London as a guide for waging war and defining neutral rights. Central powers accept immediately, conditional upon allied acceptance. France accepts, conditional upon British acceptance.

bankers to make loans to belligerents, saying that allowing loans was not consistent with the true spirit of neutrality.

thought as well as in action."

Accepts the Declaration of London, but expands the definition of contraband to include almost every important item of trade, including food.

insisting on respect for neutral rights, but Wilson's advisor, Col. Edward House succeeds in having it set aside. A milder remonstrance is sent, stressing the ill effects of British policy on American public opinion rather than neutral rights.

OCT 1914: President Wilson privately (and orally) informs bankers that the government will not oppose the extension of credit (but still not outright loans) to the allies.

22 OCT 1914: The United States abandons its efforts to make the Declaration of London effective.

03 NOV 1914: Britain declares the North Sea a military area, and proceeds to mine it. Now no one can enter the area without British protection. This effectively blockades the North Sea coast.

23 DEC 1914: Order in Council revives the DOCTRINE OF CONTINUOUS VOYAGE to prevent American trade with countries near Germany. The blockade of Europe tightens.

04 FEB 1915: SUBMARINE WAR ZONE. Germany declares that British attempts to starve Germans by illegal practices and American acquiescence in those practices have made it necessary for Germany to take exceptional measures to protect itself. Accordingly, the waters around the British Isles are declared a War Zone. Beginning 18 FEB, enemy merchant ships found in the zone will be destroyed on sight, without provision for the safety of passengers or crew. Because the British were in the habit of disguising their ships by flying neutral flags, neutral ships should avoid the zone, lest they be mistaken for British ships and sunk inadvertently.

10 FEB 1915: The U.S. government declares that Germany will be held to "STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY" for any American lives lost in the War Zone.

11 MAR 1915: Britain declares a blockade of all German ports, and notes that all merchant ships bound to or from such ports will be liable to seizure and confiscation.

28 MAR 1915: The British passenger ship Falaba is sunk in the Irish Sea. One American passenger is killed.

01 MAY 1915: The American tanker Gulflight is struck by a torpedo launched in a nearby fight between a German submarine and a British navy patrol. Two Americans are killed, but the ship does not sink.

01 MAY 1915: The German embassy takes out ads in the New York newspapers, warning Americans that they might be in danger if they choose to sail on ships belonging to any nation involved in the war. Later that day, the British passenger liner Lusitania sails from New York with 197 Americans abroad.

07 MAY 1915: LUSITANIA is sunk by a German torpedo. 1198 persons die, 128 of them American citizens. Although the ship was carrying 4200 cases of small arms ammunition and other contraband, and although she was carrying secret orders to ram on sight any submarine, American rage explodes.

28 MAY 1915: Germany responds to the First Lusitania note by claiming that the Lusitania was really acting more as an armed warship than as a protected passenger liner, and by justifying the sinking as an act of "just self-defense."

06 JUN 1915: Germany issues a secret order to its submarine commanders to the effect that passenger ships, of whatever nationality, are no longer to be attacked. NOTE THAT THIS ORDER IS NOT MADE PUBLIC.

07 JUN 1915: Secretary of State Bryan, charging that the Second Lusitania Note then in preparation is too strong and might trigger war, resigns.

21 JUL 1915: Third Lusitania Note warns Germany that future sinkings involving American citizens will be regarded as "deliberately unfriendly" acts toward the United States, requiring appropriate response.

24 JUL 1915: The U.S. Secret Service obtains possession of German documents revealing German sabotage activity in the United States. Publication leads to the recall of the Austro-Hungarian ambassador and of German attaches Franz von Papen and Karl Boy-Ed.

19 AUG 1915: ARABIC AFFAIR. A German submarine, by mistake or in violation of instructions, sinks the British passenger liner Arabic. Two American passengers are killed. Secretary of State Lansing recommends ending diplomatic relations with Germany, but fears the country will not support such action.

01 SEP 1915: ARABIC PLEDGE. German Ambassador to the U.S. Johann von Berstoff promises, on his own authority and without authorization from Berlin, that "Liners will not be sunk by our submarines without warning and without safety of the lives of non-combatants, provided that the liners do not try to escape or offer resistance." During the rest of 1915, German submarines confine their attacks to freighters, respecting the Arabic pledge.

