davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

procession of automobile trucks rushed out
guns and munitions,
In March the Germans shifted their at
tack to the left bank of the Meuse, and
pushed the French back nearly to the
point gained on the other side. Thiaumont
work was taken and retaken some five
times in four days.
But as the days passed, the Germans
made gains more slowly, and with heavier
and heavier losses to their ranks The
world breathed easier In the hope that
France had withstood another crisis, hope
which became certainty when on July
| French and British forces began an attack
| on the Somme which compelled their foe
| to drop the Verdun offensive and rush
| troops from there to Picardy
| The big push on the Somme marks a
| dividing line in the great war. For two
years both sides had been developing de-
fensvc possibilities In such way as TO
| change the entire aspect of fighting Like
| Nebuchadnezzar, men now went on their
| bellies, and like animals they lived in deep
| caves But though both sides had been
| developing defensive tactics, the Entente
| Allies had not stopped there Great Britain
| had finally raised. equipped. and trained a
great volunteer army, and the product of the
| vast munitions campaign there and In
| France was finally ready.
| At Verdun the German loss was estimated
| at about 500. 900 men, and the French vast.
| age at half that.
| The year 1916 closed propltiously for the
| French at Verdun BY attacks on October
| 25 and December is they recovered foul
| miles of territory on a seven-mile front, In
! Guiding Forts Douaumont and Vaux
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
GERMANY'S BOLD PLAN SMASHED
RY FRENCH AT BATTLE OF MARINE

But the German army did not enter Paris.
Won Kluck decided, apparently, that safety
Law in first defeating the forces in the field,
and on September 4, when just north of the
capital, he swung his army to the east and
prepared for the final and crushing blow.
There, near the green grassy waters OF
the River Marne, a stocky Frenchman was
waiting who looked out at the world from
placid blue eyes with the air of an honest
shopkeeper of the QUARTER Saint-Antoine.
with him he had the citizen army Of
France. which had just been told that the
time had come at last for every man to
stand-and, II need be, to fall-in his tracks,
II the idea of civilization which France had
evolved was to remain in the world
OF the fight which began on September
&. and which lasted for a week. there is
not room for even an outline here, but its
Importance cannot be overstated.
The end of the Battle of the Marne found
the army of Won Kluck driven back to the
north bank of the Aisne,' where 1t was able
10 intrench itself In the next few weeks,
both the Franco British Belgian forces and
the Germans began digging themselves into
the ground in fashion so formidable that
the line then established from Belgium to
AIsace has since remained essentially un-
altered.
The writer saw furious fighting at Ypres
and on the User, in an attempt by Germany
TO win Calais. but the effort was vain.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
GERMANY LOSES HER
AFRICAN COLONlES'

Germany was denuded Of most of her
colonial empire. consisting of territory
equal to about third of the area of the
United States. and with a population Of
some 15.o00.oo0 persons, in the course Of
the first year of the war. Australia ana
Japan. which latter country entered the
war against Germany on August 16, 1914.
seized the Pacific Island possessions, while
the Japanese, assisted by a detachment of
the British army from india took the prov-
ince Of Kiaochow, which Germany had COM
PEELED China to cede to her on a ninety
nine-year lease In 1897 as indemnity for the
murder OF two missionaries.
Soon after the war began the Union Of
South Africa organized an expedition
against the important neighboring colony Of
German Southwest Africa. The old resent-
ment of the Beers was played upon by Ger
man agents to render this abortive, and q
rebellion In the Union Of South Africa was
organized. General Botha. the Premier, took
personal command of the British forces.
put down the revolt, and in less than Z
years time forced the surrender Of German
Southwest Africa Kamerun and Togoland
also fell, and at this time there remains to
the Kaiser only part of German East Africa,
the complete conquest Of which is believed
to be near.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
MOVES TOWARD PEACE:
U. s. ENTERS WAR

