El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-07-28
THIRD YEAR Of GREAT WAR CLOSES
WITH iDVANT AGE ON SIDE Of ALLIES
New Enemy Powers Enter the Conflict, Led by the
United States; Three New Nations Are Born and
Except For the Decentralization Of Russian Army,
the Allies Appear To Have the Upper Hand.

Q uuification, military financial and
/ otherwise The United States sent
Fighting ON the western front dur
I iuE the third year OF the war may
roughly be divided int oSlE phases
two iu the latter part OF 1915 before
winter called halt and four after
the entente offensive was resumed in
the early spring
At the close of the second year the
Germans were still unwilling To con-
cede failure iu the operations center
ing on Nerdun- After August g, 1916.
the French gained The aSCcndancy.
eliminating IN the retakIuE OF Douau
Thiaumont and Fort NauN- with thou
sands of prisoners and many guns. BY
NOvembe the French had once more
come into possession of the complete
circle Of the Eerdun defences-
British AIR Supremacy-
The second phase dates back to the
commencement Of the Franco-Rritish
offensive-the first battle of the
S0mme-in July OF 1916 BY mid-Sep-
TENDER this had reaced such proper
lions that the Germans We're credited
with bringing IN seven new divisions
against the British and five against
the French II was estimated that 80
German divisions or. based on the
strength of those German units at
that period. about 100000 men, on
posed the British and French on this
% mile front. In this battle the Brit
fish air supremacy became inant
BY November the British and French
had taken St Pierre-Divion. Beau
mont-Hamel and Beaucourt and had
penetrated German positions Of
depth Of six miles.
In the spring. the Germans. antici-
patinE a resumption Of the SOwme on
eratiOns, began what has become
known as the "Hindenberg victorious
retreat" TO newly established German
lines. In this second battle of the
SOmme. Bapaume, IrleS- PerOnne.
Nesle Fayerte. GricOurt. NauN. Roye.
Tergnier, Ham and hundreds Of other
positions were lost by the Germans.
In an evacuation which French critics
regard as memorial the Germans LETT
track of wide spread devastation
which aroused world wide indiEna-
ton The British claimed capture Of
nearly 5000 prisoners in the three
months OF this German retirement for
a depth of from TO IS miles along
front of about IS miles.
Canadians Play HeOric Part.
In April the British transferred .
their offensive northeast Of Arras, /
forcing Won Hindenberg 10 redistri- .
butte his forces along a Is mile front I
Canadians played a historic part in F.
this fighting. MOnchy-le-Preux was I.
taken: and Nimy Ridge was captured 4
after one Of the worlds bloodiesr bat I
ties Canadians held the ridge /
q gainst desperate counter attacks .
This success east Of Arras turned .
Hfndenberg's northern pivot. and .
British critics regarded II as the .
greatest in the history OF British arms .
in the present war. This offensive,
continued placed the British astride
the Hindenberg line. and the Germans
retired to positions a mile or two west
OF the Drocourt Queant line. These
they held as the third year closed
Meanwhile the battles OF Cham
Daign and the Aisue had been carried
on by the French. who i'm april cap
rured Auberive. In the first days of
Champaign offensive. one Of the
greatest struggles Of the war. the
Germans sustained an estimated loss
# 100. 900 killed. wounded and taken
prisoners through their desperate de-
'ensive operations. Fighting in these
egiOns continues after three months.