that this situation placed the sea commerce of
the United States, as well as that of all other neutral countries, in
a most dangerous position. Up to March 1, 1915, about twenty merchant
vessels of various nationalities were destroyed or damaged in the
war zone established by Germany, including Dutch, Norwegian, Danish,
American and British ships.

GREAT GERMAN VICTORY IN EAST PRUSSIA

After a difficult campaign against the Russian invaders in East
Prussia, the German army, by the masterly strategy of Field Marshal von
Hindenburg, practically annihilated the Russian Tenth Army of 150,
men, completing the task February 20. It was the most spectacular
campaign in the history of modern warfare.

The object of the German commander was not only to free East Prussia
from the Russian invasion, but to completely capture the Russian Tenth
Army. He sent one column in from the south to drive back the Russians
who occupied the Mazurian lake gateway to East Prussia, and another
column from the north was swung around in wide circles to the east
and south, aiming to join hands with the southern German column, thus
cutting off the Russian retreat. This movement would have succeeded
absolutely except for delay in passing through the swamps, caused by
mild weather which broke up the ice. A commander of one of the German
corps said: "Nature has always helped Russia. Two days of hard frost and
we should have had every man."

In the south also nature aided the Russians. There the German hosts
attacked the enemy in the face of a driving snowstorm from the north,
which hindered their operations but did not prevent them from gaining a
victory which resulted in freeing Prussian territory from the invader.

ALLIES FORCE THE DARDANELLES

On March 1 a great allied fleet of forty British and French warships,
having reduced the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles, was on its
way through the straits and the Sea of Marmora to Constantinople, with
the object of capturing the city. Panic prevailed in the Turkish capital
at the approach of the fleet, while for the first time in history
hostile flags flew over the forts at the mouth of the Dardanelles.
The naval operations of the Allies in the Dardanelles, which began on
February 17, proceeded without any serious check for a month. Mine
sweepers were in daily use, to clear the channel of submerged and
floating mines, and the forts at the Narrows, several miles inside the
entrance of the strait