The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-02

,ne valley OF the Thur. the r,.ew,,
INTO Alsace. A desperate chnHp, ~,
french Infantry won the peak on Marcb
~. and from that date until III. ,Inslr.
uay OF 1915 Germans and French kcpt
up ~teTrnitte artillery and infantry
attacks in Efforts to win or hold IN.
peak. In the last wcel, of Decembsr
the French announced that thev had
uriNen the Germans out OF the last 20.
manning trenches near the summit and
.nat we!llerkopf was s~ecure,.
held.
|. one or the most ferccly CONTESTED
nattIes OF the western front was tina;
oIiowing the German drive a. the Brit.
sh lines northeast OF Ypres whic;, was
begun on April %. Here for the fret
time asph,Siating gases were used ty
tne Teutons as n preparation for tho
attack. The Canadians, who bore tho
prunt OF the assault. as well rs III.
French supporting them on the right
were forced from their positions by the
cloud OF noxious vapor and the Ger.
inans advanced close to Ypres. The
furious fighting here continued for sew
erai DAYS. until on April % the Ger
mans were definitely halted.
a new factor entered into the Euro
pean struggle toward the end vi May.
when Italy after mouths of fruitle~
negotiations with Austria regarding
VoHI IeTeatlCJS caIieu Tor
by tho terms OF the Triple Alliance
treaty after Austria's advance into
serbia broke with her ally. denouncei
the historic treaty which had exits, ell
lot more than thirty years and de-
clared war on the Dual Monarchy. Hos
Utilities were opened on May 20.
on account of the mountainous nature
or the 1talo-Austrian frontier and the
enormous natural obstacles favoring the
dplendpra thu advance ~ thn ItaIi.r.
INTO Austrian territory has been slow
ana made at a very heavy cost.
In this region. by nature and military
art an almost impossible barrier
against an invader. the troops OF King
Victor Emmanuel have maintained for
seven months a tenacious struggle
against great odds which has won tho
admiration OF the French and British
commanders who have visited that front
The objective is the stronghold OF Goritz.
the key to the Carso plateau. over which
the altar hope 10 march toward
trieste, their ultimate goal. The losses
on both sides rave been enormous
Farther north. at the h~eadwaters ~
the lsonzo. a large Italian army Is at.
lacking Tolmino. defended by two forts.
Monte Santa Lucia and Monte Santa
Maria. while still further north the his.
toric fortress Of Malborghetto is being
battered into ruins by the big guns ~
the invaders in an effort TO open the
road TO the railroad serving Tolmino
and Gortz and leading into the heart
OF Austria. With the reduction of these
defences the Italians would he in a post.
ton even to threaten Vienna.
As the great war started in the Bal
kans-the clash between Austria and
Serbia wac the spark that set IN I'll.
charged magazine-it was natural thai
the little Kingdoms forming that turhu-
lent portion OF southern Europe should
he called upon to play one Of the chief
roles In the terrible drama. Hero Teu-
ton and allied diplomacy came into con.
hict and the Tcut1ns won.
Bulgaria had been looked upon from
the start as the danger point for the
Quadruple Entente After tho second
Balkan war, which was brought on nv
herself, Bulgaria had seen her spoi,.
taken from Turkey fail into III. hand
Of her Ououdam allies. Greece and Ser.
b'a. while Rnmauia had seized the op.
%portunitr to grasp the valuable territory
NJ the noh"udja. German diplomacy
saw is chance. Resolved on humhliue
Serbia and opcniu- up Il road to tho
.fgcar, which would make n reality
81 III" Austrian dream Of "Drang mach
tcst'u," tho Tcuton allies brought the
T"uton ruler OF tho Bulgars. King Fer.
dinand, to their side. The London AMI
Paris diplomats tried in vain 10 GO,
Greco" and Serbia to satisfy the Rul.
garidn territorial claims and month,
were lost in futile negotiations.
serbia Crushed.
The invasion Of Serbia was begun on
October G AS the Acknowledgement
forces entered by crossing the Danube.
the northern frontier OF Serbia. the Eul-
gariaus broke through the mountains ON
49, an.