Middletown transcript., 1916-08-05

of commons by a large majority. The
bill was finally signed by King George
May 26.
Allies Get Together.
Their defeats finally taught the al
lies that their efforts must be co-or-
dinated, like their enemies, If they
were to be effective. A new war
council, with all the allies represented,
met In Paris December and a kind
of international general staff was or
ganized. 1t is known that General JO-
seph Joffre, French commander in
chief since the beginning of the war,
and the hero Of the battle Of the
Marne, was the presiding genius. The
effects Of the council were not to be
seen for several months, but now they
are being realized in full measure.
To check a simultaneous allied Of
fensive, which they clearly saw COM
ing, the Teutons decided on two at
tacks Of their own. This follows the
well-known axiom of German mill
tary strategy that the best defense Is
an energetic attack.
The first Of these offensive defen-
sives was the attack on the French
fortress of Verdun, where the works
were subjected to a whirlwind of fire
beginning February 21.-The gains Of
the first week were great, and German
critics fOretold the collapse Of the
French. Two Of the defending forts,
Vaux and Douaumont, fell, and impOr-
tant positions were taken west of the
Meuse river as well.
But Joffre rallied his men in splen-
did fashion and sold each yard Of
ground at an awful cost in German
blood. Step by step the crown princes
men pushed forward, but today they
are still more than two miles from the
ruined fortress town and the resist
ance Of the French is as strong as
ever.
Austrian Drive Checked.
The second Teutonic offensive was
organized by the Austrians in the
TrentinO, and they struck in the di-
rection Of Vicenza with the object
of cutting off the northern end Of Italy
from the main portion. On May 26,
as the result of several days viO-
lent artillery fire followed by infantry
rushes, they were able to announce the
capture of $4,000 Italians.
General Count CadOrna hurried
about n I,v,uGuod AI,oY1cond man ip mn
tor cars to the scene, while many more
arrived on foot or trains. Just when
it seemed the Austrians must reach
the lowIands the counter-attacks were
delivered.
On June 80 Rome announced a splen-
did victory. In bloody fighting the
perhaps weakened by
drafts to bolster up their Russian
front, were driven from peak to peak
almost to where their lines had stood
the winter.
In March the Russians delivered
vast but futile attacks on the Ger
man front at many points, probably to
distract attention from Verdun. The
Germans seemed to have been lulled
into security by these efforts, which
they probably considered the best the
czar could do. But the tens of thou
sands Of MuscOvite bodies lining the
Germans barbed wire were but q pat
ter of rain compared with the storm
that was brewing behind the Russian
lines.
At the beginning of June this storm
broke with full force and. following
the principle of attacking the weakest
point, the Austrians holding the line
from the marsh district southward
were forced to bear the, brunt Of 1t.
Russia's Big Push.
Millions of shells, manufactured
largely in British, Japanese and
American factories, blasted away wire,
dugOuts and observation
points. Then the hordes of Sibe-
rians, Cossacks and others swept
over the field. The Austrians could
not withstand the impact and they
gave way steadily.
June 8, General BruSilOf announced
the capture Of 1900 Austrians; June
;, the number for the three succeed
ing days alone was $1,000, and the
numbers kept mounting until on July
20 General ShoOvaieff, Russian min
ster of war, estimated the number of
prisoners at 2T0.-
BOO. The killed and wounded are HR-
told, but the number must be large
enough to bring the total loss well
over half a million.
German support was rushed to the
AustrianS, but the foe captured Lutsk |
and DubnO, and reached the StOkhOd
and Lipa rivers in VOlhynia Overran
Ill Bukowina to the CarpathiaRs aud
sent patrols Of COssacks into Hungary
to ravage the country.
That the cZar is anticipating further |
great gains Of territory is seen from
Russia's action in mobilizing the
males of the island of Saghalien, TUr-
kestan, and one other district to build
roads, dig trenches and do other work |
Of organizing the ground won.
Allies Drive in Somme Region.
Almost month to u day following
the beginning of the great Russian Of |
fenSive French and British opened |
their drive in the vicinity of the |
Somme river. They have gained grad
lally but steadily, and the Official re-
ports assert the losses of the attack
ers are comparatively small.
1t is also the claim of the allies that |
the FrancO-British offensive can be |
Kept up at its present rate indefinite
", and will not have to be slackeIGetl |
for lack of shells, guns or men. The |
rate of progress is much greater than
the Germans at Verdun. hut the coun-