Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-25
10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,srI

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiRgI
Christmastide OF 1917 finds the
armies on all the major battle fronts
virtually inactive, except where the
Teutonic allies are endeavorngs to
oyerwhem the Italians and force
passage through the hill country of
northern Italy out upon the plains Of
Venetia.
AS viewed from the war maps the
battle lines today are markedly
changed from those of the yester-
year. The Russian front from the
Baltic to the Black sea is virtually
non-existent, the Italians under the
intensive drive of the Teutonic allies
today are standing miles from where
they were year ago along the Isonzo
front; from Belgium to the region
around Verdun great salients have
been driven into the German lines by
both the British and French armies,
and in Asiatic Turkey the British
have made notable gains both in Me-
sqpotamia and Palestine.
Northward through the latter re-
gion General Allenby's forces have
made great progress against the Otto +.
mans and Christmas 1917 finds the
Christians once more in control OF
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ,
and of Jerusalem and the Holy Sep
uChre.
Peace Talk in Air.
Although the sound of peace" Is
in the air, seemingly there is no pros
pect of ending at any early date the
titanic struggle that is in progress.
The Teutonic allies and the Russians
are endeavoring to effect cessation
Of hostilities on the eastern front and
probably will reach some sort of an
agreement that for the moment at
least will render the counter-revolu-
tonary. forces in Russia inactive and
throw greater burden upon ths
shoulders of their former allies.
The enemy for weeks has been pro-
claiming his desire for peace, but no
terms have been advanced by him
which would indicate a willingness to
bring the war to end along lines that
would make the world safe for
/ democracy"
Kaiser Boasts of Success.
| On the contrary, the German en-
pcror in his latest utterance made
before the second army last Saturday.
| boasted of the successes of the Teu-
tonic allies during the last year and
eEultantly proclaimed that the vic
tories of the central powers had been
so manifest that 1t was useless to
waste words on the tactical and STRAIT
egical advantages gained,
Apparently, however, while strenu-
Gus efforts are being made in the
United states to get an invincible
army in the field to aid Great Britain
and France and their allies in finally
bringing victory to their arms, the
German emperor has made final en-
deavor in his latest address to hi9
troops to frighten peoples unafraid,
with the following declaration:
Ircn Fist and Shining Sword.
"If the enemy does not want peace.
then we must bring peace to the
world by battering in with the iron
fist and the shining sword the doors
Of those who will not have peace
Meanwhile. his armies and those of
his ally, Austro- Hungary, finding that
their attempts to break the Italian
line between the Brenta and Piave riv-
ers in northern Italy were without re-
suit, have shifted the ground of their
attack again to the Asiago plateau.
Here small gains were made, but the
italians, stffening their line, held
the enemy from further progress and
at last accounts were delivering sue
cessful counter attacks against him.
On the lower Piave river the enemy
troops, who forced crossing of the
river last week now have been COM
PEELED, under violent attacks by the
Italians, to seek safety through re-
treat TO the eastern bank of the
stream.
Another heartening phase of the sit
uation is the small number of British
casualties during the last week. On
the entire front held by the British