The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-08-18

pureu ROulnuilu anu lne conquest VI
two-thrds 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, n decided superiority to the
central powers.
In the materials of war the nations
fighting for democracy clearly have an
increasing advantage over the kalsers
legions. They have dealt the enemy
blow after blow which have told heav-
lily In lives, If not in territory.
Germany More Desperate.
Germuny's plight Is rendered more
desperate thnn it was on August 1,
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 to face the
rigors Of II cold campalgn-not only
shells and guns, but wool for warm
clothing and sufficient coal to run her
rapidly dcterioruting railroads and
her factories and keep those ut 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, It Is
hard to realize that the Russians Just
one year ago We're in the midst of
splendid offensive much like that
which has surprised the world in the
present month. In the 1916 drive Brus-
Gnlicia and crossed the borders of
Hungary. He took about 100000 pris-
oners, mostly Austrians, and forced the
enemy to concentrate masses of relia-
Bile German troops, aided by few
Turks, to 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 inefficiency,
These handicaps seem to have been re-
moved from the courageous MuscO-
vites, perhaps for all time.
Unfortunate Roumania.
Roumanla declared war on the leu
tonic powers August ~ and immedl-
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.
Tho kniSnr S.nt Won =,
splendid stratcgist just displaced by
Won Hindcnburg, us chief of the great
general staff, To command on this
front, while Won Mackensen headed
the Germans, Bulgariuns and Turks,
who threw themselves on Roumanla
from the south.
The Roumanians proved no match
for the combination of foes. Skillful
work by German spies, or the treach-
cry of certain members of their own
army, put the Roumaniuns' plans of
campaign in the Teutons' hands, II Is
now divulged. Bucharest fell Decem-
Der O, and ten days later all WnlachIa
was lost. ON December Is Russian
troops took over the whole Roumanlan
front, and few weeks later the Teu-
ton advance was checked along the
line of the Sereth and Danube rivers.
Somme Battle Continues.
In the west, however, Germany was
racing far different problem from
the poorly QUILTED and trained Rou-
manian peasants. When the third year
or the war opened the battle of the |
Sornme was still going on vigorously, |
with the French and British showing n |
constantly growing superiority over the |
foe. BIT by bit through the summer
ana autumn the ground was wrenched
from the kaiser's men until the coming
OF winter smOthered the offensive Gin |
mud and blood" and, according to the
British commander, Sir Douglas Haig,
saved his opponents from an immedl-
ate great enforced retirement.
On September % it was announced
that the French and British had taken
$500 prisoners in the Somme battle
between July and September IS. This
total was lutey considerably increased.
French Win at Verdun.
At Verdun, 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
$1,000 prisoners, with slight losses
themselves.
The spring campaign in the west
opened this war with the Germans
falling back from the great salient
spearpoint directed at Paris-confess-
ing thereby either their weakness or
their aversion to further offensive, al
though ut the time German writer's
limited darkly that Won Hlndenburg
had something up his sleeve"
The strategic retirement" began
"hOut March II, and the Teutons tri-
umphantly declared II would prevent
o. allied offensive this year. But they
Ike too soon.
NN"Il the British stormed high
"lCr taking on this and sue,
. days about 1900 prisoners
''r enemy stronghold along the
" was MessInes Ridge. south |