" 15 2
July 15, " 12 13
July 22, " 2 None
---- ------
235 1,641

The first year of the Great War came to an end with the German
submarines as active in the "war zone" as they had been during
any part of it. On the 28th of July, 1915, the anniversary of the
commencement of the war, there was reported the sinking of nine
vessels. These were the Swedish steamer _Emma_, the three Danish
schooners _Maria, Neptunis_, and _Lena_, the British steamer _Mangara_,
the trawlers _Iceni_ and _Salacia_, the _Westward Ho_, and the
Swedish bark _Sagnadalen_. No lives were lost with any of these
vessels.

The first year of the war closed with a cloud gathered over the heads
of the members of the German admiralty raised by the irritation the
submarine attacks in the "war zone" had caused. Germany's enemies
protested against the illegality of these attacks; neutral nations
protested because they held that their rights had been overridden.
But the German press showed the feeling of the German public on
the matter--at the end of July, 1915, it was as anxious as ever
to have the attacks continued. Conflicting claims were issued in
Germany and England. In the former country it was claimed that
the attacks had seriously damaged commerce; in the latter it was
claimed that the damage was of little account.

PART III--THE EASTERN FRONT--AUSTRO-RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXIII

THE CARPATHIAN CAMPAIGN--REVIEW OF THE SITUATION

In the beginning of 1915 comparative calm reigned over the
Austro-Russian theatre of war, so far as actual hostilities were
concerned. But it was not altogether the variable climatic conditions
of alternate frost and thaw--the latter converting road and valley
into impassable quagmires--that caused the lull. It was a short
winter pause during which the opposing forces--on one side at
least--were preparing and gathering the requisite momentum for the
coming storm.

During January, 1915, the Russian armies were in a decidedly favorable
position. In their own invaded territory of Poland, as we have seen,
they held an advanced position in front of the Vistula, which
circumstance enabled them to utilize that river as a line of
communication, while barring the way to Warsaw against Von Hindenburg.
Lemberg, the capital of Galicia, whi