rmidable fighting ship.

The quality of Russia's determination to win victory, despite serious
reverses in the field, was well indicated by an announcement made in
Petrograd, May 1, 1916. A railroad from the capital to Soroka, on the
White Sea, begun since the war started, had just reached completion.
It covered a distance of 386 miles and made accessible a port that
hitherto had been practically useless, where it was proposed to divert
commercial shipments. This left free for war purposes the port of
Archangel, sole window of Russia looking upon the west until Soroka
was linked with Petrograd. German activity had halted all shipping to
Russian Baltic ports. At the moment announcement was made of this
event more than 100 ships were waiting for the ice to break up,
permitting passage to Archangel and Soroka, which are held in the
grip of the north for many months of each year. A majority of these
vessels carried guns, ammunition, harness, auto trucks and other
things sorely needed by the Czar's armies. Additional supplies were
pouring in through Vladivostok for the long haul across Siberia.

May 1, 1916, witnessed the destruction of a British mine sweeper, the
_Nasturtium_, in the Mediterranean along with the armed yacht
_Aegusa_, both said to have been sunk by floating mines.

The _Aegusa_ formerly was the _Erin_, the private yacht of Sir Thomas
Lipton, and valued at $375,000 when the Government took it over. The
craft was well known to Americans, as Sir Thomas, several times
challenger for the international cup held in America, had made more
than one trip to our shores on the vessel.

The French submarine _Bernouille_ was responsible for the sinking of
an enemy torpedo boat in the Adriatic, May 4, 1916.

Washington received a note from Germany, May 6, 1916, offering to
modify her submarine orders if the United States would protest to
Great Britain against the stringent blockade laid upon Germany. This
offer met with prompt rejection, President Wilson standing firm and
insisting upon disavowal for the sinking of the _Sussex_ and search of
merchantmen before attack. (See United States and the Belligerents,
Vol. V, Part X.)

Laden with munitions, the White Star liner _Cymric_ was torpedoed and
sunk May 9, 1916, near the British coast with a loss of five killed.
The vessel remained afloat for several hours, and the remainder of her
110 officers and men were saved. She had no passengers aboard.

An Austrian transpor