erness until on April 6, the United States, by the proclamation of
President Wilson, was finally at war with Germany.

IN THE NATURE OF MERE FORMALITIES.

These steps were, in many instances, in the nature of formalities, for
the relationships of some of the countries involved placed them in the
position of practically being at war before formal announcement was
made. The position then, was that Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey
were supported by Bulgaria, who was anxious to get redress for having
been cheated out of what she regarded as her rightful possessions in the
settlement of the Balkan war question. Those aligned on the other side
were England, France, Russia, Montenegro, Italy, Belgium (which had been
making defensive warfare in keeping with her desire to be true to her
neutral pledges); Servia, Roumania, Japan, Portugal, the United States,
the little principality of Monaco, which is best known as the seat of
Monte Carlo, the great gambling center of Europe, and San Marino, a
similar "patch" on the map of Europe. Brazil, Guatemala, and the little
Republic of Cuba also aligned themselves against Germany in support of
the Allies, though there was no actual engagement of their forces. Thus
there could be counted as at war against the Central Powers in June,
1917, sixteen countries.

Most interesting of all the countries involved were those belonging to
the Balkan group and centering in southeastern Europe. The Balkan
nations, Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro, with Greece, paved the way for
their entrance into the conflict when they formed an alliance, in 1912,
for common protection, particularly for the enforcement of one of the
provisions of the Berlin Treaty, guaranteeing local government to the
Bulgar and Serbian colonies in Macedonia. Montenegro began war on Turkey
in October, and Bulgaria, Servia and Greece joined and drove the Turks
out of many of their strongholds.

[Illustration: OUTLINE MAP OF GERMANY AND THE STATES FORMING THE EMPIRE.

This drawing shows the location of the twenty-five States which were
included within the boundaries of the German Empire at the beginning of
the war.]

"COMIC OPERA" SOLDIERS.

In a month of fighting the little countries, in the picturesque
southeastern section, whose soldiers have been depicted as "comic opera"
soldiers, had rent Turkey; Greece had captured the famous Macedonian
city of Salonica, once known as Thessalonica, where was located the
church in which