Today -100: May 30, 1915: Of pledges, and spy scares

French President Poincaré takes the pledge to abstain from spirits. Funnily enough, he doesn’t say a thing about wine.

Germany finally replies to Wilson’s Lusitania Note. It’s just a statement of “facts.” They will wait for the US’s response to those facts before making any further statement. They insist the Lusitania was armed and had ammunition in its cargo in violation of US law. They justify the sinking of the Falaba because all merchant ships have supposedly been instructed by the British Admiralty to ram subs (there’s even a reward for sinking a u-boat) and fly false flags.

Italians believe that there has been a vast espionage operation against them that includes every Austrian and German tourist who has ever taken a photograph and billboards which are actually coded directions for airships, etc.

Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.