The events Of the present year are still
fairly fresh in the minds Of most news
paper readers, and so need be sketched only
In barest outline here. They include four,
great happenings: the movements toward
peace, the beginning of an unrestricted SUBJ
marine campaign by Germany, the downfall
OF Czarism in Russia, and the entry Of thu
United States into the world war.
Movements toward peace actually began
late In 1916, but as they cuminate in the
present year. they belong logically to its
chronology. On December IL Germany ad-
dressed a note. through the United States.
Spain and Switzerland, to the countries
fighting against her, suggesting a. confer
ence to discuss peace terms. but making no
disclosures as to what her own demands
would be. On the Goth of the same month
President Wilson. acting on a determination
reached prior to Germany's peace note. sent
a communication to all the belligerents sug-'
gesting that they publicly define their war
aims Germanys answer reiterated her pro.
posal for a peace conference, but again
shed no light on her probable demands at
such a meeting. The Entente Allies, on the
contrary. formulated In considerable detail
the objects for which they were fighting,
mentioning the evacuation and restoration
of all land invaded by Germany, reparation
and indemnites. the liberation of Italians.
Slavs, Rumanians and Bohemians from
Austro-Hungaran rule. and the expulsion OF
the Turk from Europe. .
Germanys reply was to declare unre-
stricted warfare on bellgerent merchant
ships and under blockade" order vir-
tually to prohibit neutral commerce with
Great Britain. The first decree was re-,
pudiation of the promise made to the United
States, after the sinking of the Sussex, to
safeguard the lives Of passengers on all
vessels attacked. and in view of this the
German Ambassador was on February >,
handed his passports. The interference with
American commerce on the high seas was
more difficult question to resolve. The
BLOCKADE" at once proved to be an impoB-'
siblity. The one supreme essential to MAIN
tanning a blockade, according to long VIZ
ternational usage, is that 1t be effecttS>.
From February l to February IA German,
submarines succeeded in stopping only
about 1 per cent OF the ships arriving at o.
leaving ports Of the United Kingdom.
On February 26 President Wilson asked
Congress for authority to arm American
merchant ships. and on April he went ~
fore Congress and asked 1t to recognized. =
ficially that a state of war existed betw6eh
the United States and the German Empire.
On the 9Th Congress passed a resolution
declaring that a state Of war had been
thrust upon America by Germany. The
President signed 1t the same day, thus for-2
mally constituting this country belligereut
in the world war
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

Germany's plan was simple, and excep.
for the unexpectedly sudden decision oi
England and an unlooked-for power OF re-
sistance in Belgium 1t would not improoap,y
have been realized. The war LORDS OF uer ,s.
many planned to capture Paris py swIt.
sharp attack from the north, betore fra"Se =,
could fairly gather her forces TO resist a.. a.,
and before Russia had got her army ~
movement, and then to turn anu '''''
the Bear on the eastern frontier
But the march through Belgium drasseu a.
The natives, fighting the invader tootn anu
nail, held him at Liege until tne ,liuu.o "a
August. Meanwhile Great Britain ianueu
a small professional army on the Contihen.,
and France, which had risen as one man
in response to the danger call from 10
Patrie. was mobilizing and equippins ne,
forces. Even. SO, the German army ploweu
its way steadily forward. Years OF scien-
tihc war preparation now came TO iruit,o,,. .
Germany had learned from Napoleon tna'
artillery wins modern battles, ana III nun
ber and size Of guns as well as IN senes,
osity of ammunition. she outmatched all '"e
forces that were trying to stay her'
Swiftly, terribly swiftly, the German wa .,,a
machine cut its way southward from tne
Belgian frontier. 1t Travelled lzo miles ~ ~
twelve days, until finally 1t was "i'hi''
fifteen miles Of the French capital
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
ALLIED HOPES OF 1915 AND WHY
THEY FAILED OF REALIZATION

The spring Of 1915 opened with great
hope among the Entente Allies of driving
the Germans out Of France before summer
was over.
The fiercest Of the fighting that Followed
was in the neighborhood ur Arras. In that
confused and intricate network OF trenches
near Neuvlle Saint-Vaast, where there was
a tangle of two square miles which the
Germans thought tosbe impregnable, known
as the Labyrinth" the French threw them
selves on their enemy with incredible elan,
sustaining losses that recalled the slaughter
at the Marne. Better pay any price and
get through with it. was the French idea,
1t was n heroic resolve. but 1t was not to
be realized. Neither the French nor the
British, farther west had yet evolved an
offensive which could consistently win
ground against the enemy, except at pro-
hibitive cost in human life.
Lord Kitchener had been building up a
British volunteer army since the summer
before, which was now represented in
France by brave but inexperienced force
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

