The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-05
BY DONALD F. BIecs.

VI TIE SINKING OF three American
steamers, the City of Memphis, Hi
heis and Yigilancia, fifteen of the lat
ter's crew being lost.
On March 81, President Wilson is
sued a proclamation calling congress
IN special session on April 2
The American steamer HeaIdton
was torpedoed without warning. March
=, II men including seven Ameri-
cans, being lost.
United States Declares War.
On April ,. President Wilson ap-
peared before a joint session of con-
gress and called for a declaration of
state of war with Germany. On April
1, the senate passed a resolution de-
cIar1ng the existence of a state of war
Inc resolution was adopted by the
house of representatives April and
was signed by the president the same
day. AT the same time 81 German
owned vessels In American ports were
seized by the government Cuba de-
clared war on Germany on April Z.
The following day, Austria Hungary
severed diplomatic relations with the
United States.
The British forces On the west front
began the first great offensive of 1917
On April 8, penetrating the enemy po-
sltons north and south of Arras to
depth of from two to three miles.
The French forces launched an Of
fensive against the enemy on 25-mile
front between scissors and Reims,
April Is, and after three days fighting
reported the capture of more than H.
600 prisoners
The first American casualties in the
war were reported April %, when the
armed American tank steamer Vacuum
was sunk by submarine and several
American gunners were lost
American Fleet in Action.
1t was learned on May Is, that a
squadron of American destroyers I'M
der Rear Admiral Simms had safely
crossed the Atlantic and had been pa
trolling the seas in war service since
May f.
The United States army draft bill
became law May Is when President
Wilson affixed his signature to the
measure and issued a proclamation fix
ing June as.registratiOn day.
On May "a, announcement was made
of the tOrpedoing of the British trans
port Pennsylvania on May 4, with a
loss of more than 400 lives. On May
%, a great German air raid on the
southeast coast of England caused the
death of &c persons and the wounding
of ia.
During the early part of June grow
ing unrest in Russia began to attract
the attention of the allies. On June 1.
wOrkmen and soldiers seized Kron-
Stadt the Russian fortress defending
PetrOgrad, and repudiated the provfs-
iOnaI government. On June 8. the
American commission to Russia, head
ed by Elihu Root, and the American
railroad commission, headed by John
F. Stevens, arrived safely at Russian
ports. On June Z, the Russians in
possession of Kronstadt yielded to
negotiations and recognized the pro-
vfSiOnal government.
In the meantime the American preD-
aratfons for the war were proceeding
rapidly. On June 3, nearly 10000, 600
men of military age registered for mill
tary service under the selectiYe draft
law. On June s, Major General John
J. Pershing. who had been selected to
head the American expeditionary
forces in France, arrived with his staff
in London. On the same day Wash
ington reported the safe arrival in
France of 100 American aviators, the
first American fighting forces to reach
that country.
King Constantine Dethroneo.
A solution of the Greek situation.
which had endangered the operations
of the allies in the Balkans, was reach
ed June II when on the demand Of
France, Great Britain and Russia, King
Constantine abdicated in favor of his
second son, Prince Alexander, who was
known to be favorably inclined toward
the allies. London reported another
big raid by Zeppelins on June ID, in
which 157 persons were killed and
many injured.
The subscriptions to the first Ameri-
can Liberty loan closed June Is, the
loan being oversubscribed by $780,
| GOO 900.
On June 20. it was announced that
the first contingent of American troops,
under command of Major General ST.
bert, had arrived safely In France.
The new Greek cabinet, headed by
Eleutherios Venizelos, went into Office
on June q and two days later the new
| government severed diplomatic rela-
lions with Germany, Austria-Hungary.
Bulgaria and Turkey.
On the first of July, the Russian
forces, under the personal leadership
of War Minister Kerensky, electrified
the allies by launching a powerful of
| fenSive on an 1S-mile front in Galicia.
capturing many strongly fortified
towns and taking thousands of Rris-
oners. For two weeks the Russians
continued to advance along a front
that widened to 100 miles, but on July
| 10 the Russian offensive collapsed and
turned into a rOut, when many Rus
sian regiments mutinied and fed
Kerensky succeeded Prince Lvoff as
| premier of Russia on July 20
The first political crisis in the Ger
man cabinet during the war resulted
on July ii in the resignation of Chan
cellor Won Bethmann-Hollweg and the
| appointment as his successor of DR..
Geerg Michaelis. On July %, Siam
declared war against Germany, and
. =