08 Dec 1917
Page 1
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Newspaper
New York Times
Location
New York, New York, United States of America
Date
Dec 08, 1917
Page
1
Halifax reports a blast and fire killed and injured many as relief trains are blocked by a heavy snowstorm. Officials fear a large number of unnamed dead while efforts from Moncton Sackville and Boston Red Cross press to reach the city with supplies and wounded.
The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary at 5:38 pm after Congress passes the resolution. President Wilson empowered to direct naval and military forces. an executive proclamation is anticipated to implement the measure. Notable votes: Meyer London alone against in the House. La Follette absent from debate in the Senate. several senators and representatives comment on the patriotism debate as the nation moves to war.
The United States Congress declares a state of war with the Austro-Hungarian Government and authorizes the use of all national naval and military resources to carry on the war to a successful termination. The resolution is approved by President Woodrow Wilson in December 1917 with CHAMP CLARK and THOMAS R. MARSHALL as signatories.
General Diaz voices urgency for American war support and money to develop Italy's resources. He praises American resolve and notes even a single American regiment would significantly aid Italy. The interview emphasizes keeping Allied press supportive and warns against German influence advancing after the war.
In a nighttime raid on a French town a bomb wounded two American aviation mechanics from Detroit Michigan and Buffalo Missouri as they passed in the street. A Hannibal Missouri ambulance driver was struck by debris. Two French women were killed. The three Americans were in a base hospital in not serious condition and other local soldiers recovered.
Reports indicate Rumania is compelled to accept a truce while Kerensky appoints a new minister of justice in a Siberian cabinet. Bolshevik troops remain in Vladivostok as political realignments unfold.
Washington dispatch reports Cabinet members split on whether to have the government operate railroads during the war. President Wilson’s stance remains unclear while four ministers favor control and others oppose or seek delay for a survey.
Reported arrival of 1500 Bolshevist troops at Vladivostok prompts Washington to warn that a policy toward Petrograd may be required. Dispatch notes munitions shipped by US and Japan. other items include Harden's grim peace view from Amsterdam.
The Austro Hungarian General Headquarters reported heavy enemy defeat after an artillery aided assault on Meletta ridge. Native troops from across Austria Hungary captured Monte Badeneche Monte Tondarecar and Monte Gifla while Kaiserläger Regiment No 3 held Monte Gifla as Italian resistance collapsed. Enemies on the Piave front at Zenson withstood several hours of frontal assaults despite superior forces.
Report from Jassy and Berlin shows Romanian troops joining Russians in armistice talks but rejecting fraternization. Divergence grows among Russian forces in Romania with Bolshevik gains at the front and arrests of officers. The Petrograd press prints the armistice text between Russian and German divisions.
The relief special from Boston, racing through a blizzard to Halifax, faces a city devastated by the harbor blast. Two thousand dead, thousands injured, and widespread destruction prompt Massachusetts Red Cross and medical units to deploy for wartime relief duties.
Duncan Grey, visiting Halifax after a waterfront explosion, recalls a scene of scorched ruins, collapsing sheds, and dozens of dead and dying. He pulled twenty two people from debris, described mothers and children roaming amid flames and smoke, and witnessed streets littered with injured and unattended victims.
Tragedy grips the city as fires burn across districts leaving many injured. Relief forces struggle to cover needs while reports speak of miraculous escapes and entire families lost to the disaster.
Relief committee from St John to Halifax cites 2800 dead and reports the great new terminals intact after the collision. One pier destroyed while the Sagat Gate disaster causes great loss of life and possible arson. Workmen are needed to repair buildings and resume business.
Halifax endures a second tragedy as rescue efforts from the Mont Blanc explosion halt due to cold. Homes show shattered glass and collapsed chimneys while hundreds lie dead or missing. Wounded struggle for warmth amid ashen streets and blocked access in the North End.
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