Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-11-22

the oceans clear Of German merchant
shipping thus carFyingto Germany the
war Of starvation that Germany had
Planned for her.
United States Neutral.
The United States in the meantime
had proclaimed its neutrality. Italy,
though a member Of the triple alliance,
was holding of On the ground that It's
alliance with Germany and Austria
were for defense and not of Of.
Tense. II was not until May of 1915
that she got into the war and then on
the side Of the allies. BY the end of
1914 Japan was In with the allies and
Turkey with the central powers. Fight
Ing was In active progress in Belgium
and France; on the Russlan-German
and Russian-Austrian frOntles. The
government Of France had been re-
moved to Bordeaux. But the Ger
mans were still 60 miles from Paris.
May 7. 1915, the passenger liner
Lusitania vas torpedoed without warn
ing anu sunk by a German submarine
off the coast of Ireland. This outrage
against humanity Mortified civilization.
Germany, however, celebrated the
sinking. To the world she sought to
defend her action by asserting that the
Lusitanla was armed and that she car
ried munitions of war. She was not
armed and she did not carry munitions.
Of war. Many Americans felt there
after that the entrance Of the United
States into the war was inevitable.
February -, 1916, the German crown
princes army began the attack on Yer
dun which was to blast a way to Paris.
The bOmbardment of Verdun was the
heaviest artillery fire Of the war.
1t was here that the French said
They shall not pass" And the
Germans did not pass. The French
saved Verdun by communicating prac-
ticnlly ever motor vehicle in Paris and
rushing reserves to the great fortress.
The devotion Of its garrison, the In
tensity and persistence Of the German
attack and the dramatic ~deliverance
have made the name Verdun known
the world over.
June 5 Lord Kitchener, the British
wa hero, was lost on the British cruls-
err Hampshire, together with most OF
the crew. He was on a secret mission
for the allies. 1t was afterward
charged that he was betrayed by the
Russian czarina, who furnished the In
formation which led to the sinking OF
the cruiser by q German submarine.
July 8 the German submarine
Deutschland arrived In Baltimore.
She carried a valuable cargo and took
a valuable cargo back to Germany. She
claimed to be a merchant vessel and
was treated as such by the United
States. The main purpose, doubtless,
was to impress America with the Ger
man submarine; the sinking in Octo-
Der by German submarines Of six mer-
chant vessels off Nantucket, Mass,
was presumably part Of the same plan.
Germany was getting ready for her
forthcoming announcement of unre-
stricted submarine warfare.
September IA the British introduced
into var Il new engine Of destruction
the "tank." In brief 1t Is u heavily
armored body, armed with guns on a
Caterpillar instead of wheels. 1t can
thus travel over almost any sort Of
| ground and crush its way through most
obstacles. The caterpillar tractor Is
an American invention, originating In
Peoria, ILL.,. the adaptation Of harm
less tractor machinery to q destructive
war engine was done in secrecy by an
Engllshman. The tank proved a genu-
inc surprise and has played no small
part In the war, together with lighter
and faster tanks called "whippets."
The Germans also soon produced
tanks, but apparently have never
been able to hold their W with those
Of the allies. One of the most strik'
ing exploits Of the war vas the eX
plot of an American sergeant who
rode into action perched on the tol
of an American tank,
Collapse Of Russia.
The close of the year 1916 was mark
cd by the resignation of Premier Her
bert Asquith of Great Britain and tn,
acceptance of the premiership b.
David Lloyd George; q new cabinet il
France and n new commander in chief
General Nivelle; the practically com
plete defeat Of the armies Of Rou
mania, which had Joined the allies
and peace proposals from Germany t
the allies through the United States
Things were going we'll with German
and she wanted peace on terms Of he
own making.
The spring Of 1917 saw the collaps
Of Russia, a collapse undoubtedl
. brought about by Germany through il
trigue and for her own purposes.
began March II with revolution in p,
! trograd. March Is Car Nicholas al
, dicated. March % America recognize
the new Russian government q repul
. lie. Since then Russia has been
:. chaos. Russia is one of the big pro-
v = lens confronting the allies. They ca
presumably put an end to the reign
q anarchy. murder and plllage; the r