Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-16

that from the Aisne to the COjeul, from
scissors almost to Aarras. there had
been created before the new German
line a mOat of desOlation, which had
first to be passed by the builders of
British railroads before the army could
arrive. Now. after four months, there
has still been no attack on this front.
save only around ArraS.
The British Gains.
famed forth on April 8. demonstrated
a new superiority of British arms and
British weapons still unsupported. A
gain of five miles at the maximum on "a
front of Is, $4,000 prisoners and more
tina 200 guns, many of them heavy
these were the fruits of the first British
offensive of 1917. compared with the
far more dearly purchased and, by
comparison. meager gains of the pre-
ceeding year.
And in June we had "a new British
about Ypres-a new and
complete success. retaking all of The
heights vital to the defense of the Ger
man ines as they existed and neces-
sary to the allies as the basis for a
new offensive. Seven thousand pris-
onerS and many gunS-a quick. smash
ing triumph accomplished with the ac-
curacy of an engineering experiment.
This was the third battle of Ypres and
his was the final demonstration of
British superiority over the German
a superiority no longer questioned. but
not yet sufficient to overcome the add
vantages OF the defensive in the end
less lines of trenches and the enormous
amount of machine gun Which the
Germans had prepared.
Turning to the battle between the
French and the Germans, the picture is
not the same. When the present war
year opened the French before Nerdun
We're standing almost in their last
ditch. Naux had fallen i'm June, and
the Germans had reached the ditch of
Souville. A little further gain. and it
seemed as if, after all. Verdun would
terminate in a German victory.
The allied offensive at the Somme in
July prevented this, but it was not UNI
til August hat German pressure at
Nerdun began to fall off. and i'm Octo-
Der and November two French offen-
stves retook Douaumont and Vaux,
cleared the circle of hills and regained
the vital ground lost in February and
March of 1916. December saw the fin.
lsh OF the Verdun episode. A great
victory had been won.
In two offensives about Verdun
OF October and. November the French
took $4,000 prisoners and many guns,
and the victory brought the victor,
w tuS dtI0IlLlOn OF IlG
world. Joffre was visibly weary, and
IN due course of time he ooh the role
OF marshal OF France, mo Nivelle sue
ceeded him as commander in chief. Nj
Veile'S success at Verdun raised hopes
that he would be able to expand this
success on a wider front. France, so
long weary, looked forward to the cam
paish OF 1917 With much expectation.
Failure Of Nivelie.
This expectation was not realized.
The French offensive, beginning on the
18th Of April, was one Of the most cruel
disappointments of all to the French
people. Important ground was bril-
liantly taken. Nearly 10000 prisoners,
otner, were captured. But the casual
tles were terrific, and the impossibility
OF a sweeping advance was soon rec
ognlzed. Nivelle, and Mangin had ex-
pected to enter Iaon. but nine miles
from Laon their advance was checked.
Ihey had planned to take Briniont, but
Brimont still holds out. They had
planned to disblock Rheims. but thou
sands of shells are falling each week
into the martyred city.
The result was another staff change.
Petain came back to command the
French army. The French army
passed from the offensive to the de.
fensive. and the French people sat
down grimly to endure another dis
appointment and another winter of
war. By the LIST of July the French
dead numbered 1000, 900; the dead and
those permanently eliminated from the
nrlng line passed 1000, 900, and one
could say that upward of a third of the
man power Of France had been used I'm.
After the revolution Russia long lin
gered in h throes of social agitation
a vr
July that there was a sudden righting.
and a Russian offensive. first north and
then south of the Dniester, revived a
part-but only a part-of the glory of
1915. The allies, who had expected
nothlng, rejoiced at a Russian victory.
but even as it perceived the greatness
n moral value of the Russian of
fensive. the entire opinion Of the world
recognized the difficulties in front of
another sustained effort. After taking
10000 prisoners and a vast store OF
mater1al-after reaching and passing
the Austrian headquarters at Kalusz-
the Russian advance was stopped at
the Lomntca river in the third week
OF July. and Is being driven back as
these lines are written.
We have here. then. the of
the yea OF war. First Of all, a grand
concentric attack upon the central
powers. begun by the Russians in Vol
hynia n Galicia, taken up by the
British.and French at the Somme. car
ried on by Italy at Gorixia, and brought
to 9 final climax by new Russian ef-
forts IN Galicia and the Rumanian In
yasion OF Transylvania. Then fol-
lowed the shining triumph of the Ger
mans In Rumania, Not only had they
escaped deadly peril on all fronts. but
In the moment Of their greatest dan
ger the Germans had -leyeled a fatal
stroke against foe.
Germany Still Victorious.
The allied offensive Of 1917 was