South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-02

ly. but the entente forces seem 10 be
about TO give the death blow. The
resistance OF the colonials was pro-
longed by a daring feat OF a swift
German ship. which carried arms
and ammunition from the father
land through the blockade to the
little army and then escaped across
the Indian ocean 10 a Dutch pos
session in the AntipOdes.
The end OF the year sees both
sides with nearly their full strength
In fighting men developed and now
turning their attention 10 the or
ganization Of the civilians, men and
women. into an effective system OF
var service behind the fronts. Every
me must work.
War becomes more horrible as
time goes on. The wastage OF lives
increases month by month. The
year 1916 took a bloodier toll than
any preceding 12-month OF human
history. The noblest and the widest.
the leaders Of humanity. are being
cut down. But insurance statisti-
clans say the total population Of the
earth continues 70 increase in spite
Of the havoc. The worlds normal
increase in population is 10000 a
day. or about 10000. 600 a year.
World Faces Hunger.
The whole world faces hunger.
The principal food crops were a
partial failure almost everywhere
last summer and experts say that by
the end OF next spring the surplus
will be almost down 10 zero, a most
dangerous condition, for supplies
are never well distributed enough to
allow a wide margin without caus-
ing famine somewhere. The war
ring nations feel the pinch the
most but prices are distressingly high
| for necessaries of life in almost
every corner Of the globe.
The year sees two new combatants
| plunged in the maelstrom Of war
Portugal and Roumania The -
month began with the conquest Of
/ tiny Montenegro and ends with the
! TeutOn sweep over about two-thirds
Of ROumania.
on the last New Years day Henry
! Ford was returning from his peace
| argosy fasO. on this New Years
official proposals for a peace parley
| by the Germanic powers have been
received and refused by the entente
leaders.
service is Compulsory.
Nineteen hundred and sixteen has
brought compulsory military SER
| vice and later compulsory civilian
| service to Great Britain, the nation
which had boosted OF the greatest
| personal liberty" in the world.
/ Australia has voted on compulsory
! service in a nationwide plebescite
| and decided against the measure.
/ Canada contemplates cOmpulSiOn
/ The advocates Of universal liability
TO military training and service in
the United States see their cause
growing stronger by reason of the
/ lessons abroad and the sad results
of the national guard mobilization
along the Mexican border.
In every neutral nation the war
has brought new domestic issues to
the fore. The American presidential
election was won by Wilson with the
I slogan: He kept us out of war"
Many times in the last II months.
however, il appeared that the presi-
dents effort TO avert hostilities
would fail. Germany's terms on the
Lusitania sinking settlement were
accepted Feb. s. but the destruction
OF the channel ferryboat Sussex and
other merchantmen from time to
time provoked fresh outbursts of
| hostility against the Teutons. The
I submarine crisis in congress came
at the end Of February and the be-
ginning of March. when the Gore
and Mcf.emore resolutions. in the
mouse of representatives and senate
| respectively. were cast into the dis
caro-. and the president was upheld
in his stand
Governments Upset.
The failure of the entente TO give
Germany a Knockout blow this sum-
mer resulted in upsetting the gov
ernments of the three greatest en-
tente powers. Great Britain, France
and Russia. while Joseph Joffre,
who had led the armies of France
eN er since the beginning of the war,
I save way to the younger Robert Nj
| velle. a figure which the homeric
struggle at Verdun had thrown in
to the limelight.
| on Feb. % the car visited the
Russian Duma for the first time in
| history.
In recalling the historic events OF
the year the Russian advance in