Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-02
The Year 1916.

out of that vast struggle have touched the for
tunes and the spirit of the entire world. The
United States, for all the miles of cool ocean that
lie between, has felt in its heart the heat of the
Old World conflict and has faced issues more
weighty and farreaching than ever before arose in
its foreign affairs So with the other nations,
the few there are, that remain neutral. Though
they are not of the war, they are in the war one
way or another Their business is affected, their
feelings are involved, their future rights and in
terests are vitality concerned.
Some maker of epgrams has remarked rather
cyncally that when this is over there Will not
be a new heaven and earth but that GER
tainly there will be a Africa. A safer pre-
diction would be that although territorial boun-
diaries should remain for the most part they
were before, there undoubtedly will be a new Eu-
rope and new world when the lessons of this war
have sunk into the thoughts of men. In some of
the countries directly involved there will be
luton, probably not violent sudden, but none
the less epoch-making, and the spirit of them all
will be deepened and chastened.
There will be, too, an insistence by responsible
craftsmanship everywhere that some form of in
ternationaI control be established a safeguard
against the recurrence of another great war. This
idea indeed, has been approved by nearly all the
belligerents, and President Wilson has declared
play it's full part in international league to
guarantee as far as possible the worlds future
peace Neutral nations have learned that in a
struggle so far-fung as this one neutrality be-
comes next to impossible. They have that
their rights will be disregarded by or both bel
lgerents and that the planest principles of inter
national law will be fouted evaded. They are
concerned peculiarly, therefore, in plans for the
prevention of wars in the future and in the de-
velopments of the one now being waged.
The outstanding events in American affairs for
the year 1916 are related generally to conditions
in Europe The most important legislation enact
ed by Congress was the Navy bill and the Army
bill, unparalleled measures of national defense
which were prompted very largely by the warn
ings and lessons of the European situation. The
shipping bill also was prompted by the need of an
ADEQUATE merchant marine to meet the trade OPP
portunities the has opened.
The most critical moment in the country's
foreign affairs grew out of the German submarine
attack on the English channel steamer Sussex
March "a. The incident plainly in violation
of the German Governments pledges that liners
should not be attacked without warning and with
out due provision for the safety of passengers and
crew. On April 10 President Wilson, in an adj
dress to Congress- declared in effect that unless
lawless and inhumane methods of U-boat warfare
were discontinued, there would follow of necessity
a severance of diplomatic relations between Wash
ington and Berlin. The danger ended, however
with Germany's disavowing the act of her sub
marine commander and renewing her earlier as.
surances and pledges, esaa0.'' g."
The greatest event of the year in the United
States was the Presidential campaign, resulting in
the reelection of Mr.. Wilson. The issue, for the
most part hinged on the Administrators foreign
policies so that in this as In other matters the sit
uation in Europe affected our country's most in
innate and important affairs. The Presidents re-
election was a victory for Americanism and as
surance of continued prudence and honor in the
handlingAof diplomatic problems.
ParentheticaIly, it should be said that the Mex
| lean problem like the poor, we have always with
us. 1t was on hand long before the European wal
started and doubtless will be hanging around long
| after peace across the Atlantic is restored. II
served useful purpose this year, however, in en-
| phasizing at just the right moment the need OF
| military preparedness measures and in affording
the National Guardsmen excellent. opportunity
| for practical training Other American events OF
| Importance not connected with conditions in Eu-
rope were the various acts of Congress looking to
the countrys material development and to its hu-
man interests notably the Rural Credits law, the
| Federal Aid Road law and the Child Labor law
| OF major Importance too, the prevention OF
| the threatened railway strike and the program OF
legislation intended to safeguard the public against
| a recurrence of such dangers. The fulfllment OF
that program is one of the big tasks to be passed
| on to the year.
To review with any pretense to completeness
the progress of the years events in Europe would
| require pages even volumes, foP there has been
| crowded into the past twelve months stir
| ring history than is found ordinarily in many
| decades. The greatest sea battle of all time as
far the size of the forces engaged and destroy
| ed concerned fought in the North Sea-
| May 80, between the British and German fleets
The greatest land battles known to the modern OIL
| ancient world fought before Verdun and
| along the Somme For months together there
ragged virtually ceaseless conflict of giant guns
| and millions of men on every important front
There were battles within battles, and wars within
| wars, wide-reaching and involved was the
/ struggle.