THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND, MAY 31, 1916.—­A minor division of the British fleet under Admiral Beatty was scouting in the neighborhood of Jutland (the peninsula of Denmark).  The main 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 refused to agree that Germany’s respect for our neutral rights should be made to depend on the conduct of other nations.  President Wilson thus made clear his intention to sever diplomatic relations if Germany’s pledge should be withdrawn or violated.

CONSCRIPTION IN GREAT BRITAIN.—­The British government had kept up its army by volunteering.  The need of an army of five million could not depend on this plan.  A conscription bill therefore was passed making all males between certain ages liable for military service.  Ireland was excepted from the provisions of this act.