Today -100: September 13, 1917: Of bloodless liquidations, newspapers, and conscription

The German legation in Buenos Aires is attacked by mobs pissed at Germany sending secret messages via Swedish diplomatic channels. Also attacked: the German Club, a German-language newspaper and various German-owned businesses. The chargé d'affaires, Count Luxburg, is being expelled.

Russian Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky takes over as commander-in-chief of the army, what with the previous one leading a revolt and all. Kerensky says the revolt has failed in a “bloodless liquidation.”

The Senate passes a Trading With the Enemy Bill, including a bit requiring German-language newspapers to provide an English translation in side-by-side columns for any article commenting on the war, foreign policy, the government of the United States, or its allies.

The Senate passes a resolution for the drafting of aliens from friendly countries for military service and aliens from Germany and its allies for non-combatant war work. Aliens from countries with treaty rights prohibiting that (Italy, Serbia, Japan) who invoke those treaties would have 90 days to leave the country.

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