The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-07-28

being selected the men who will compris'
the great army contingents which Amer
lea is planning to send to Europe.
In cementing Americas association
\ with the nations now her allies, numer
ous exchanges of missions were arranged
France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium
Russia and other entente belligerents
sent delegations to ehe United States as
a step toward unifcation, military, fnan.
cial and otherwise. The United States
sent missions to Russia and other coun.
tries
| Fighting on the western front during
the third year of the war may roughly
be divided into six phases--two in the
latter part of 1916 before winter called
halt; and four after the entente often
sive was resumed in the early spring.
AT the close of the second year the
Germans were still unwilling to concede
failure in the operations centering on
Verdun. After Aug. 3, 1915, the French
gained the ascendency, eliminating in
the retaking of Douau, Thiaumont and
Fort Vaux, with thousands of prisoners
and many guns. In November the
French had once more come into posses
sion of the complete circle of the Verdun
defense.
The second phase dates back to the
commencement of the Franco British of.
fensive-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 German
units at that period, about 760, 900 men,
opposed the British and French on this
20-mile front. In this battle the British
and French had taken St. Pierre Divion,
Beaumon Hamel and BEAUFORT and had
penetrated German positions for depth
of six miles.
In the spring, the Germans, anticipat-
ing resumption of the Somme opera
tions, began what has become known as
the 'Hindenberg victorious retreat" to
newly established German lines In this
second battle of the Somme, Bapaume,
lrles, Peronne, Nesle, Fayette, Gricourt,
Vsux, Roye, Tergnier, Ham and hun
dreds of other positions were lost by the |
Germans. In an evacuation which French |
critics regard as memorial, the Germans
left track of widespread devastation
which aroused worldwide Indignation.
The British claimed capture of nearly
5000 prisoners in the three months of
this German retirement for depth of
from five to Is miles along a front of /
about 46 miles.
In April the British transferred their
offensive northeast of Arras, forcing Won
to redistribute his forces
llong a l5mile front. Canadians played
in historic part in this fighting. Mon.
hy-le-Preux was taken; and Vimy
-idge was captured after one of the
worlds bloodiest battles. Canadians held =.
he ridge against desperate counter-at-
acks. This success east of Arras turned
northern pivot and British
rites regarded it as the greatest in the
history of British arms in the present !
var. This offensive, continued, placed
he British sstride the Hindenburg line.
nd the Germans retired to positions
nile or two west of the Drocourt Queant
inc. These they held as the third year !,
lOsed.
Meanwhile the battles of Champaign
nd the Aisne had been carried on by the
reuch, who in April captured Auberive
n the first days of Champaign often :,
i've, one of the greatest struggles of !.
he war, the Germans sustained an esti- Z
lsted loss Of 100000 killed. wounded
nd taken prisoners through their des- !,
crate defensive operations. Fighting in i
iese regions continues after three :,
.onths, during which the French have !,
ivanced from one TO Eve miles along a y
l-mile front. The present French lire !,
ms from northwest Of scissors. through :
helms 10 Auberive
In June. 1917, the British began an At. jim
ok on Messines and Wysehsets in an N