OF course, the assassination of the heir
TO the throne of Austria Hungary, the Arch
duke Franz Ferdinand, together with the
Archduchess, in Serajevo, Bosnia, on June
28, 1914, was not the cause OF the world
war. Most wars have both cause and
pretext. The shooting of Franz FERDINAND
by Serbian fanatic belongs in the latter
category It was the immediate, DEFINITE
happening upon which hinged all the events
of the feverish month that followed, ana
as such will go down in history as the point
of departure for the world war.
On July 23 Austria-Hungary sent an ui-
timatum to Serbia in regard to the SeraJevo
tragedy. The moment this document, with
its impossible demands. was made pubic,
intelligent men in Europe realized that
the long dreaded great war was at mana.
Serbia made a brave attempt to satisfy her
neighbor, yielding virtually everything ex-
cept Austria -Hungary's demand to exercise
judicial authority in Serbian territory. u
was not enough, and on July 2S Austrla-
Hungary declared war on Serbia
Russia had already given notice that sne
would not see a Slavic kingdom DESTROYED
and now began a partial mopiilZatioh'
Thereupon Germany sent her an ultima
tum. insisting that she rescnd the mop-
ilization order. Russia's answer was d
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
8
GEINERA SEZH/W

It's weakness was only too obvious In the
disastrous offensive at Neuve Chapelle in
March. when men were rushed against the
enemy over ground where the barbed wire
had not been destroyed, and when, through
miscalculation. shells from the British
guns fell among their own infantry.
Nevertheless, on the defensive, the Brit
ish forces held their part of the line with
aracteristic doggedness, and, In April
repused second desperate attempt by
the Germans to break road through TO
Calais at Ypres. In this encounter where
the enemy made use of asphyxiating gas
for the first time the famous princess Pat
Canadian light infantry, In the course OF
n heroic fight, was almost decimated.
The last formidable effort of the year
was made in Champagne in September by
the French Political pressure rather than
military expediency led the army to un-
dertale the attack and although the Ger
mans were driven back three miles, the
French lost 100000 men.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
Five Continents Involved in Strife-Chris-
tians, Jews, Buddhists and Moham-
medans, Whites, Blacks and
Yellows in World Travail
Peoples Wiped Out, Thrones Shattered Statesmen Ban
ished and Seven Seas Strewn With Wrecked Shps
and Bodies-U. S. and Russia Now
Command Situation
By ARTHUR H. WARNER

Copyright 1917 by Me- YOKE Pot)
Three years and month
province of the Old World by whose
whose purpose it knew.
These shots have travelled
each expanding and gaining
continents at crossed and
high air of heaven with sulphur and shattered
hauled cebound
while of
come a world arsenal tionalc
Christians Mohammedans Buddhis
other and against each oe white SKINS black
nextrcaby mxe
ground submergng themselves the
o. from each other.
Nineteen nations a Hungary Germany
Turkey and Bulgaria sde Serbia France Belgium
Britain Montenegro JAPAN Italy Portugal
Greece and Siam the other Six naonsCna
and modified
have called
killed
Nohife, says
warts just beginning.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
AMERICA AND ALLIES
AS ARBITERS OF. PEACE

Meanwhile amazing events had been taxi
ing place in Russia where on March IL
Car Nicholas II was compelled to abdi-
cate and a provisional Government was set
up with a view to establishing the country
later as a democracy For time the revo-
lutionary movement completely disorganixed
the army, and It looked as II Russia were
going to be lost to the Entente Powers ~
a fighting unit More recently the army
has renewed It's offensive, but the nation
has declared expressly for a peace "witho@al
indemnities or annexations." e
In America significant events have tro1
on the heels of each other since the country
entered the war A bill for compulsory u,ik
itary service was signed by President WE
son on May IS. Toward the iatter, pan
of June detachment Of the regular arIuK'
under General Pershing. swas landed 8
France. f. n,
AS the third year Of the war draw4& ~
close, 1t Is widely asserted that M
future progress. and the decisions Of ~
peace conference which terminals Il;
largely in the hands of two countxieI
America and Russia. E{
Russia speaks In the conditional n<@
and America in the future tense. M
The one most continuous. most ef{4c1
and most inspiring factor In the war
the last three years has been Francs.
| Il is with France that leadership ID
| 10 rest to the end. Itls to French
| and ideals that the alphabetically ma6&
| man materialism Il most directly a
| II a Z war between the ame m
soul Of Trsnoa and ~ FrNr
kD1u&~ - 4. n + II &. ... ~ 4 r.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
ITALY: HER NEUTRALITY, BREAK
WITH AUSTRIA AND BE1LIGERENCY

