The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1916-09-07

fensive. The initiative has passed t
the e.ltepte allies. This is the on
great outstanding fact of the secon
year of the great war.
Before, she aimed blow where sh
pleased and the allies parted it a
hest they might. She seized most O
Belgium and seventh of France
Twice she overwhelmed the Russians
who had penetrated East Prussia.
She smashed her way far into the
cars dominions and crushed Serb,
and Montenegro. She directed; a fear
full battering-ram of shells and hui
man bodies on Verdun.
But with the present summer 6
sweeping change came over the us
pect of military affairs.
Cooperating through the allies wal
council with Gen. Joseph Joffre Mt Its
head. the italians beat back the Aus
trian columns in the TrentinO, the
Russians drove the TeutonS before
them in the East with horrible de.
struction and the British and French
began a slow and methodical bending
of the long established lines in the
West.
At Last Fully Organized.
These are the movements which are
still going on as the war enters its
third, and according to Lord Kitch-
ener's Dplphc prediction. final year.
Whether the kaiser will retrieve him
self again seize the initiative and en-
ter on new campaigns of conquest
cannot he foretold. One thing is GER
tain. the two largest empires of the
earth, Russia and Great Britain. are
at Inst fully organized for war
against himF
On the firN anniversary of the war.
August I. 1918. the Austro-Germalf
sweep of Poland was in full swing.
Lublin fell that day; Cholm. August
2; Warsaw. August 6: Ivangorod. Au-
gust Z; Serock, August 9; Lomza, ALL
gust IL: Siedlce and Sokolow, August
ia; Kovno, August 10: Novogeor-
gievsk. August 81 Ossowiec August
"a: Kovel. August %: Brest-Litovsk.
August 81; Olita, August %; Lutsk,
September 2; Brody, September 3;
Grodno, September 4; Dubno, Sep
tember 10; Pinsk. September II, and
wilma, September 20.
1t seemed to neutral observers moth
ing could stop the Teutons In the
East and 1t was generally believed
the invaders had themselves chosen
the line extending from just west Of
Riga, nearly straight south. to Rou-
mania on which they spent the win
ter.
Russia Seemed Beaten. ..
Even when. on September s, the
car took command of all his armies
in person, won II. victory near Turno-
pol, September 10, and recaptured
Lutsk September 26, and Czartorysk
October 20, few believed the Russians
could revive Lutsk was soon lost
again, and on October % the Germans d.
llluxt., Then things settled |
down for the winter and almost every
neutral critic thought the spring would |
see Il resumption of the Tcuton drive.
On October s, the TeutonS crossed
the Serbian border ut many points I
and five days later the Bulgarians.
newcomers in the war, invaded from /
the east Fighting desperately but
the Serbians We're pressed
back by torrents of heavy shells to
which they could not reply, and on
20 the German general staff
VAS able proudly to announce that the
operations against Serbia had ended
n complete success, while Austria ut
he same time was finishing off Mon
enegrO.
But unsuccessful as the year 1915
lad been to the allies in the field,
heir will to conquer did not waver.
At the moment early in December,
when the German imperial chancellor
vas making a clear offer of peace in
speech to the reichstag, the rep
of Germany's enemies
we're meeting in a new war council at
Paris, resolved to pedOuble their her.
uleun efforts and never compromise
CONSUMPTION In England.
On December u, David Lloyd
ItOfSc, Tic ludu III GuSiiiuu,
declared Great Britain faced defeat
Inless greater efforts were made; and
ust q week later he demanded general
threatening to resign If
his measure were not put into effect.
The CONSUMPTION bill passed its first
eading in the house Of commons Jan.
AIRY 6, and spring saw 1t In full force.
Asquith- was able to announce
hat England's total effort was five
million men.
Meanwhile In the East, q greater
liant was nursing his wounds and re-
aiming his strength In four-fold de-
rec.
A forewarning came to the world on
II, when Erzerum was ia
zen. On April 10 the great Black
ca port of Trebixond fell, and two
ays later the FIRST. Russian contingent
nnded In France. Sill the German
rriters would not believe. and II took