Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-08

| New York.-GermanyS Slt1auoh NJ
the end of three years of war appears
less favorable than II did either one
year ago or two years ago.
She has to her credit in the last
twelvemonth the crushing of ill-pre-
/ pared Roumania and the conquest OF
two-thirds of that nations territory.
But In the principal theater of war,
the west, east and italian fronts, the
| entente allies have shown, on the
whole, a decided superiority to the
central powers.
In the materials of war the nations
fighting for democracy clearly have an
! increasing advantage over the kaisers
legions. They have dealt the enemy
blow after blow which have told heav-
lily in lives. if not in territory,
Germany More Desperate.
Germany's plight is rendered more
desperate than 1t was on August j,
/ 1916. by the accession of the United
States and several minor peoples to
| the ranks of her enemies. Almost the
whole world Is now lined up against
that nation.
! Every belligerent breads another
winter of war, but Germany most of
all. She lacks many things 10 face the
rigors of cold campaign-not only
shells and guns. but wool for warm
clothing and sufficient coal to run her
/ rapidly deteriorating railroads and
her factories and keep those at home
comfortably warm, not to speak of the
famine in the food fats SO necessary
TO those facing zero weather.
Looking back on the long truce of
the spring on the eastern front, 1t Is
hard to realize that the Russians just
one year ago were In the midst of a
splendid offensive much like that
which has surprised the world In the
| present month. In the 1915 drive Brus-
siloff pushed far within Bukowina and
Gallcia and crossed the borders of
Hungary. He took about 100000 pris-
oners, mostly Austrians and forced the
enemy to concentrate masses Of relia-
bic German troops, aided by few
Turks, 10 check him.
The real reason his drive came to a
halt, however, we know now was lack
of ammunition. failure Of transport,
treason within the cars armies and
wretched bureaucratic ineiliCienCy.
These handicaps seem to have been re-
moved from the courageous Musco-
vites, perhaps for all time.
Unfortunate Roumsnia.
Ruumania declared war on the leu
I'd
ately invaded Pennsylvania, where the
weak Austrian guards were easily
pushed back and the important cities
of Hermannstadt and Kronstadt were
soon in the invaders hands.
The kaiser sent Won Falkenhayn, Il
splendid strategist just displaced by
Won Hindenburg, as chief OF the great
general staff. TO command on this
front. while Won Mackensen headed
the Germans. Bulgarans and Turks.
who threw themselves on Roumania
from the south.
The KOumanians proved no match
for the combination Of foes. Shtllful
work by German spies, or the treach-
cry of certain members Of their own
army, put the Roumanians plans Of
campaign In the Teuons hands II Is
now divulged. Bucharest fell Decem-
Der 6, and ten days later all Waachia
was lost. On December IS Russian
troops took over the whole Roumauian
front. and few weeks later the leu
ton advance was checked along the
line of the Sereth and Danube rivers.
somme Battle Continues.
In the west, however, Germany was
facing far different problem from
the poorly QUILTED and trained Rou-
manlan peasants When the third year
Of the war opened the battle Of the
Somme was still going on vigorously.
with the French and British showing q
constantly growing superiority over the
foe. Bit by bit through the summer
and autumn the ground was wrcnched
from the kaisers men until the coming
Of winter smothered the offensive 'fn
mud and blood and, according TO the
British commander, Sir Douglas Halg,
saved his opponents from an lmmedl-
ate great enforced retirement.
On September % Il was announced
that the French and British had taken
55,SC0 prisoners in the Somme battle
between July l and September 1S This
total was later considerably increased.
French Win at Verdun.
At Veriun. too. the Germans suf-
fercd. The French In battles Of the
fall and winter won back most Of the
ground lost in the offensive Of the
spring Of 1916 and captured more than
1900 prisoners. with slight losses
themselves.
The spring campaign in the west
opened this war with the Germans
falling back from the great salient
spealpolnt directed at paris-confess-
ing thereby either their weakness or
their aversion 10 further offensive. al
though at the time German writer's
limited darkly that Won Iindenburg
had something up his sleeve
The strategic retirement" began
about March II, and The Teutons fri
umphantly declared II would prevent
an allied offensive this year. But they
spoke too soon.
on April o the British stormed high
Yimy Ridge, taking on this and sue
cceding days about 1900 prisoners