Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-08-17

the entente allies. his Is the oho
great outstanding fact Of the second
year of the great war.
Before, she aimed blow where she
pleased and the allies parried 1t as
best they might. She seized most OF
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 Serbia
and Montenegro. She directed fear
full battering-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.
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 Delphic 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 last fully organized for war
against him.
On the first anniversary OF the war,
August I. 1918, the Austro-Germah
sweep Of Poland was in full swing.
Lublin fell that day; Cholm, August
2; Warsaw, August 8: IvangOrod. Au.
gust Z; Serock, August o; Lomza, Au'
gust II; Siedlce and Sokolow, August
IA; Kovno, August 49,; Novogeor.
gievsk, August 21; Ossowlec, August
"a; Kovel, August %; BrestIitovsk,
August 27; Olita, August %; Lutsk,
September q 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 8, the
czar took command of all his armies
in person, won victory near Tarno-
pol, September 10, and recaptured
Lutsk September 26, and CzartOrysk
Octobe. 90 few believed the Russians
could revive. Lutsk was soon lost
again. and on October 25 the Germans
stormed Illuxt. 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 five 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 to
which they could not reply, and on
November 20 the German general staff
was able proudly to announce that the
operatons against Serbia had ended
in complete success, while Austria at
the same time was finishing off Mon
tenegro.
But unsuccessful as the year 1915
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 clear offer of peace In
a speech to the reichstag, the rep
resentatives of Germany's enemies
were meeting in a new war council at
Paris, resolved to redouble their her
culean efforts and never compromise.
conscriptIon in England.
On December u, David Lloyd
George, the strongest man in England,
declared Great Britain faced defeat
unless greater efforts were made; and
Just week later he demanded general
conscription, threatening to resign If
this measure were not put into effect.
The conscription bill passed Its first
reading in the house of commons Jan
uary 6, and spring saw it In full force.
: Premier Asquith was able to announce
that England's total effort was five
million men.
Meanwhile In the East, greater
giant was nursing his wounds and re-
gaining his strength In four-fold de-
gree.
A forewarning came to the world on
February II, when Erzerum was Ia
ken. On April 10 the great Black
sea port of Trebizond fell, and two
days later the first Russian contingent
landed in France. Still the German
writer's would not believe, and 1t took
the magnificent Russian drive Of June,
which won all of BukOwina and a
large slice of Volhynia and Galicia to
convince them that Russia was again
force to be reckOned with.
Russia Well Equipped.
To understand this phenomenon OF
Russian resurrection 1t Is necessary to
realize not only that the Russians now
have the heavy artillery and shells