Today -100: October 12, 1914: Your turn will come

The Germans inform the residents of Antwerp who fled that they have two days to return to their homes (and live under German rule) or their houses will be seized for billets and their furniture removed.

The scalawags in the German Luftwaffe (or whatever it was called in 1914) drop a pennant on Paris, “We have taken Antwerp; your turn will come.”  Also incendiaries which set the roof of Notre Dome on fire.

The US and Panama agree that warships from belligerent countries taking on supplies or coal in Panamanian waters will be banned from doing it again for 3 months.

The Carranza-Villa fighting spills across the border.  Some of Villa’s men accidentally crossed into Arizona at night and were interned by the US Ninth Cavalry, a negro unit (“dusky troopers,” the NYT calls them).  In the ensuing battle between the Mexican factions, bullets and shells accidentally-on-purpose hit Naco, AZ, and some American soldiers are shot.

The US missed its own deadline to evacuate Vera Cruz, and is now placing conditions on Carranza (they say asking questions, but Mexicans will know gringo commands when they hear them), including guarantees for the safety of refugees, foreigners, and priests, and handing over the customs money the US has been collecting since occupying the customs house to France to settle the debts of previous regimes.

Pasquale Amato, the Metropolitan Opera baritone, just returned from the Continent, was detained by Austrian officials at the border because he had contraband – Italian newspapers.  He gave an impromptu acapella performance of the prologue to Pagliacci to convince them he was who he said he was.  Spy or singer? You be the judge:

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