in German fleet came out to attack
it. The small British squadron, instead of withdrawing, gave battle to
the whole German high seas fleet. After the fighting had gone on for
several hours in fog and mist, the British grand fleet approached, but
night came on before a decision was reached. During the night the German
fleet retired back of the defenses of mines and shore batteries. In the
battle the British fleet had lost three battle cruisers and fifteen or
sixteen other vessels. The German losses were not completely published
but were certainly heavier. The Germans claimed a victory, and a general
holiday was ordered that all might celebrate. Nevertheless, the British
vessels were on the scene the next morning picking up survivors, while
the German fleet has not (up to the present writing) come out of harbor
in order that it might try to repeat its so-called victory.

SUBMARINE WARFARE.--During the year 1916 Germans continued with
increasing success their policy of sinking merchant vessels, neutral and
enemy. Out of a total of nearly 4,000,000 tons of shipping destroyed
from the beginning of the war to January 1, 1917, more than half was
lost during 1916. Occasional loss of life also caused much doubt on the
part of our government as to whether Germany was keeping her pledge to
safeguard the lives of noncombatants on torpedoed liners.

When a passenger steamer, the "Sussex," plying between England and
France, was torpedoed without warning (March 24, 1916), eighty of the
passengers were killed or injured, two of the latter being Americans.
Germany at first said that one of her submarines had torpedoed a vessel
in the vicinity, but not the "Sussex." The finding of fragments of a
German torpedo on the "Sussex" after it was brought into port
conclusively proved that the Germans were responsible, and that Germany
had broken her promise. President Wilson addressed a note to the German
government, stating that he would sever diplomatic relations with it
unless Germany should both declare and effect an abandonment of her
unlawful methods of submarine warfare. Thereupon the German government
gave a written pledge that merchant ships "shall not be sunk without
warning and without saving human lives, unless these ships attempt to
escape or offer resistance." This pledge was given on the condition that
the United States should demand that Great Britain observe certain
(disputed) rules of international law; but our government refus