Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-28

man and Austrian empires. featured
by the fall of Chancellor Won Beth
mann-H Hollweg, have led the open
discussions of peace in the German
rcichstag as the fourth year dawns.
Portugal and Rumania threw in
their fortunes with the entente
shortly after the third year began.
The United States entered in April,
followed by Cuba and Liberia. Pan
anna pledged the United States her
and in defending the Panama Canal.
Costa Rica. put her naval bases at
our DISPOSAL China, Bolivia, Guate-
mala and Brazil severed diplomatic
relations with Germany. Uruguay
expressed her sympathy for the
United States.
New Nations Born
Three new nations were born dur
ing the year, Poland was created
kingdom under German and Aus
trian direction. In Mecca the Ara
bans overthrew turkish RUE ana
declared independence. In the Bal
lsans liberty was restored to Albania,
which was established as a republic
under Italian political protection and
with French military aid.
An estimate made two months be-
fore the end of the third year-voiced
by Arthur Henderson, of the British
war council-placed the number OF
men killed at 100000 since August,
1914. French general headquarters
recently estimated 10000 Germans
had been killed up to March l. Mr..
Henderson estimated the total cas-
ualities at more than 45,O0O,OOO.
America Lands Army
The first and second American
contingents of troops landed in
France on June &c and 27 and an
other to-day.
military age registered on June 5
under the selective draft law, and
from these are being selected the
men who will comprise the great
army contingents which America is
planning to send to Europe.
Fighting on the western front dur
ing the third year of the war may
roughly be divided into six phases
two in the latter part of 1916 before
winter called a halt and four after
the entente offensive was resumed II
the early spring.
Kaiser Holds On
At the close of the second year
the Germans were still unwilling to
concede failure in the operations
centering on Verdun. After August
9, 1916, the French gained the as
tendency. eliminating in the retak-
| ing of Douau, Thiaumont ana Fort
Vaux, with thousands of prisoners
and many guns. By November the
French had once more come into
possession of the complete circle OF
the Verdun defenses.
The second phase dates back to
the commencement of the Franco
British offensive-the first Battle of
the Somme-in July of 1916. By
mid September this had reached
such proportions that the Germans
were credited with bringing up seven
new divisions against the British and
| five against the French. 1t was esti-
mated that 3S German divisions, or,
| based on the strength of those Ger
man units at that period, about
76O. 900 men, opposed the British
and French on this twenty-mile
| front. In this battle the British air
supremacy became dominant. BY
November the British and French
had taken st. Pierre-Divion, Beau
mont -Hamel and Beaucourt and had
penetrated German positions for a
| depth of six miles.
victorious Retreat
In the spring the Germans, antici-
pating a resumption of the SQmme
| operations, began what has become
known as the "Hinderburg victorious
retreat" to newly established German
lines. In this second battle of the