The subsequent entry Of italy into the
war, which took place on May 20, 1915. has
not materially changed the situation, ex-
cept that 1t has increased the size of the
army which Austria-Hungary has had to
detach for the Italian frontiers. So far as
the Italian campaign goes, 1t has been an
independent one, limited to the nations
spheres of interest
On January of the present year italy
officially announced that since the begin
ming of the war she had won 500 square
miles of territory and captured $1,000 pris-
oners, while she had shortened her front
from 500 to 375 miles.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

Since the beginning Of the war the Rus
sian and Austrian forces have swung for
ward and back in Galcia like pendulum
without attempting to trace all of these
movements, it is enough to say that the
spring of 1915 found the pendulum again
swinging westward, and on March % the
Russians took Przemysl. Austria called on
the Kaiser. and Won Mackensen was sent
TO save her He took large supply of the
invincible German heavy artillery against
which the Russians, with nothing to match
It and now running short of ammunition
besides could not stand. On June the
Teutonic armies recaptured Przemsyl and
soon after retook Lemberg and other lost
positions. ,,
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

Tho Balkan tragedy of 1915 was Serbia.
In 1916 1t was Rumania. The Rumanian
collapse was even more unexplainable and
seemingly inexcusable than the fall Of
Serbia, because Rumania, on August 27,
entered the war OF her own volition and
apparently with the approval of the Entente
diplomats. She had an army OF half
million men, and had had two years to
prepare herself since the beginning of the
war.
The Rumanlans at once entered Transyl-
vania, the country they hoped to win as a
result of the war. BY many strategists 1t
was thought they would have done better
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
KINGS AND STATESMEN BRUSHED
ASIDE BY WAVES OF CONFLICT

In the welter of the conflict an Emperor
Of Austria Hungary has died, full of years
and of sorrow a Car of Russia has
stepped from his throne, and King of
Greece has lost his crown.
Not one of the Prime Ministers or Min
listers of Foreign Affairs who conducted the
diplomatic maneuvers preceding or imme-
diately following the beginning Of the war
in the six most important countries of
Europe Is still in power. In Russia. Gore
mykin and Sazonoff are forgotten behind a
line of successors equally unstable. In
France Delcasse left the Foreign Office and
Viviani ceased to head the Cabinet fol-
lowing the collapse of Serbia in the second
autumn Of the war. The tragedy of Ru-
mania a year later contributed to the over
throw of Asquith and his Foreign Secre-
tary, Sir Edward Grey, in Great Britain.
San Giuliano of the Italian Foreign Office.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
GREEK MUDDLE; VENIZELOS LEADS
REVOLT; ROUT OF TEUTON CREW

In order TO block the designs of the King
and court, who were doing their best to de.
liver Greece to the Germans. the Entente
Powers were obliged to make n succession
of demands upon the Greek Government, in
Guiding the rehabilitation of most Of the
army the surrender of the feet and the
withdrawal of Greek troops from Thessaly.
In an effort to enforce their demands the
Entente Allies landed marines In Athens
who were fired upon--and finally declared
an embargo on imports into Greece. Tur-
moil and intrigue continued, and in the pres
ent year pressure was brought to bear upon
Constantine which compelled him TO abd-
cate the throne in favor of his second son.
Venizelos returned as Premier, and Greece
was announced as a belligerent on the side
of the Entente.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
GERMANS CONQUER POLAND IN DRIVE
FROM DUNAJEC TO THE DV1NA

moving on Warsaw, and was Joined pres.
emily by Won Bulow, who had landed troops
in Russia by way of the Baltic and marched
- /. Won Mackensen now employed his
10. so as to aid in this campaign,> and
the .erman battering ram began to pound
its way across Poland. The Russians were
powerless to stop 1t. but their retreat was
accomplished in mastery way, restricting
their losses to minimum. The evacuation
of Warsaw was begun late in July, and on
August 6, the last of the Russians having
slipped out, the Bavarians, under Prince
Leopold, entered the capital of Poland,
Ivangorod fell soon after, and on August 10
the great stronghold of Kovno was occu-
pied. The conquest of Poland was com
pleted by the surrender Of Brest-Litovsk on
August 27,
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

