The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1917-08-10

New York.--0ermanys situation ~
the end of three years Of a'af appears
less favorable than II did either one
year ago or tive years ago,
She has to her credit insths last
twelvemonth tine crushing Of iil-pre-
pared RouIpnnia and the conquest OF
two-thirds of that nations territory.
But In the principal theater Ut war.
the west. east and Italian fronts. the
entente allies have shown. On tho
whole. a decided superiority TO the
central powers.
In the materials OF war the nations
fighting for democracy clearly have an
increasing advantage over the kaiser's
legions. They have dealt the enemy
blow after blow which have told haiv'
lily In lives. n not in territory.
Germany More Desperate.
Germany's plight is rendered more
desperate than 1t was on August i,
1916, by the accession Of tho United
States aud several minor peoples to
the ranks OF her enemies Almost the
whole world Is now lined w against
that nation.
Every beiligerent breads another
winter OF war, but Germany most Of
all. She lacks many things to face the
rtgors OF cold campaign--not only
shells and guns. but wool for warm
clothing and sufficient coal TO run her
rapidly detertoraiing railroads and
her factories and keep those at home
comfortably warm, not to speak Of the
famine In the food fats % necessary
10 those facing zero weather.
Looking back on the long truce of
the spring on the eastern front, II IL
hard TO realize that the Russians Just
ono year hso were tr>tht Snfusr o. 4
splendid offensive much like that
which has surprised the world 10 the
present month. In the 1910 drive Brus-
sllof pushed far within Bukowlna and
GaliciR and crossed the borders OF
Hungary. He took about 10000 pris-
oners, mostly Austrians. and forced the
enemy to concentrate nassea~of relia-
bic German troops, aided by few
Turks. to check him.
The real reason his drive came to
halt. however, we know now was lack
OF ammunition. failure Of transport,
treason within the cars armies and
wretched bureaucratic inetlciency.
These bandicaps ssam to have been re-
moved from the courageous Musco-
vites, perhaps for all time.
Unfortunate RoumaniA
Rouinauia declared war ON the Teu-
tonic powers August n and immedi.
atcly Invaded Pennsylvania, where tho
weak Austrian guards were easily
pushed back and the important cities
Of iiermannstadt and kronstadt were
soon IN the Invaders hands.
The kaiser sent Won FaIkenhayn, n
splendid strntegist just displaced by
Won llindenburg, rs chief of the great
general stan, 10 command on this
front, while Won Mackensen headed
the Germans, Hulgarlans and Turks,
who threw themselves on Roumania
from the south.
The koumanians proved no match
for the combination VI foes. Skillful
work by German spies. or the treach.
cry OF certain members OF their own
army put the Roumanians' plans Of
campaign In the Teutons' hands, II Ia
now divulged, Bucharest fell Decem.
her Il and ten days later all Walachla
Aus lost. On December Is Russian
troops took over the whole, Rounlanlan
front. aud few weeks later the Tcu-
ton advance was checked along the
line OF the Sere,h aud Danube rivers.
somme Battle Continues
In the west, however, Germany was
fsrfhg far different prohien, From
the poorly QUILTED and trained Rou.
maniau peasants, When the third year
OF the war opened the battle Of the
Somne was stiil going on vigorously,
With the French and British showing a
constantly growing superiority over the
foe, Fit by bit through the summer
and autumn the ground was wrenchetl
from the kais,r's men until the coming
OF winter smothercd the offensive an
mud and blood" and. according to the
British commander, Sir Douglas Haig.
saved his opponents from an immedi-
ate great enforced retirement.
On September - II was announced
that thesFrench and British had taken
$500 prisoners In the Somme battle
between July l and September Is, This
total was later considerably increased.
Frsaeh Win At verdun.
At veriAn, too. the Germans sui.
fered. The French In battles Of the
fall and winter won back most os the
ground lost In the offensive Of the
spring Of 1919 and captured more than
$4,000 prisoners. with slight losses
themselves.
The spring campaign In the west
opened this war with the Germans
falling back from the great salient
spearpoint directed at Paris--confess-
Ing thereby either their weakness or
their aversion to u further offensive, al.
though AZ the time German writer's
limited darby that Won Hindenburg
"had something up his sleeve"
The strategic retirement" hernn