February 14—­Von Bernstorff sails for Germany.  Feb. 25—­British under Gen. Maude capture Kut-el-Amara; submarine sinks liner Laconia without warning; many lost including two Americans.  Feb. 26—­President Wilson asks congress for authority to arm American merchantships.  Feb. 28—­Secretary Lansing makes public Zimmerman note to Mexico, proposing Mexican-Japanese-German alliance.

March 9—­President Wilson calls extra session of congress for April 16.  March 11—­British under Gen. Maude capture Bagdad; revolution starts in Petrograd.  March 15—­Czar Nicholas of Russia abdicates.  March 17—­French and British capture Bapaume.  March 18—­New French ministry formed by Alexander Ribot.

March 21—­Russian forces cross Persian border into Turkish territory; American oil steamer Healdton torpedoed without warning.  March 22—–­United States recognizes new government of Russia.  March 27—­Gen. Murray’s British expedition into the Holy Land defeats Turkish army near Gaza.

April 2—­President Wilson asks congress to declare that acts of Germany constitute a state of war; submarine sinks American steamer Aztec without warning.  April 4—­United States senate passes resolution declaring a state of war exists with Germany.  April 6—­House passes war resolution and President Wilson signs joint resolution of congress.  April 8—­Austria declares severance of diplomatic relations with United States.

April 9—­British defeat Germans at Vimy Ridge and take 6,000 prisoners; United States seizes fourteen Austrian interned ships.  April 20—­Turkey severs diplomatic relations with the U.S.  April 28—­Congress passes selective service act for raising of army of 500,000; Guatemala severs diplomatic relations with Germany.

May 7—­War department orders raising of nine volunteer regiments of engineers to go to France.  May 14—­Espionage act becomes law by passing senate.  May 18—­President Wilson signs selective service act.  Also directs expeditionary force of regulars under Gen. Pershing to go to France.  May 19—­Congress passes war appropriation bill of $3,000,000,000.

June 5—­Nearly 10,000,000 men in U. S. register for military service.  June 12—­King Constantino of Greece abdicates.  June 13—­Gen. Pershing and staff arrive in Paris.  June 15—­First Liberty loan closes with large over-subscription.  June 26—­First contingent American troops under Gen. Sibert arrives in France.  June 29—­Greece severs diplomatic relations with Teutonic allies.

July 9—­President Wilson drafts state militia into federal service.  Also places food and fuel under federal control.  July 13—­War department order drafts 678,000 men into military service.  July 14—­Aircraft appropriation bill of $640,000,000 passes house; Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg’s resignation forced by German political crisis.

July 18—­United States government orders censorship of telegrams and cablegrams crossing frontiers.  July 19—­New German Chancellor Michaelis declares Germany will not war for conquest; radicals and Catholic party ask peace without forced acquisitions of territory.  July 22—­Siam declares war on Germany.  July 23—­Premier Kerensky given unlimited powers in Russia.  July 28—­United States war industries board created to supervise expenditures.