SEP 1915: President Wilson lifts the ban on direct loans to belligerents by American bankers. By the time U.S. enters the war, American investors will have purchased $2,300,000,000 in Allied bonds. U.S. trade with the Allies rises from $800,000,000 in 1914 to $3,000,000,000 in 1916. During the same period, trade with Austria-Hungary and Germany drops from $169,289,775 to $1,159,653.

21 NOV 1915: Germany issues a secret order to submarine commanders to regard all ships in the English channel as troop transports, which could be sunk legally.

08 FEB 1916: Germany declares publicly that all armed enemy merchant ships will be sunk without warning, beginning 1 MAR 1916.

24 FEB 1916: Responding to the McLemore Resolution, Wilson informs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that he could not consent to "any abridgement of the rights of American citizens in any respect."

24 MAR 1916: SUSSEX INCIDENT. The Sussex, an unarmed French passenger ship, is sunk in the English channel, causing injury to several Americans. Lansing again recommends a break in relations.

04 MAY 1916: SUSSEX PLEDGE: Germany agrees to stop sinking unresisting liners and merchantmen without warning and with "proper humanitarian precautions," but assumes that Washington will now insist that other belligerents enforce the "laws of humanity" and respect "the rules of international law." (The reference is to the British "starvation" blockade.) Should the relaxation of the blockade not occur, Germany "would then be facing and new situation in which it must reserve to itself complete liberty of decision."

30 JUL 1916: A munitions plant on Black Tom Island, N.J. explodes, resulting in property loss of $22,000,000. The explosion is attributed to German sabotage.

02 SEP 1916: German Ambassador von Bernstoff asks if Wilson would be willing to help negotiate an end to the war, in return for German withdrawal from Belgium. Wilson refuses to take any steps in that direction until after the fall elections.

07 SEP 1916: Shipping Board Act empowers the President to deny clearance papers to any ship refusing to accept cargo from blacklisted firms.

08 SEP 1916: Revenue Act authorizes the President to withhold clearance or port facilities from any ship guilty of unfair discrimination against American commerce.

08 SEP 1916: The largest peacetime naval appropriation in American History is passed, authorizing the United States to build a "navy second to none."

12 DEC 1916: The German government announces the willingness of the Central Powers to enter peace negotiations immediately.

18 DEC 1916: THE "WAR AIMS" NOTE. Wilson circulates a note to the belligerents requesting that all parties state their objectives in the war. Germans refuse comments.

08-09 JAN 1917: PLESS CASTLE CONFERENCE. German generals, admirals, and government officials decide to resume unrestricted submarine warfare. This decision is not made public.

10 JAN 1917: Allies reply to Wilson's war aims speech in a joint note demanding peace terms clearly unacceptable to the Central Powers.

11 JAN 1917: An explosion wrecks the Canadian Car and Foundry plant at Kingsland, N.J. German sabotage is suspected.

19 JAN 1917: ZIMMERMAN NOTE. Note sent in code by telegram from German foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to Heinrich von Eckhardt, German minister to Mexico.

22 JAN 1917: "PEACE WITHOUT VICTORY" SPEECH: In a speech to the Senate, Wilson depicts his program for a desirable peace settlement:

31 JAN 1917: Germany announces that, beginning 01 FEB 1917, unrestricted submarine warfare against all shipping, neutral as well as belligerent, will be resumed. The U.S. will be permitted to send one ship each week to England, provided it meets certain conditions established by the Germans. Lansing again requests a break in relations.

03 FEB 1917: Wilson announces break in diplomatic relations with Germany, implying that any "actual overt acts" by Germany against Americans will bring strong response from the United States.

24 FEB 1917: The British give U.S. Ambassador to England Walter Hines Page a copy of the Zimmerman note. He immediately transmits it to Washington.

01 MAR 1917: In response to Wilson's request to arm merchantmen, the Armed Ship Bill, authorizing him to take such action, passes the House of Representatives.

04 MAR 1917: Armed ship bill dies without action as congress adjourns. Filibuster against the bill is led by Sen. Robert LaFollette.

16 MAR 1917: Russia comes under the control of a liberal democratic Provisional Government upon abdication of the tsar. The new regime proclaims civil liberties for all and recognizes equality of all citizens without social, racial, or religious discriminations.