e Russia was still in the act of pleading for help from its ally France, Germany didn't even wait for an
             answer and within two days after declaring war on Russia, they also declared war on France. Soon, all of Europe was being drawn into the impending war on one side or another. It also became apparent that there would be no quick end to this war. American resources of both food, arms, and equipment were important strategic factors for both sides. In the beginning, the United States stayed neutral and kept trading and doing business with European nations on both sides.
             Travel continued from the United States across the vast Atlantic Ocean to Europe on the great passenger ships of the time. The Lusitania was one of the grandest ships of the British owned Cunard passenger line. She was 88 feet wide, by 763 feet long with 4 smoke stacks and 2 masts. Built of steel construction, she had a top speed of 25 knots.1 When the Lusitania arrived in New York on September 7, 1907 on her maiden voyage, one admirer said, "She is more beautiful than Solomon's Temple, and big enough to hold all of his wives."2 Nearly 8 years after this maiden voyage and some 200 crossings later, she sailed on a bright spring day from her New York pier, never to return again .
             Prior to the beginning of the war, Britain was considered ruler of the Seas. Even though Germany was far inferior in the number of naval vessels, she found a way to press an advantage on the seas. Germany quickly outstripped all other nations in submarine technology. By 1913, submarine U-boats of the U-19 class, were equipped with more efficient diesel engines, optically superior periscopes, and powerful wireless transmitters. More important, they were capable of cruising 5,000 miles at 8 knots, or in other words, capable of operating in the waters along the entire coast of Great Britain.3 In July, 1914, a month before the outbreak of World War I, Ad...