and Salandra. the Prime Minister. have
passed. Count Berchtold, Foreign Minister
of Austria Hungary in 1914 (the Empire
has no Prime Minister). has passed into
oblivion, while Won Jagow gave up the man.
agement of Germany's foreign affairs last
autumn. Won Bethmann- -Holweg the last
of the group to lose his grip. has just gone
down, despite the fact that he was not
responsible to any elective body.
Ministers of war in the belligerent coun-
tries have not been more stable Kerensky
follows long procession In Russia. France
has had four war ministers from Millerand
to Paineve, inclusive, while Lord Kitchener
organizer of Great Britains most marvellous
war achievement. volunteer army of some
the North Sea.
History has as ruthlessly brushed aside
most of the army commanders Of the early
days.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

Conditions in Greece have taxed to the
utmost the diplomacy Of the Entente
Powers since Bulgaria made war upon
Serbia in 1915. From the outset of the war
the sympathies of the Greek people appear
to have been on the side of the Entente
Allies, but the fact that King Constantine
was married to a sister of Emperor Will
liam made the court strongly pro-German,
and there was undeniaby substantial sem
timent in the kingdom for keeping Greece
out of the conflict altogether.
Venizelos. who was Prime Minister when
Bulgaria attacked Serbia, was for standing
by the treaty with the latter country, and
IL was at his invitation that the Entente
Powers landed forces at Salonica. in the
autumn of 1915
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
RUSSIANS INVADE EAST PRUSSIA;
HINDENBURGS RISE TO POWER

rush of the Russians They swept eastward
until almost within striking distance Of
Konigsburg and Allenstein In the countries
of the Entente Allies the people began to
count the days to Berlin.
Then Ave German army corps were de-
tached from the western front. and Won
Hindenburg was sent against the Russians.
He met them at Tannenberg. and in three
day battle demoralised the forces Of the
Car. The Russiapg Ars ssid TO have lost
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
RUMANIA'S ENTRANCE INTO WAR
AND DEBACLE THAT FOLLOWED

to strike against Bulgaria. In any event,
they were soon compelled to turn their at
tontlon to that quarter. Won NIackensen,
following the well-developed German STRAIT
egy of a counter-offensive, began an attack
In Dobrudja. This compelled a considerable
withdrawal OF forces from Transylvania,
whereupon Won Falkenhayn marched an
army against the remainder, drove them
across their frontier, and then swung his
own forces through the mountain passes
into Rumania. The two German armies
converged upon Bucharest apd the Ru-
manian capital was occupied ON Decem-
Der G.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

It has been generally predicted that the
spring of 1915 would see huge offensive
in France. and there was wide speculation
Rut when. toward the end of February. the
Frer Oh approaches to verdun were sub
iected 10 an unprecedented bombardment,
II was plain that the offensive had begun
earlier than expected and that 1t was the
Germans and not the Entente Powers who
were pressing It.
Meuse. guards the eastern frontiers of
France. and Is strategicaliy the most ~
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

Italys great service to the other Entente
Powers. as pointed out by Gugliemo Mar
conf when the recent Italian mission visited
New York was in declaring her neutrality
at the very outset OF the European con-
fiagration. BY so doing she left France
assured as to her southeastern frontier. and
enabled that nation to concentrate all her
soldiers in the north at the hour when they
were most supremely needed there At the
same time Italy gave notice to Austria
Hungary that the alliance between them
was at an end and compelled her neighbor
10 hold an adequate force along the Italian
frontiers, ever ready against possible at
tack.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
CONQUEST OF SERBIA BY TEUTONS;
LANDING OF ALLIES AT SALONICA

dreamed-of Mlttel Europa block from the
Baltic to the Bosporus.
The Entente Allies made n tardy attempt
to save the little kingdom by landing troops
at Salonica, and small French forces joined
with the Serbians in the final fighting II
was too late, however, to save the situation,
and toward the end of october the Austro-
German and Bulgarian forces met, COM
pleting the conquest Of the country.
Montenegro was overrun soon after.