The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-13
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| murdered and plundereQ needless 0
the rights of the individual and ID
terrorism Il matter Of studied policy
This terrorism was directed not onl
against individuals but against ma
tions, not only hostile nations, bu
! those with whom Germany was off
cially at peace. It's system of espion
age. corruption and violence, extend
ed throughout the world 1t was eX
emplified by the plots carried out il
this country under direction of tn
government for the destruction O
nutrition plants and ships before tn
United States entered the war and b,
| the effort of the German government
to embroil this country. then neutral
! in war with Japan and Mexico.
No capital of Europe was free
from German secret agents in thc
year preceding the war and the ma
tons lived in growing dread OF tho
huge military machine which Ger
| many was building up to the accom-
paniment Of the emperor's boasting:
Of the shining sword and German
toasts OF 'der tag" voices which
echoed around the world.
The virtual ending of this great
est Of conflicts has come with dr;l.
matte swiftness. Four months age
today the German military power ap.
parently was at its height. The IN
checked forces Of the enemy had bat
tered their way through the French
and British lines until Paris was il
danger and the British were fightin:
with their backs to the wall to pre-
vent themselves from being forced &c
the sea. Late in July the world wa
thrilled with the news Of an allied
counterattack between the Aisne ard
the Marne. The Germans were hurl-
ed back along the whole sector an5
since that day the victorious progress
of the allies has been maintained
Various causes have contributed tc
this reversal. The entrance of Amer
lea into the struggle, with her vast re-
sources Of men and materials is
conceded by the allies to have turn.
ed the scale. One Of the most i'm
portant effects of this country's act
was the heartening to an enormous
extent of the wearied allied nations
and corresponding deterioration Of
German raw materials and years Of
semi-starvation assisted in the pro-
cess of beating down the enemy into
submissive frame Of mind.
It is also significant that the es-
tablishment of allied supremacy IN
the field almost synchronized with
the uniication Of military control anG
the appointment Of General, now
Marshal, Foch. to the post of supreme
command. Military commentators
without exception lay stress upon the
Importance of leadership and the
genius Of Foch in stemming ana
finally in turning the tide
Other individual leaders, aside frorn
Foch, whose names stand out most
prominently, are Marshal Joffre. who
the summer of 1914; Field Marsha
Haig. the British commander; Gener-
al Petain, at the head Of the French
forces: General Diaz, who on the
Italian front beat back last summers
great Austrian offensive and later
tore the Austrian armies to pieces in
few weeks, and General Pershing
On the German side are Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg, a comparative
" Obscure officer who leaped into
worldwide fame by his defeat of the
Russians in 1914 and subsequently
became the idol Of Germany. When
Won Hindenburg was at the height OF
his fame, q great wooden image Of
the German hero was set up, monu-
ment to the power which is now
broken 1t stands today in Berlin
unless the new masters Of Germany
have torne it down.
It was late in June. 1914, that the
world was stirred by the murder IN
Sarajevo. Bosnia, of Archduke Fran
els Ferdinand. the Austria heir ap-
parent, and his wife. Austria, backed
by Germany, accused Serbia of in
stigating the crime and made de-
mands which Serbia accepted in part
Austria would not agree to arbitrate
the demands not accepted by Serbia
and the foreign offices in London,
Paris and Petrogcad failed to swerVe
Austria from her course.
Austria-Hungary began hostllltleS
on July 27, 1914, by attacking Serbia
and within week Germany had
joined her, while France, Great Brit
ain and Russia had thrown their
forces against Germany and Austria
AS the war went on the number OF
nations involved increased until the
conflict became the greatest in the
history Of the world.
Declaring war on France, Ger
many on August /, 1914, threw her
armies toward France by way of Bel
GUM. Fighting for the maintenance
Of their neutrality, the Belgians
checked the oncoming hords for a
time, but within two months the
Prussian armies were within a few
miles of Paris, from which the
French government had fed.
One OF the vital moments Of the
war had arrived. In a battle Of
drastic changes the enemy hordes
were hurled back to north Of the
Marne.
Turkey soon entered the war on the
side of Germany and Italy joined the
allies Ru1raria came in with Ger