The Daily Colonist, February 12-19, 1915
Thu, 2015/02/19 - 12:27pm
« previous next »#dailycolonist1915 - The news out of Victoria, British Columbia, 100 years ago.
In addition to the articles I've picked out here, this week 100 years ago has the paper ramping up propaganda aimed at bringing the United States into the war on the British side. There are articles celebrating the 100 years of peace between the United States and the British Empire since the end of the War of 1812. The articles about German atrocities are appearing again. There are several small articles about Germany's declaration of a "war zone" around the British Isles and that they will fire on ships flying neutral flags, which includes the U.S. There are also articles about German criticism of the U.S. and President Wilson.
- Friday, February 12, 1915
- It is reported to parliament in Ottawa that over thirty-thousand unnaturalized aliens from enemy countries have been forced to register and almost two-thousand are imprisoned in concentration camps.
- The federal budget is present in parliament with several new taxes to fund the war. It is noted that an income tax is not included in the new taxes with the Finance Minister stating that "In order to bring into force an income tax the Government would be obliged to create machinery for assessment, revision and collection. This would involve a heavy expense as compared with the amount which would be collected." New taxes will be on banks and other financial institutions, telegraph messages over 15¢, railway and passenger ship tickets over $5 and other travel luxuries, brand-name patented medicines, perfumes, and wine.
- Saturday, February 13, 1915
- Germany and Austria have declared Poland to be an independent country and are choosing a king (remember that Poland is currently part of the Russian Empire and Russia promised to make Poland independent after the war. This must be an attempt to change popular feeling in Poland in favour of Germany.)
- A misguided care-package from "Some dear old soul, who is under the impression that soldiers at the front go to bed clad in night garments" of twenty white cotton hand-sewn nightgowns and nightcaps is put to good use: the white caps and gowns are worn as winter camouflage to attack and take a German trench in the snow.
- A wonderfully drawn ad for Old Chum Smoking Tobacco.
- Sunday, February 14, 1915
- Another four-page spread on the British Army at War featuring "Australasia Responds to Call of Empire", "Aircraft Used for Scouting and as Offensive Weapon", "Death Dealing Weapons of Modern Warfare", "With the Commissariat in the Field".
- Monday, February 15, 1915
- Tuesday, February 16, 1915
- An odd little ad for the B.C. Electric Railway Company, Ltd. [the precursor company for B.C. Hydro, B.C. Transit and Translink] advertising that they will be running ads with notices of their operations. [If you are walking around Vancouver or Victoria you will still see manhole covers with B.C.E.R. or B.C.E. on them from this time. There is one across the street from the 106 year-old building I live in.]
- Wednesday, February 17 and Thursday, February 18, 1915
- Thursday, February 19, 1915
- Two German Zeppelins are destroyed, one explodes and the other is downed by snow accumulating on the top of the airship.
