The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-07-30

wedge between them and the French,
who were holding the lines to the
south. Then came period of reaction
and the Germans came to stop. They
had driven ahead for thirtyhve miles,
along a front extending more than fif-
ty miles before they were halted.
Hardly had their legions been held
before Amiens than a new offensive
was begun in Flanders on April 2. 1t
swept the British back through Ar
mentieres, but did not break their
| lines. The British, with the French
who were rushed up to the front, stop
ped the Germans after they had reach
ed the hills southwest of Ypres. There,
on April 8, the Germans suffered a
/ terrible defeat that halted their of.
fensive in that quarter
FocH IN SUPREME COMMAND
In the midst of the drive in the sec
tor toward Amiens the Allied Nations
took vitality important step. They
named General Ferdinand Foch, hero
of the first battle of the Marine, gen.
eralissimo of the Allied Forces on the
western front which includes all the
line in Italy as well as in France. Ev-
en- the Murman coast, in Northern
Russia, has been held to be under his
command
After n period of quiet, the Germans
attacked once more, this time on the
Aisne river, and in seven days they
reached the Marne at Chateau Thier-
ry, making penetration of about
twenty-eight miles. At the Marne they
were checked and the impetus of the
blow was broken.
With hardly days pause for reOr-
ganization OF their forces, the Ger
mans again attacked. choosing the Sec
tor between MOntdidier and Noyon, on
the southern side of the salient driven
into the Allied line during the March
offensive, as the stage of their on
slaught. This offensive ran for five
days and was stopped north of Com
Diegne after losses which were des-
cribed as unprecedented had been in
flicted upon the Germans.
From June IA until July Is the Ger.
mans were engaged In shifting their
forces and then they again struck
This time the line of attack was from
Chateau Thierry eastward, around to
: the north of Rheims and then down
the Vesle river to Prunay and from
, that village eastward to Massiges
} This attack at the close of the year de
l veloped into one of the most ambi
, tious Of the German strokes.
ITALIANS STAND FIRM
! On June 10. the Austrians began Z
drive against Italy. 1t was failure
The Austrians crossed the Piave, bu
on the west bank met with such stub
born resistance that progress was I'm
possible. Slowly the Austrians were
driven back toward the river. and ther
! the Piave, swollen by rains in the
mountains, completed the overthrow
Of Austria's hopes. After suffering
+ terrible losses the Austrians retreat
ed to the eastern bank of the Piavt
from the Montello plateau to the Adri
: attic.
MINOR OPERATIONS
Among the years operations of com
l paritively lesser Importance were thu
British drives In Palestine and Mes
3 opotamia; the Turkish advance In thu
{ Caucausus: the French and Italian of
0 fensive In Albania; and the fighting II
Q the German African colonies.
i Jerusalem was captured by the Brit
0 ish on December 10, and shortly al
I terward the fall of Jericho was an
!. n0unced Since the taking of Jerich
/. the British forces in Palestine hav
= not been active on the offensive.
General Mande led the Britisl
@ troops into Bagdad on March II, an
d shortly afterward died from chOlerf
+. His forces pushed further up the Il
n girls until the intense heat OF summe
II terminated operations.
L. The Turks after the collapse OF Ru'
@ sia took advantage of the demOralize
% condition Of the Russian forces to az
N vance through the Caucasus and ol
T. tain possession of the regions subs'
@ qnently ceded them by the treaty {
:" Brest-Litovsk
The French and Italian drive In A
bania began on July and Ia still
1t progress.
N During the year British forces
1T Africa drove German forces befor
he them in German East Africa and
lie German Southwest Africa and final
m compelled them to dispense or surrel
r. der. This took from Germany the la'
III OF the vast colonial possessions hel
Se by her when the war began.
ID SUBMARINE WARFARE
% The past year has been marked |