gained some successes
for the Allies, and had under way an invasion of German Southwest
Africa. By October 13 Belgium was so completely occupied by the Germans
that the government withdrew entirely from the country and established
itself at Le Havre in France. By the end of the year had occurred the
Battle of Yser in Belgium (October 16-28); the first Battle of Ypres
(decisive day October 31), in which the British, French and Belgians
saved the French channel ports; De Wet's rebellion against the British
in South Africa (October 28); German naval victory in the Pacific off
the coast of Chile (November 1); fall of Tsingtau, German possession in
China, to the Japanese (November 7); Austrian invasion of Serbia
(Belgrade taken December 2, recaptured by the Serbians December 14);
German commerce raider Emden caught and destroyed at Cocos Island
(November 10); British naval victory off the Falkland Islands (December
8); South African rebellion collapsed (December 8); French government
returned to Paris (December 9); German warships bombarded West
Hartlepool, Scarborough and Whitby on the coast of England (December
16). On December 24 the Germans showed their Christian spirit in an
inauguration of the birthday of Christ by the first air raid over
England. The latter part of the year 1914 saw no important action by the
United States excepting a proclamation by the president of the
neutrality of the Panama canal zone.

The events of 1915 and succeeding years became of great importance to
the United States and it is with a record of those having the greatest
bearing on our country that this account principally will deal.

On January 20 Secretary of State Bryan found it necessary to explain and
defend our policy of neutrality. January 28 the American merchantman
William P. Frye was sunk by the German cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich. On
February 10 the United States dispatched a note to the German government
holding it to a "strict accountability if any merchant vessel of the
United States is destroyed or any American citizens lose their lives."
Germany replied February 16 stating that her "war zone" act was an act
of self-defense against illegal methods employed by Great Britain in
preventing commerce between Germany and neutral countries. Two days
later the German official blockade of Great Britain commenced and the
German submarines began their campaign of piracy and pillage.

The United States on February 20 sent an identic no