The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1915-01-02
STORY OF YEAR MARKED
BY SENSATIONAL EVENTS
Most MomentOus Twelve Months Of Modern Times
Reviewed-Great European War, Mexican
Troubles and Other World Happenings.

declining offensive ability
The Japanese confined their military
operations entirely to Asia. They i'm
mediately proceeded against the 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 Suez
Canal open.
From the first there has been n prac-
teal deadlock in the naval situation. The
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. II soon became APP
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 It in the Baltic. A week
later, the port authorities of New York
were notified that the Atlantic lines were
unobstructed. and n 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
a 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
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. a 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 a fortnight afterward-the British
| super-dreadnaught Audacious was sunk
| by a mine off the coast of Ireland. Short
ly afterward. the British admiralty de-
clared the North sea a closed military
area.
On December 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, of the Falkland
/ islands, The German cruiser Dresden es-
capped. badly damaged, December 16 a
German fleet bombarded the English coast
| tOWHS VI ItdTtitpOOl, NnltDy anu SCdT-
borough, killing $50 and wounding 800 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 VIC
tory In Poland.
AS a 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 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 II.
Chaotic Conditions In Mexico.
Early in the year foreign nations began
to be critical of the administration s
''hands-off' Mexican policy and to insist
that the JOB of pacifying Mexico belonged
logically to the United States. Vcto-
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 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-
volSed an order by his predecessor in Of
fee 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
to assemble an imposing naval force al
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
of an apology for an unwarranted arrest
and Imprisonment of several American
blusjackets who had landed on Mexican
soil to obtain a supply of caroline.
Although the episode was the result Of
a misunderstanding in which all the par,
ties concerned shared about equally, Il
was manifest that Huerta was In no MOOD
to comply with any request OF the Wash
ington authorities, however politely arr
even delicately made. He refused to or
der the salute, and the naval demonstra
tion followed.
Congress passed a resolution sustaining
the president In the position which h'
had taken. On April 21 Admiral Fletcher
seized the custom house at Vera Cruz
, The Mexicans resisted the occupation o.
, the custom house and the result was
, fight, in which 1e Americans were killed
and II wounded. General Mas, in com
mand OF the garrison, withdrew and lef
the Americans In possession.
I Nelson O'Shaugnessy. the American rep
/ resentative, was given his passports ant
J requested to leave the country. Brig