The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-01-22
Review Of Principal
Events OF 1917, In
The Great World War

course the CHIEF business OF the year
1917. The war entered its fourth
year August l, and still no decision
has been reached by arms. Both
sides have had gains. both have had
losses. On the whole. the balance
as 1t was on January l, l9l7;.had not
altered greatly on January I, 1918
The really telling evtnts of the war
were rather political than military.
The greatest of these were the rev.
olution in Russia and the entrance
of the United States into the war.
How u. s. Entered the War.
Since the sinking of the Lusitania
in 1915 relations between the United
States and Germany had been strain
ed. Repeatedly German submarines
had sunk American ships, or foreign
passenger steamers on which were
American passengers. In either case
it was contrary to international law
and in violation of American rights.
Germany however always had an ex-
cuse ready. The ships were armed,
therefore not peaceful merchantmen
they carried munitions or other con-
traband and were therefore fair OBJ
jects of capture.
These were meaningless answers,
because even il true they furnished
no excuse under international law
for Cermany's course; but some cor
respondence was required to point
this out. Still more correspondence
was required by Germany's frequent
questionings or denials of fact How
did we know the ship was sunk by a
German and not by an Austrian or
even French or English submarine?
We had to prove the crime was Ger
man, and that took time. In other
cases Germany claimed that the ship
tried to escape, or made resistance,
and therefore was subject to attact
under the rules of war. When all ex-
cuses failed and Germany was COM
PEELED to admit thcviolation of in
ternational law she would take refuge
in a claim that it was all . regret
table mistake; Germany was sorry;
orders had been issued to submarine
officers to be more careful in future.
Still the sinkings had gone on, and
the long-drawn out correspondence
was becoming grim joke. After
the brutal and cowardly sinking Of
the Sussex, passenger steamer,
President Wilson had told Germany
that uless the sinkings were at once
stopped he would break off relations.
Germany then declared that no more
unlawful sinkings would occur, and
for some months kept her word.
Hope revived that the United States
would be able to keep out of the war.
This was the situation, this the
hope, at the beginning of 1917. On
the last day of January the hope
was rudely destroyed. At 6 p. m.
on that day the German Emperor's
government cody informed our Cow
eminent that at midnight. the same
night, it would begin singing every
American ship found in large area
of the high seas. Our ships had as
much right to be there as the Kaiser's
own ships. The same threat applied
to the ships of all neutral nations.
This was OF course practically a
declaration of war against the United
States and the whole neutral world.
President Wilson at once broke off
relations with Germany, dismissing
the German Ambassador from Wash
ington and recalling the American
Ambassador from Berlin. For some
weeks however, Germany did not
carry out her threat in manner to
furnish a clear case of actual war.
In the meantime Congress expired
March 4. After that the German
threat was carried out; American
ships bound on their lawful errands
were sunk without warning. The
President thereupon called the new
Congress to meet in extra session.
On their assembling, he appeared
before the two Houses, and RECON-
mended formal declaration that
state of war existed by the acts of
the German government. Congress
after brief debate SO voted, Sc to 6
in the Senate, 373 to so in the House
President Wilson signed the declar-
alton April 6. The United States
was at war.
In December Congress declared
war against Austria also as the ally
OF the German government and be-
cause Austria had committed repeat
ed acts OF war against the United
States. AS yet Congress has not de-