Passing Events

Passing Events Virginia, in the latter part of September, adopted prohibition to take effect November 1, 1916, by a majority of 35,000. This makes ten states in the roll of honor, and 17,000,000 people in the United States are now under the prohibition regime. Prohibition in West Virginia, adopted two years ago and effective last July, has proved immensely successful and even those who were against its adoption have been convinced that prohibition pays in more ways than one.

The return of "Mormon" colonists to Mexico was announced in the latter part of September. On September 21, the schools in Colonia Juarez opened, and the colonists began harvesting their crops which were reported to be large. On the 13th of September they began holding meetings at Juarez, and on that date 134 members of the Sabbath school were in attendance. By letter from Colonia Dublan, it was learned that a steady stream of colonists were returning, believing that they were not incurring any particular danger in so doing. On October 17 it was said in a dispatch that filibusters had attacked the town of Casas Grandes, near Dublan.

The state prohibition convention was held on Monday, October 5, in Salt Lake City, attended by leading prohibitionists of Utah. The Utah State Prohibition and Betterment League was organized. On account of numerous meetings, the fair, and other attractions, the attendance was not large. A resolution was passed in which it was resolved to ask the members-elect of the next Legislature as to whether they were willing to pass a state-wide prohibtion measure, to be submitted to the people at a special election in June for approval before it should become a law of the state. It is believed that such a law thus formed* and adopted might avoid politics.

— The Mexican Situation. Provisional President Carranza at the celebration of Mexico's independence day, September 16, publicly read Secretary Bryan's order for the withdrawal of American troops from Mexican territory. However, the developments that followed prevented this withdrawal from being accomplished. On the 23rd, General Francisco Villa declared war upon the Constitutionalists' first chief Carranza. General Villa claimed that Chihuahua, Sonora, Zacatecas, and a portion of Coahuila were in a stage of uprising and would join with him against Carranza. On the 26th Villa accused General Carranza of violating the terms of the treaty of Torreon; and the following day, September 27, Provisional President Carranza agreed to resign his office upon which Villa named Fernando Iglesias Calderon as Provisional President Carranza's successor. During the early part of October preparations were going forward in Mexico City for setting up a new provisional government, regardless of the proposed peace conference which had been arranged for at Agua Calientes, Oct. 10, at which representatives nf all the leading £>enerals_of the country were to be present to arrange for peace, if possible. Tt is announced that the forces which are loval to Carranza total 104,000, while Villa can control only 24,000. Fighting at different places, especially at Naco, Sonora, has been going on; and no date, therefore, has been set by the United States for the evacuation of Vera Cruz by the American forces.

PASSING KVK.VI S 93

General Carranza has not yet complied with any of the stipulations laid down by the United States including the guarantee for the safety of foreigners and others in Vera Cruz, as well a- a promise from the Mexico City government not to re-impose more than a million dollar custom dues collected by Americans from Vera Cruz imports. — The European War. The battle of the Aisnc continued practically every day until the siege of Antwerp, on September 26, and even then continued along the lines at different times until after the 17th of October, the date of this record. The net results of these engagements cannot be stated at present. About the only thing that is certain is that the Germans retired eastward even as the Allies, during the month previous, had retired towards Paris. The Germans called their falling back, "a strategical retreat," by which they meant to concentrate their forces, shorten their lines of communication with their base of supplies, and secure a more defensible position. It will be remembered that the Allies called their retirement from the Belgian border by the same name, and it appears that the justification in both cases is not without reason. Neither party gave ground until they were compelled to, and both retreated in such good order that the armies were kept intact. Many battles as big as the battle of Waterloo occurred between the four million soldiers that were in the lines, and neither army either met with a decisive defeat nor with a decisive victory. Following is a short story of the leading events: FEILD MARSHALL SIR TOHX FRENCH September 20. —The French minister of the interior an- Inspector-General of the British Forces nounced that the famous cathedral of Rheims together with other historic buildings had been destroyed during the second bombardment of the city by the German army. — September 22. The Russians occupied Jaroslav in Galicia. A German submarine sank the British cruisers "Abokir," "Cressy," and "Hogue" in the North Sea. These were three armored British cruisers of the twelve-thousand-ton type, having a total complement of 2,200 men. Only 1,067 were rescued. — September 23. China disclaims any responsibility for the violation of her neutrality by Japan, owing to her inability to defend it. This was the reply to the Kaiser's protest against the Japanese operations. — September 24. Cholera breaks out in the Austrian army and in Vienna. The Germans attack forts at Verdun and Toul. September 25. —-The Germans invade Russia along the Niemen river and the Montenegrins take Mostar, the capital of Herzegovina. — September 26. The Germans rc-caotiire St. Quentin. The Russians bombard Przemysl, the only Galician stronghold in the path of the Russian advance on Krakow.

94 IMPROVEMENT ERA — September 27. Germany rushed large forces to the east to reinforce Krakow, and German aircraft dropped bombs in twelve cities. — September 28. The fighting continues on the Aisne river, and in the Argonne forest. A fleet of nineteen transports carrying 33,000 Canadian troops sailed from St. Lawrence, on its way to England. This was the first Canadian detachment to leave for the war. The transports began to arrive at Plymouth, England, October IS, where they were greeted with enthusiastic cheers. — September 29. It is reported that the German cruiser "Emden" sunk five British vessels in the Bay of Bengal. The Germans destroy the French town of Albert. Indian troops were landed at Marseilles. The German activity in Belgium is renewed, and the outlying defenses of Antwerp were bombarded. — September 30. Three forts of the outer ring at Antwerp were reduced. Two Italian fishing boats were sunk in the Adriatic by the Austrian floating mines. Italy protested strongly to Austria against these mines, who replied that complete reparation would be made for the loss of the vessels and the mines would be removed. — October 1 to 9. The Germans continued to bombard Antwerp which fell and was occupied by the Germans on October 9. Antwerp was considered the best fortified city in the world. However, the inability of the defenders' guns to hit back weight for weight was the one crying need at Antwerp "whose fall points to one irresistible conclusion," according to the dispatches, "that the day of forts is over." The supposed impregnable forts proved broken reeds against the giant German dowagers. The forts are all shattered beyond recognition. The English and Belgian armies that were in Antwerp made their escape, so that the Germans found no armies there upon their occupation of the city. — October 10. The German heavy artillery used in the bombardment of Antwerp started off for an unknown destination in France. It is declared that the cathedral of Notre Dame was not damaged in the bombardment. King Charles of Rumania died. — October 11. The Germans are advancing rapidly on Ostend, in the hope of capturing King Albert and the entire Belgian government, but which was removed to Havre, France. It is reported that the Belgians and British will form a new battle line near Ostend. — October 12. Ferdinand becomes king of Rumania. — October 13. Ghent is reported occupied by the Germans. Canada offers England a second expeditionary force of 22,000_ men and the British government cables a message of thanks. Martial law is pro- claimed in South Africa, on announcement that Col. Maritz had re- belled with his command, in the northwest of the Cape provinces. — October IS. The Germans are preparing to transfer great masses of troops from the Russian border, so it was said, to the western field, for another advance on Paris. — October 16. A German submarine sank the British cruiser "Hawke" in the North Sea, making the seventh British cruiser sunk bv the Germans in the first ten weeks of the war, against eight German armored commerce destroyers, four cruisers, three submarines, two _

torpedo boat destroyers, and one torpdo boat, destroyed by the British.