Republican farmer., 1918-08-02

for the benefit and in the interest of the populations concerned.
 All we'll defined national aspirations shall be met with the utmost satisfac- tion consistent with the future peace.
 Pope Benedict, in a pastoral letter issued at Easter, made another appeal for concord among the peoples of the world, but it brought forth no tangi- ble results. At the Pope's behest, prayers for peace were offered in Catholic churches throughout the world on St. Peters day, June 2S.
 In April there came revelations from Paris that Emperor Charles of Aus tria had written letters to Prince Six tus of Bourbon, relative. In these communications the Austrian monarch conceded the claim of France to Alsace and Lorraine and hinted that peace overtures would be welcomed. As the result of this, Count Czernin, the Austrian Foreign Minister was re- moved from office.
 The most recent addresses on the subject of peace have been delivered in the German Reichstag, one by Dr Richard von Kuehlmann, the foreign Minister; and the other by Imperia, Chancellor von Hertling. The for mer's sensational admission that the sword by itself could not bring peace resulted in his resignation, and vor Hertling's address voiced the senti ment that as long as the Allies were intent upon destroying Germany" the war must go on.
 The Enemy Offensives.
 Last winter it became known tha the Germans were massing forces or the Western front. Reports came that large units were training behind the lines and that new and more ter rible engines of war than had beer known before were to be used in Ger man effort to break the Allied lines crush their armies and force them tt make peace. The drive was well ad vertsed and even the place where i was to be launched was known witf comparative certainty.
 On the morning of March 21, thu Germans began their attack from thu vicinity of Arras, on the north, to L; Fere, on the south, and centering thei heaviest columns against the British forces. under General Cough, at St Quentin.
 Staggering before the impact of tn, blow, the British army fell back rap idly. For eight days the German poured through the old Allied line il an effort to crush the British anC drive a wedge between them and tn, French, who were holding the line to the south. Then came a perioC of reaction and the Germans came to : stop. They had driven ahead fo thirty-five miles along front extend ing more than fifty miles before the! were halted.
 Hardly had their 1egions been helt 1 before Amiens than a new offensiv, was begun in Flanders, on April 2. I swept the British back through Ar mentieres, but did not break thei lines. The British with the Frencl who were rushed up to the front, stop ped the Germans after they had reach ed the hills southwest of Ypres. Ther on April g. the Germans suffered terrible defeat that halted their of fensive in that quarter.
 Foch in Supreme Command.
 In the midst of the drive in the sec 1 tor toward Amiens, the Allied Nation took a vitally important step. The. named General Ferdinand Foch, her, | of the first battle of the Marne, gen eralissimo of the Allied Forces on tn western front, which includes all tn line in Italy as well as in France. Ev en the Murman coast, in northern l Russia, has been held to be under hi command.
 After a period of quiet, the German attacked once more, this time on tn Aisne river, and in seven days the reached hte Marne at Chateau Thier ry, making a penetration of about 2 miles. At the Marne they were check i ed and the impetus of the blow wa | broken.
 With hardly a days pause for reor ganization of their forces, the German again attacked, choosing the secto between Montdidier and Noyon, on tn southern side Of the salient driven in to the Allied line during the March of fensive, as the stage of their onslaught This offensive ran for five days an was stopped north of Compiegne afte losses which were described as un preeedented had been inflicted upo 1 the Germans,
 From June II until July 1b the Ger
 mans were engaged in shifting thei
 forces and then they again struef This time the line of attack was fror Chateau FhieFry eastward. around t the north of Rheims and then dow the Vesda river to Prunay and fror that village eastward to hassiges This attack at the close of the year de veioped inte one of the most ambition of the German strokes.
 German forces crossed the Marn
 ever a wide front, but were unahi
 to make ground against America
 troops near Chateau Thierry an
 could not advance rapidly farthe
 east They did. however, forge ahea
 en the north side of the Marne an
 between that stream and the meun
 tain of Rheims: It appeared for
 time as if they might reach Eperna! Then Gen: Foeh struck ceunte
 blow, whieh still is in progress
 American and French troops attacke
 the Germans bt tween Fontenoy, 0
 the Aisne vest af seissens, and Bei
 ieau; eR the Ciignen, northwest C
 Chateau ThieEry. Sc sudden an
 powerful was the blow that the GeI
 mans fell back rapidly until their re
 serves could be hurried up:
 Fhe rapid advance of the Aliiei
 however, So menaeed the Germa
 forces farther south that aR Jul
 IS the enenaeE began a Fetrea
 across the 8farne. On Sunday. Jul
 21. the Frenca and Americans er
 tered Chateau Thierry and presse