The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1916-08-11
GERMANS LOSE THE INITIATIVE
IN SECOND YEAR OF GREAT WAR
Cooperation Among the Entente Allies Brings Sweeping Change
Over the Aspect Of Military AHairs-Two Largest En-
pires of Earth Russia and Great Britain, at
Last Fully Organized - Second Years
Campaigns Reviewed.

New York.-Germnny Is on the de-
fensive. The initiative has passed to
the entente allies. This is the one
great outstanding fact Of the second
year Of the great war.
Before, she aimed blow where she
pleased and the allies parted 1t as
best they might. She seized most or
Belgium and n seventh of France.
Twice she overwhelmed the Russians
who had penetrated East Prussia.
She smashed her way far into the
ears dominions and crushed Serbia
and Montenegro. She directed fear-
full batterlng-ram of shells and hu-
man bodies on Verdun.
But with the present summer
sweeping change came over the as
pect of military affairs.
Cooperating through the allies war
council with Gen. Joseph Joffre at Its
head, the Italians beat back the Aus
trim 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.
A. 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 Delphic prediction. final year.
Whether the kaiser will retrieve him
self. again seize the Initiative and en-
ter on new campaigns Of conquest
cannot be foretold. One thing Is GER
tain, the two largest empires Of the
earth, Russia and Great Britain. are
at last fully organized for war
against him.
On the first anniversary Of the war.
August 1. 1915, the Austro-G ermafi
sweep Of Poland was in full swing.
Lublin fell that day; Cholm. August
2; Warsaw. August 6; Ivangorod. Au-
gust z; Serock. August 8; Lomza. Au-
gust II; Siedlce and Sokolow. August
II; Kovno. August 10; Novogeor-
gievsk. August p; Ossowiec, August
-; Kovel. August rs; Brest-Litovsk,
August q; Olita. August %; Lutsk,
September 2; Brody, September 8;
Grodno. September 4; Dubno. Sep
TENDER 18; 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 hne 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 ., the
car took command Of all his armies
IN person. won a victory near Tarno'
pol, September 10. and recaptured
Lutsk September 20. and Czartorysk
October 20. few believed the Russians
could revive. Lutsk was soon lost
again, and ON October Is the Germans
stormed nluxt. Then things settled
down for the winter and almost every
neutral critic thought the spring would
see a resumption of the TeutOn drive
On October 8, the Teutons crossed
the Serbian border at many points
and Eve days later the Bulgarians
newcomers in the war, invaded from
the east. Fighting desperately but
hopelessly, the Serbians were pressed
back by torrents Of heavy shells t.
which they could not reply. and or
November % the German general stat
was able proudly to announce that the
operations against Serbia had ended
IN complete success. while Austria al
the same time was finishing OF Mon
tenegro.
But unsuccessful as the year 1911
had been to the allies in the field
their will to conquer did not waver
At the moment early In December
when the German imperial chancellor
was making a clear offer Of peace II
speech to the reichstag. the rep
pssentatives Of Germany's enemie.