Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-01

Il,
the man who guessed wrong.
FERDiNAND'S FICKLENESs
PROVES HIS DOWNFALL.
ferdinand. for months before he went
IN with the central powers. had been
hirting with both Sides.
He was unblushinsly for himself.
Having decided at last that the cen
tral powers were destined TO win, he
waited until Won Mackensen had be-
gun his advance against Serbia in Oc-
t3ber. 1915. to pour his troops through
nation and strike her down. The he
role defense OF the Serbians went for
nothing. Fcrdinand's men overran all
Macedonia. captured Monastir. and set
tied down to enjoy their victory"
chcrishing the delusion that Greater
,nn was at last a reality and
forever from their Kingdom.
The next year bolstcred up this de-
.usion Roumania having declared for
me allies. Won Mackensen led an army
OF Germans. Turks and Bulgarians into
the Dobrudja. and as n consequences of
ms own victories and those OF Falk-
emnaSm ana the desertion OF the Rou-
hiahi;ins py the Russians. put Rouma-
h,a out OF the war and left the Bull
Sarians in what appeared to be undis
puted possession Of the Dobrudj jam
their dreams.
Another year passed Bulgarian
troops stiil occupied the conquered ter
inE upon Ferdinand's hawkIika haai
Packed up and left Bulgaria for good
when the Bulgarian next saw her
ann WIS u myins ahead Of the allied
uEsperey, reckoning them forwnrS
INTO the realm of Ferdinand. Tina, dis
iilusioned monarch did not wait for
. r.r ne ran away to Austria: Bull
Sarit SURRENDERED Internationally. and
ahother series OF ups and downs had
ceeh brought TO dramatic close.
TURKEYS MILITARY CAREER
:, BEGAN AT DARDANELIES
Number seven is Turkey Her mill.
tary career in this war began with tho
successful defense Of the DardaneiIes
asainst the sea and land forces of the
Shn nr is, lasting from April to Decem-
Amara, capturing General Townshend
ana ana INC rest of the bravo defenders of
when the Turk achieved those sun'
cesSes Tor at other junctures in this
var she has been conspicuous for her
aversion to him. First. the Grand Duke
ana other Armenian cities from their
urklsh masters by mastery nghtinc
@ ,,., In 1915 Then Sir Stanley Mauds
Nv ;p csr' out ,me memory Of kut-el -Amara
i!hes Tar beyond that city. In vain the
German sought to stem the disinte
i srau9n oi their Ottoman ally. by gra-
tum and Daku 10 her.
!, !urklsh occupation Of those places
IL me Turks are still in any of them
$50 aoomed to be short-lived. And. les,
there should be any mistake about the
tsHersal OF Turkish fortunes. General
Anenoy, having hrst secured Jerusalem,
aomipietely DESTROYED the Turkish
cupied Aleppo and forced the Otto
man empire 10 abject surrender The
.eaehse Oh Ealipoii must seem a long
Time ago now to the Turk!
I'm,
tuaiions of Fortune on the Italian
HERE GRAND STORY
Oh lTALf'S ACHIEVEMENT
Hu iaaiy declared ;n ed. war upon Austria
meihodisay the italians ns rs Ad piTSteS
the passes Of the Alps, to protect u their
,,stt flank from Austrian irruptions
a series Of tremendous attacks on The
great stronghold OF Gorilla. For over
Yea year II withstood their efforts. but
not TO be turned back from his pur-
pose. Gorilla fell At last. In August.
l - From the beginning TO the end
FoTtune was with the Italians.
They continued to press their success
in in the eampaiEn Of isl7: BY magnifis
Monte Santo. Trieste, the goal Of their
hopes. seemed within their grasp But
the Austrians pulled thems elves to-
before the city. The attacks of tho
Italians died down.
Then Fortune turned against Italy
Win staggering abruptneSS.
Through gap pinched in the Ital-
ian left flank around Caporetto and
Ioimino. force OF Germans and Aus
ing forward. they opened the gan wider
and wider, cutting In behind the Itai.
ian center and right. strung out along
the Bainsizna plateau toward Trieste
Ihere was nothing for the bulk OF Ca
1ornas army 10 do but retreat ut the
double quick TO stave off being sur
before getting to safety behind the
piave. lost upward Of 100000 prisoners
and $500 guns.
AND SAVE SITUATION
YET that same army. under II new
commander. Diaz, stiffened by French,
Hung back the Austrians when I5ey
sought TO break the Piave lines last
aration. completely wiped out old scores
by dashinS across the Piave, scatter
ing the Anstrians like sheep. corroling
ands or guns. and bringing the proud
Austro- hungarian empire to pitiful
surrender
Which brings us TO the greatest re-
versal of Fortune of them all-one
which. appropriately enough. happened
on the banks OF the Marine. sacred
the end OF time.
1t is the 21st of March. 1918. reed
from worries on the eastern front by
the collapse of Russia. the Germans
have concentrated vast forces on the
western front for last desperate gam
BILE. In fog and rain they strike the
British line between Cambrai and ST.
quentin In overwhelming force. send
ing the Fifth Army. under General
Cough. Keeling before them. Through
the gap they press forward full thir-
ty-hve miles. while dismay settles
down over the allied world.
After pause Hindenburg and Lud-
cndorf strike again. in the Ypres sec
tor. They take Mount KENNEL
1prcs seems to he theirs. But Haig's
men stand like stone wall before
Arnim's final tremendous attack and
the day is saved.
Another pause.
Then. behind clouds OF poison gas
and hail of she'll. German regiments
break through French and British posi-
tons along the Chemin des- Danes and
sweep past scissors and Fismes. to
tho Marine Itself.
Black days! But Ferdinand Foch.
aDDOintnl nd. in hit -