The German submarine U-53 suddenly appeared October 8 in the harbor at Newport, R.I.The commander delivered letters for the German ambassador and immediately put to sea to begin ravages on British shipping off the Nantucket coast.

Among the five or six vessels sunk was the steamer Stephano, which carried American passengers.

The passengers and crews of all the vessels were picked up by American destroyers and no lives were lost.

The episode, which was an eight-day wonder, and resulted in a temporary tie-up of shipping in eastern ports, started numerous rumors and several legal questions, none of which, however, turned out finally to have been of much importance, as U-53 vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, and its visit was not succeeded by any like craft.

It is not improbable that the purpose of the German government in sending the boat to our shores was to convey a hint of what we might expect if we should become involved with Germany.
October 28 the British steamer Marina was torpedoed with a loss of six American lives.
The straining of President Washington's advice and the Monroe Doctrine were again evident throughout the year.