drove a small Belgian force back upon the defenses of Liége. Upon receipt of that news, England sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding withdrawal of German troops from Belgium and fixing midnight of August 4th as the time limit of the ultimatum. No reply was made by Germany and the formal declaration of war by England came at midnight. American citizens immediately suffered from the worldshaking catastrophe of war. Thousands were caught in the huge maelstrom which centered in continental Europe Railroads were seized for war purposes by France, Germany, Austria and Russia. Even neutral Switzerland and Holland were caught in the gigantic whirlpool. Americans found that negotiable paper of all kinds had suddenly lost nearly all its value and that even silver currency was difficult of negotiation. Continental Europe demanded gold and nothing but gold. Americans traveling for business or pleasure found themselves suddenly cast upon the resources of the American embassies. These havens of refuge became centers of excited, anxious throngs, waiting for passports, money and for means of transportation which under the stress of war had become almost hopelessly disorganized. Food prices trebled and quadrupled. The gay capitals of Europe suddenly went dark and somber. Americans in their rush for the shelter of consular offices and embassies were tossed like chips upon the tremendous torrent of war mobilizations. Stock exchanges throughout Europe closed their doors and the exchanges throughout the United States followed this example. Ship insurance multiplied several times. Every train and every ship leaving the centers of European disorganization were crowded past the point of discomfort. In this emergency American individuals and the American Government performed notable services in rescuing their countrymen caught in the maelstrom of war. The armored cruiser Tennessee was sent by the American Government with $7,500,000 in gold consigned to the Americans who were virtually penniless in European countries due to depreciation in their negotiable paper. This depreciation brought many wealthy Americans to the verge of poverty. Oscar Straus, whose fortune exceeded $10,000,000, was stranded in London with nine dollars. His letters of credit were valueless when he attempted to cash them in Vienna. The demand for gold by both sides of the warring powers bade fair to drain North and South America of the precious metal. The premium on gold soared to record-breaking heights. A number of shipments of gold were made from South American ports to Germany. The German ship Kronprinzessin Cecile was sent from New York with a cargo of gold consigned to Hamburg. A wireless warning from the station at Tuckerton, New Jersey, that Allied cruisers were awaiting the ship off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland caused it to turn back to America. With the return of American tourists and business travelers from Europe, America settled into a condition of watchful neutrality. While a ring of battleflame encircled it, the United States through President Wilson, the State Department and Congress, endeavored to bring order out of chaos, peace out of war. How formidable that task was may be seen by a survey of the following list of war declarations and severances of diplomatic relations. The list is taken from the official files of the United States State Department: DECLARATIONS OF WAR Austria against Belgium, August 28, 1914. Cuba against Austria-Hungary, December 16, 1917. France against Bulgaria, October 16, 1915. Painted by Fred E. Schoonover THE FIRST VICTORY OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS Three battalions of American Infantry-1st Division among the first to arrive in France, early in the morning of May 28, 1918, attacked and This was the doughboys' "baptism of blood." captured the village of Cantigny, then a German stronghold. Germany against France, August 3, 1914. Great Britain against Austria, August 13, 1914. Greece against Bulgaria, November 28, 1916. (Provisional Government). Greece against Bulgaria, July 2, 1917. (Government of Alexander). Greece against Germany, November 28, 1916. (Provisional Government). Greece against Germany, July 2, 1917. (Government of Alexander). Honduras against Germany, July 19, 1918. Panama against Austria, December 10, 1917. Portugal against Germany, November 23, 1914. (Resolution passed authorizing military intervention as ally of England). Portugal against Germany, May 19, 1915. (Military aid granted). Roumania against Austria, August 27, 1916. (Allies of Austria also consider it a declaration. Russia against Germany, August 7, 1914. United States against Germany, April 6, 1917. United States against Austria-Hungary, December 7, 1917. |