The Prescott daily news., 1917-12-28
turn of the wheel of fate.

drive in this country to wean Ger many from her adherence to Kaiser ism. Whether this can be accomplish ed in another year is something the future alone knows.
 As they looked back on the twelfth month, authorities held that America had done tremendously we'll From the opening of the past year-when peace talk was heavily in the air-to the close, with America plunged deep into the war maelstrom is a long cry. But America had bridged that great gap from peace to war, in a spirit of unity, and minus some of the delays that had marked England's part.
 When the Kaiser declared unre- stricted warfare, he forced the U. S. to act. On April 6, the formal declar- ation of state of war with Germany was made. Since that time, we have taken on conscription, built canton ments, started destroyers, and vast shipbuilding program. Since then, too, we have added Austria to the war list.
 Today finds us with forces-air, sea and land-on foreign service.
 It finds an eager army of youth training here and abroad for an early participation in the vast conflict.
 It finds science and invention strug- gling to improve existing war ma chimes and to create new ones which shall work annihilation even faster than the present means.
 And, peering into the future. we find America's prospects splendid not child's play, but mans work.
 Army experts made a rough esti- mate of 1.0O0,OOO men fed into the European struggle by the end of 1918. Some said perhaps that was too gen .erous, inasmuch as shipping is scarce.
 However, along with this prediction went one that a cure for submarine ills will be found the coming year-or at least that something will be devel- oped which will make the U-boat all most negligible. In such an event, the shipment of men and supplies will go forward vastly more rapidly than the present estimated million total.
 Within a few months, a new group of the national army will be in train ing; aeroplanes from the $640 0,000,000 program will be ferreting out German secrets on the west front; and vast additions will be made to the daring destroyer fleet which has accounted for itself so valiantly in its few months of service.
 Already, the army and navy have been tested in fire and found fit. American losses, when compared to the monthly reckonings of the allies, have been insignificant. A few navy vessels have come to greater or lesser grief; and some lives have been sacri- feed in withstanding Teuton trench raids.
 The army deserves a deal of credit for it's expansion into a force of past million within a few months; the navy for it's quick and valiant response in patrol and convoy work.
 And, while the New Year finds a troublesome problem in Russia-with the Teuton the possessor of too much territory-the outlook on the whole is such that with America unified there can now be no doubt as to the out come.
 That outcome will be the end of Kaiserism, with it's serpentne inroads on friendly neighbors and distant ac- quaintances.
 At Verdun, as the Chemin des Danes and in Champagne, the Ger mans admitted the seriousness of their losses by heavy counter actions. North of Verdun the battle still continues principally against La Chaume wood which the enemy considers key posi- tion.
 Tn addition to other great battles of the year French troops, assisting the British in Flanders, during August advanced by successful bounds from the Yser canal toward Houthulst For est a formidable German stronghold, continuing to the left the British ac-