or attack Amer.
lean ships. 16-German submarine
llni0n ~:~-.>~