els. Our ambassador at Berlin was instructed
to take energetic action and to insist upon adequate attention to our
demands. April 18 our government delivered what was considered an
ultimatum to the effect that unless Germany abandoned her methods of
submarine warfare, the United States would sever diplomatic relations.
The president addressed congress on the matter the following day.

Germany had not yet completed her program of submarine building and
thought it wise to temporize with the American government for a while
longer. May 4 she replied to the ultimatum of April 18, acknowledged the
sinking of the Sussex and in the main acceded to all the demands of the
United States. There were certain phases which indicated that Germany
wished to use this country as a medium for securing certain agreements
from the Allies. The president accepted the German conditions generally,
but made it clear in his reply that the conditions could not depend upon
any negotiations between this country and other belligerents. The
intimation was plain enough that the United States would not be a
catspaw for German aims.

Up to this time in the year 1916 the advantage in arms had been greatly
on the side of Germany and her allies. In January the British had
evacuated the entire Gallipoli peninsula and the campaign in Turkey soon
came to grief. Cettinje, the capital of Montenegro, had also fallen to
the Teutonic allies, and that country practically was put out of the
war.

The British had made important gains in the German colonies in Africa
and had conquered most of the Kamerun section there. Between February
and July the Germans had been battling at the important French position
of Verdun, with great losses and small results. Practically all the
ground lost was slowly regained by the French in the autumn. The
Russians had entered Persia in February, and April 17 had captured the
important city of Trebizond in Armenia from the Turks. But on April 29
General Townshend surrendered his entire British force to the Turks at
Kut el Amara, after being besieged for 143 days and finally starved into
submission.

Throughout the balance of the year the advantage was greatly on the side
of the Germans, for the latter part of the year saw the beginning of the
crushing of Roumania, which had entered the war August 27 on the side of
the Allies. Bucharest, the capital, fell to the Germans December 6;
Dobrudja, January 2, and Focsani, January 8 of the ensu