The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-10-01
The Week In the War

SO much hope for and inspiration to the defenders
of civilization From Palestine, from the Balkans
and from the Western front there have poured +
forth each day glad tidngs of great JOY, deep and
replete with significance and Importance and clear
IN indicative of impending defeat for iniquity and
victory for righteousness
Most far reaching in importance Of all OF this
important news has been that from Macedonia
where along front Of one hundred and thirty
miles It would appear that the Bulgarans and their
Teuton Allies have been shattered, their lines sew
cred at numerous points and their forces engaged
in retreat so hurried to resemble an utter rout
The comparatively meager details OF this hghtng1
that have thus far reached here do not make IT |
clear where the Bulgars have fed but show re- |
tirement so rapid as to be most difficult OF COM
prehenson This news indicates an utter collapse
OF the Bulgarians and when Uskub is in the hands
of the Serbs or their Allies the victory will have
been complete for it would cut off from communi-
cation other than with Austria all of the enemy in
Albania and in Montenegro.
Ii this indication of the collapse of Bulgaria shall
be borne out by later events, Bulgaria will have
10 accept such terms as the Allies will offer and
this will mean the cutting of of Turkey from its
Allies and the forcing Of that country to capitu-
late as the Russian and Ukraine treaties forced
Rumania to accept Teutonic terms. 1t would
mean that the Allies could and would outfank, the
Austrians in Albania and in Montenegro and force
Austria to establish defensive line upon its own
frontier to do which forces might have to be with
drawn from Italy.
In Siberia the original purposes of the Allied
expedition have been successfully accomplished
and the imposed task is completed though it is now
likely that plans and purposes will be further ex-
tended
In Northern Russia the Allied advance presses
steadily forward and each day more territory is
being freed from the yoke Of the Boshevk tools of
the Teutons. Junction Of the forces Of Russia and
those of Siberia have been completed and the 81
lied forces are protecting and supporting the
Czecho-Slovak forces in their struggle for the com
ete control of the country. In Siberia the danger
Of Teutonic control appears to have been eliminat-
cd and it's menace permanently ended.
). II is on the Western front where own forces
are and even before the entry of our country into
the war and the arrival of our troops we
have seemed to be more intimately associated with
that war theater the one closest to home and the
one on which the war was to be won or lost.
All of the news from this theater has been over
whelmngly favorable to the Allies From VerduE
almost to the Channel Ports there have been made
+ new and further gains.
Once more OUR own gallant lighters have been
thrown into the fray, fighting under their own C M
manders and with American prepared plans, shoul-
der to shoulder with the French fifth army which
holds the Westerly half of the forty mile line
Once more American dash and American spirit
has carried our forces forward and hurled the
enemy back. This attack as forecast after the
American successes in the elimination OF the st
a Mihiel salient when it was said the next thrust
might be northward in the vicinity of Verdun. II
is against the very keystone of the German arch
Of defense and if continued will sever communica
tion with Laon from the southeast
s Laon, lying within the "big corner" Of the Hin
iC re0arded the lev Of tht
whole German System there the line which rar
southerly from the Channel turns eastward, Hun
dreds of German batteries have been installed II
The screened ravines about the city and in the
a Forest of St. Gobain which has been practically
impregnable defense for the city and for the Chem
in des Danes line. These defenses will be made
Of little use if communications shall be cut anC
supplies kept out.
G To the west and southwest of Laon the French
" advance has continued meeting stouter resistance
but making a considerable total of gains for th
week. La Fere is practically surrounded, whenc
the line running east is sometimes called the Al
berich line. This advance and the advance fur
ther north has been serving the further purpos
y 81 weakening the tenure on st. Quentin wher
throughout the week the Allies were at the YER
rgates" of the city.
Before Cambria the British made importan
gains through the week until on Friday night the
were less than mile and half from the city. Fo
the last days of last week word of the fall of on
or both of these important railroad and r:anufaC
turing centers and positions Of the utmost strate
pic importance to the foe were almost hourly eS
pected.
In Flanders the British swung forward in larg
tangent and gained valuable terrain and on Sal
urday the Belgians struck hard and also went fol
ward for a considerable distance.
Under this pressure it is manifest that tn