Up to the last week in October the main fleets of the warring powers were still inactive, but rumors of intended German naval activity were frequent.  The cat-and-mouse attitude of the British and German fleets in the North Sea was continued, the Germans lying snug in their ports, protected by their mines and submarines, while the British battleships lay in wait at all points of possible egress.  The situation tried the patience of the people of both countries and there were frequent demands for action by the great and costly naval armaments.  But the Germans apparently were not ready to risk a general engagement, and the British could not force them to come out and fight.  The British admirals, therefore had, perforce, to pursue a policy of “watchful waiting,” irksome as it was to all concerned, and “the tireless vigil in the North Sea,” as it was termed by Mr. Asquith, was maintained day and night.  No sea captain becalmed in the doldrums ever whistled for a wind more earnestly than the British Jack tars prayed for a chance at the enemy during those three months of playing the cat to Germany’s mouse; and on the other hand, the German sailors were, no doubt, equally desirious of a chance to demonstrate the fighting abilities of their brand-new battleships.  All were equally on the qui vive, for any hour might bring to the Germans the order to put to sea, and to the British the welcome cry of “Enemy in sight!”

CARING FOR BELGIAN REFUGEES

The plight of the Belgian people, including the refugees in Holland, England and France, was pitiable in the extreme and by the end of October had roused the sympathy of the entire world.  A conservative estimate placed the number of Belgians expatriated at 1,500,000 out of a population of 7,000,000.  On October 26 Mr. Brand Whitlock, United States minister to Belgium, reported that the entire country was on the verge of starvation, while Holland and England had their hands full caring for the Belgians who had sought refuge in those countries.  In eight cities of Holland there were said to be 500,000 Belgian refugees.  Over 70, arrived in London in one week and a central committee in London had twenty-seven subcommittees at work in different cities in England, Scotland and Wales, placing the refugees in homes as rapidly as possible.  The humanitarian problem of taking care of the Belgians was one of tremendous responsibility, but the people of the three countries in which most of them sought refuge rose nobly to the occasion and spared no effort to lessen their sufferings.

MORE CANADIANS FOR THE FRONT

It was announced in Ottawa, Canada, on October 19 that the Dominion Government had decided to put 30,000 more men in training in Canada, to be despatched to England when ready.  As soon as the first unit of 15, was embarked, probably in December, another 15,000 men would be enlisted to replace them, the plan being to keep 30,000 men continuously in training, to be drawn upon in units of 10,000 or 15,000 as soon as equipped, during the continuance of hostilities in Europe.  Thus with the 32,000 Canadian volunteers already landed in England, and 8,000 under arms guarding strategic points in the Dominion, Canada would soon raise 100,000 men as part of her contribution to Imperial defense.