The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-08-19


 All well-defined national aspira' tions shall be met with the utmost satisfaction consistent with the flu. ture peace.
 Pope Benedict, in pastoral let. ter issued at Easter, made another appeal for concord among the peoples of the world, but it brought forth no tangible results. At the Pope's behest, prayers for peace were of. fered in Catholic churches through out the world on St. Peters day, June 2S.
 In April there came revelations from Paris that Emperor Charles of Austria had written letters to Prince Sixtus 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 removed 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 Imperial Chancellor von Hertling. The form. CTS sensational admission that the sword by itself could not bring peace resulted in his resignation, and von 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 that the Germans were massing forces on the western front. Reports came that large units were training behind the lines and that new and more terrible engines of war than had been known before were to be used in German effort to break the allied lines, crush their armies and force them to make peace. The drive was well advertised and even the place where it was to be launched was known with comparative certainty. On the morning of March 21, the Germans began their attack from the vicinity of Arras, on the north, to La Fere, on the south, and centerine their heaviest columns against the British forces, under General Cough at St. Quentin.
 Staggering before the impact o the blow, the British army fell back rapidly. For eight days the Ger mans poured through the old allied line in an effort to crush the Britisl and drive wedge between them ant the French, who were holding thu lines to the south. Then came I; period of reaction and the Germans came to stop. They had driver ahead for thirty-five miles, along [; front extending more than fifty mile before they were halted.
 Hardly had their legions beel held before Amiens than a new ot fensive was begun in Flanders o1 April 2. It swept the British bacl through Armentieres, but did no break their lines. The British, witt the French who were rushed up t. the front, stopped the Germans afte they had reached the hills southwes of Ypres. There, on April g, tn Germans suffered a terrible defea that halted their offensive in tha quarter.
 Foch in Supreme Command
 In the midst of the drive in tn sector toward Amiens the allied ns tions took vitally important stel They named General Ferdinand Focf hero of the first battle of the Marnt generalissimo of the allied forces O. the western front, which includes al the line in Italy as well as in France Even the Murman coast, in mortimer Russia, has been held to be unde his command.
 After period of quiet, the Ger mans attacked once more, this tim on the Aisne river, and in seven day I they reached the Marne at Chateau Thierry, making penetration c about twenty-eight miles. At tn Marne they were checked and tn impetus of the blow was broken.
 With hardly a days pause for rt organization of their forces, the Ger mans again attacked, choosing tn sector between Montdidier and No. on, on the southern side of tn salient driven into the allied lin during the March offensive as tn stage of their onslaught. This O. fensive ran for five days and wa stopped north of Compiegne afte losses which were described as III precedented had been inflicted upo the Germans.
 From June IA until July 15 tn Germans were engaged in shiftin their forces and then they agai