The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-11-29

the invading hosts and the capita
seemed to be within the grasp OF TIL
Huns. Then came forward the hrs
heroic figure of the war, Marsha
Joffre of France. Commandeerini
every motor vehicle in Paris. he rush
ed to the front the entire force left II
defend the capital and in might,
battle along the. Marine the Germans
We're defeated. They had spread ou
too much and permitted their right
hank to be turned and were driver
back to the northeast. Reaching lines
prepared with this possibility in view
they dug in" and then began period
OF trench warfare that lasted for three
years, in the course of which there
were no remarkable gains Of territory
by either side
Under the management of Lord
Kitchener Britain'S millions were be-
ing enlisted and trained and trans
ported to the battle grounds. Not
only from the homeland did they
come, but from Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, India, South Africa and
all of the far-fiung possessions of the
empire, with an ardor that settled for
all time the question of their loyalty
to that empire. Ireland alone held
back to a considerable extent, hoping
to gain independence and making it.
self the Matching ground for many
German plot. Kitchener's great work
practically accomplished, he went to
his death when German submarine
sank the cruiser on which he was
going to Russia.
Germany's Submarine Warfare.
In the first months of the war the
British fleets, aided by the Japanese,
took away Germany's island colonies,
and then, having almost full mastery
of the seas, established a blockade of
Germany designed to starve her into
submission. The. reply to this was
quick in coming. The Germans start
ed out their submarines at once, and
began building more and bigger I'M
dersea vessels. Disregarding the rec
ognized laws of warfare, they declared
unrestricted war on all vessels of
thNhi NiltiiiiCsor anu q Ouo SeilCSl
that finally resulted in dragging the
United States into the conflict and
bringing defeat to themselves. The
first notable victim of this method of
warfare was the Lusitania, more than
a thousand of whose passengers per-
ished. On this and many another YES
sci that was sent down by the sub
marines were American citizens, and
there was powerful demand en- our
government to stop the practice or to
enter the war.
For nearly two years President Will
of protest to Berlin and receiving an
equal number of false promises. |
Early in 1917 Berlin announced that |
submarine warfare thereafter would |
be unrestricted-as it had been in |
reality most of the time-and there |
was nothing left the United States hut
to declare a state of war with Ger
many. This was done on April 6 and |
from that fateful day the doom of |
Jermany's great conspiracy was set
led.
Americas Wonderful Effort.
With amazing energy and speed
America went at the tremendous task /
If making an army out of it's civilian
population. There were many mis-
axes and many delays, but these are
Utmost forgotten in the contemplation
# the marvellous success with which
he thing was accomplished. After
ong and heated debate, the selective
raft system of raising an army was
dopted, and young men by the hun
red thousand were taken from their
william pursuits, put in immense
raining camps and made into soldiers.
% command them, thousands of Of
GERS were trained In other camps. In
he incredibly short time of one year
early two million fighting men, as
ficient as the world has ever seen,
ad been transported across the At
antic, with all the vast supplies re-
uired; and at home the industries Of
ne land had been recognized for the
usiness of war. Knowing well the
Of the task of winning the
ar, the government bent every eff
)rt to it and the draft age limits were
ktended to include all men between
le ages of eighteen and forty-six.
[any thousands Of those thus drafted
ere in training when the war came
, a close.
Americas arrival In France was
ost timely. Though the crown prince
i'd failed miserably In his attempt to
'rce way to Paris by the VerduI
ute in 1915, the Germans never gave
, their plans to take the French cap
al, and in the spring Of 1918, with
endorsements released from the )
Istern front by the collapse Of Rus
a, they began a powerful drive In
,rthern France. In the first stage
this they reached the Somme. and
the second they got to the Marne
ain, only IS miles from Paris.
Yankees to the Rescue.
The Yankees, who were getting
cir final training behind the lines, t
d not yet seen very much action,
t in this crisis their commander, e
,neral Pershing. offered their imme- s
ate services to the British and IL
1