New-York tribune., 1918-11-12

Clo"H TrlnCe TO take Verdun, Whlcn
began in February, 1916. and lasted
while the French proceeded to win
back the lost territory, confirmed
many observers IN the belief that
trench warfare had brought military
deadlock.
Then came the tank which calmly
steam-rolled all such conceptions FIAT
when General Byng made his surprise
attack at Cambria year ago But,
IKE the Germans in the Channel drive,
the British we're not prepared to take
advantage of the opportunity q new
instrument of warfare had gained for
them. When they had gone as far as
they dared they sought to consolidate
their new positions only to be driven
out by counter attacks
Americas First Part
1t was at Cambria that American
troops, the 11th Engineers, first got
INTO the midst of the actual fighting.
and it was accidental. at that, as. in a
military sense, they were not combat
ant troops. This country had declared
war April 6, 1917, but had barely got
into 1t when the ground at Cambrai
was won and lost
1T was not until the Germans, wiser
from the lesson Of Cambria, launched
their last great offensive, March 21,
1913, that the United States began to
send troops to France by the hundreds
OF thousands monthly. 1t was g
brigade OF United States marines that
stemmed the onrush at Belleau Wood
IN June, and some Of the same Marines
that took part in the first blow that
Marshal Foch, in whom supreme com
mand had been vested in the moment
OF peril, struck in return July 18.
From July 18 until the German mill
tary collapse and surrender American
troops have been prominent in the
fighting, turning the st. Mihiel' salient
inside out, clearing the Argonne Forest,
cutting the Mezieres Metz line at Sc
dan and shelling Metz.
This country had stepped in as Rus
sia, afflicted with revolution, fell out.
AT the start Russia had attained con-
overraa East Prussia and Galicia. By
the end of August, 1914. however, Won
Hlndenburg had destroyed Samsonoff's
army at Tannenberg
On the Austrian front. despite somc
reverses. however, the Russians held
most of their gains and when the
Austro- German forces under Won
Mackensen started their tremendous
offensive in the spring OF 1916 Rus
of the Carpathians into Hungary.
Non Mackensen's assault was success
full. Galicia was cleared of Russians,
but not without severe fighting.
Though short Of guns and ammuni-
tion and overwhelmed by the power of
attack, the Russians contested bitterly
every foot Of Won Mackensen's ad
vance.
Torn by Revolution
After lighting mainly on the defen
sive for months the Russians made
spring of 1916 and were stayed only
when Germany again came to the aid
of Austria and winter shut down. The
Russian army was still intact though
in sore straits when the revolution
came in March. 1917.
As Russia swung more and more
toward anarchy with factories and
railroads operated only at the whim
of sponsibles, the plight of the
army became worse. fact OF WHICH
Germany took advantage by permit
ing discreet advances to be made by
Russian Rolshevik at the front.
Then when their foes we're demora-
ICED completely, the Germans pushed
forward continuing their invasion
until the Brest-Litovsk treaty was
signed in January. 1918.
Serbia, thanks to the trouble which
Russia gave Austria, escaped the fate
OF Belgium early in the war, only to
fall a victim in 1915, wnen, in q CAM
paign begun in October. Austrians.
Germans and Bulgars pushed straight
through the country from north to
south and cleared the line to CONSTANT
nople. Allied progress toward reclaim
ing Serbia gained headway only with
The Allied offensive in Macedonia this
fall, and was assured by the collapse OF
/, Bulgaria.
Italy's 4'inaI Triumph
Italy entered the war in May, 1915,
and invaded Austrian territory. Though
/ the fighting was on Austrian ground
almost everywhere, it was everywhere
an uphill fight for Italy, as Austria
! held the strategic positions. In many
/ places battles were fought above the
adversary, when Austro- German forces
started & great assault in October
1917, preceded by peace propaganda
and spy work, which drove the Italians
back to the line of the Piave.
There they held, and last month
launched the offensive which brought
| Austria to her knees.
Rumania became associated with the
Entente Allies on August 27, 1915. She
1nlmeuiaLely lHVduSQ 1fdNSylVNulot
territory in Hungary which constituted
unredeemed Rumania, but shortly
.afterward was forced to withdraw, and
thence forth her fortunes fiuctuated
with those OF Russia, being dashed at
last as result of the Bolshevikist re-
gime, when an armistice between Ru~
mania and Germany was entered into
December 10, 1917
Turkey, long dominated by Germany,
was transformed from a passive into
an active Hun ally in October, 1914,
when Russia recalled her diplomatic
representatives because Of the bonn
bardment of Russian Black Sea port
by the German warships Goeben and
Breslau. These vessels had been har-
bored in the Dardanelles despite the
protests of the Allies, who unitad in
cons idering the hostile expedition,
based on Constantinople, an act of war.
Turkeys chief value to Germany and
Austria was in the closing of the Dar-
danelles and the threat to Egypt. Ma
val operations against the Dardanelles
were begun November 3, 1914, and in
April, 1915, land operations were be-
gun. The attempt was abandoned
| January 8, 1916, when, according to
some observers, it was on the way to
! success.
In the locking of the Dardanelles
! Turkey remained strong help to the
Teutonic alliance up to the moment