Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-01-06
THE EUROPEAN WAR

GhaA In al the ages to come 1t will
inland apart from those that have pre-
osdeA II and from those which are
- fOilow. During its entire length.
80 greater nations OF the European
sentiment have abandoned themselves
- ! policy OF bIoodshed which has
1n1lon little short OF delirium. To
- neutral onlooker Il has been re-
ylyal on huge scale Of the irration-
u and smurderous activity which char
octsrisad the earlier ages Of mankind.
r has been the complete overthrow Of
IN The pacific theories which had ap-
Sarsntly gained 10 strong . foothold
- ths time OF the firing Of the first
kua IN thu present conflict.
Al the beginning OF the year. II was
1vtaent that II was TO be struggle
- The death. II was plain that the
1satonic plan TO force 4 speedy set
11menG By dint Of superior armed
Dssparedness had failed. Blk months
Aed elapsed and the Teutonic allies
Nsss still faced by three great ma
efcme. thsir strength unbroken and
1hsfr determination inflaxible. Aus
eKiA Aad been driven repeatedly by har
1sssiaa lms~dsrs md twice the Serbs
nd rost0d Asstrtaa armies sent
a@Hiast thsp. On. other zelda. also.
Tcutonic efforts had been futile. Thus
far Turkey had bcen Of little assist.
Ancs and the holy war had failed to
como into being German Southwest
Africa had been lost and German In
Musnce In Asia had been smothered
~ tho Japanese,
A an Offset, the Germans still held
practically all the conquered territory
which had fallen into their hands.
1Aeir lines still held firmly In Po-
Ind. In Flanders and In France. II
No. apparsnt that 40 vet the Teutcnic
opmbinAtion showed no sign OF weak
paing. and : war OF attrition seemed
Inevitable. 10th In the east and
r. the west the military operations
- tho early part OF tho year were
practically without decisive result.
The nghting In Poland had resolved
1easlf into . complete deadlock. In
january. the French English combine
nsds three attempts to. break tho
Ieutonic hold ON French territory. but
accomplished little. The. German un-
nuccessful drive - Warsaw and the
SOut Of the Austrians In Galicla left q
alight balance In the January lighting
- favor 0s the allies.
From = strictly military viewpoint.
PseEuary was promising month for
Tn Teutonic allSeA ny tina middle OF
Tia month. German troops were I'D.
vanCinE all along the front from
tAe vistulR TO tho Niemen, and thus.
seven months after the breaking out
- the war. German soil was practi.
0aily cleared OF its Russian invaders.
Tho deadlock ON tho western front
Vas still vnbrokan.
Scene ohlSts 10 Dardansiies.
with tho advent OF March. there
came q sudden and dramatic change
II the war situation. The scene OF
1nilltary activity was shifted to the
Dardanelles. by the third week OF
Tho month. Rome. Athens, Sofia and
Bucharest were centers OF great po-
Mtical activity, The surrender OF
Rrsemysi. March "a. WAS the most
stirring victory for the allies since the
battle Of the Marine. The German
assertion that the military power OF
1asxia had dwindled inte insignit-
eance was dlsproved ut once and the
allied cause gained instant strength In
I'll the neutral capitals, One OF the
1rsatcst stronEholds In Europe had
1ccn taken by the Russians.
h The disaster to tho allied fleet at
sAo Dardanelles, which occurred dur
1ng the third week Of March, put an
end 10 the expectation Of fercing the
straits by naval means alone. Ger"
xAan prestige advanced perceptiEly
snd the difiicnlty Of the task under
taken BY tho allied fleet was now un.
aerstood. J In this month. also. the
Nrftiah won tho battle. OF Neuve
ChApelle after bloody Tight.
In April the French made a bold
1Rensivs stroke against the German
pOaition between the Meuse and the
NnDsello--the famous st. Mihiel wedge
which resulted In tremendous loss
q men ON both sides, with small ad-
vintage for either. Nowhere had tho
AllAns made apprcciable gain in ter
h1acry. The invader held his own
blnbbornly and with success. About
- middle Of the month. zeppeiins
;1a1s their appearance over English
hewns. inspiring great interest and not
- Mite apprehension. but doing com.
1nrs4ively small damage. Abou. this
h1ne. Also. the attempted submarine
1Dckade Of the British coast proved
- - ineffective. In the closing days
II tho month another great Teutonic
IoDsnsive swept against the allied lines
- Belgium, thrnsttng the enemy back
laon Ypres with great loss Of LIE on
oatA Aides.
n Nay Tho Germans sent their best
II oxucps to the aid OF the hard
pTessod Austrians. BY the middle 81
Ne month they had worked = star
ding change In the situation. Prize
nysi was rstAken. tho Russian cam