The Lamar register., 1919-12-31

wnshington.-The final report of
Gen. John j. Pershinx as commander
in chief of the American eIpedltlonary
forces in Europe was made public By
the secretary of war Gen. Pershing
says In effect. although not In terms.
that the American army won the war.
1T was this spirit OF determinatisn
animntlng every American soldier"
snys General Pershing. referring to the
Neuse-Argonne battle. that made ie
impossible for the enemy to maintain
the struggle until 1919"
The report in its more Important Dc.
tails Is as follows:
In order that the reasons for MANY
important decisions reached In the
early history of the American exps-
ditionary forces may be more clearly
understood and the true value of the
American effort more fully apprset-
ated, II Is desirable to have In mind
the main events leading up to the
time Of our -ontry into the war.
ts14-Althuugh the German drive
OF 1914 had failed In its immediate
purpose. yet her armies had made
very important gains, German forces
were In complete possession OF Bel
gium and occupied rich Industrial re-
gions OF northern France, embracing
ons-fourteenth OF her population and
about three-fourths OF her coal and
iron. The German armies held n
strongly fortified line 46s miles in
length. stretching from the Swiss
q border to Newport on the English
channel; her troops were within forty
eight miles OF Paris and the initiative
remained In German hands.
In the east the rspidity Of the Rus
sian mobilization forced Germany.
even before the battle of Marpe. TO
send troops to that frontier. but the
close OF 1914 found the Russian arm
les elected from East Prussia and
driven back on warsaw.
The entry OF Turkey into the war.
because OF the moral effect upon the
Moslem world and the Immediate con
stnnt threat created against allied
communications with the Far East,
led to an effort by the allies in the
direction OF the Dsrdsnelles.
Allies Helped by Italy.
1st5-Italy Joined the allies in May
but the effect wss more or less offset
when Bulgaria entered on the side of
the central powers.
The threatening situation on the
Russian front and In the Balkans was
still such that Germany was compelled
to exert an immediate offensive effort
in those directions and to maintain
only defensive attitude on the west
ern front German arms achieved u
striking series Of successes In the vicin-
ity OF the Mazurisn lakes snd in
Galicia. capturing Warsaw, Brest-Li-
tovsk and wilma. The central powers
overran Serbia and Montenegro. Mean
while the Italian armies forced Aus
tris 10 use approximately one-half her
strength against them.
In the west the French and Brit
ish launched offenslves which cost the
German armies considerable loss; but
the detectives were limited and the
effect was local. The Dardanelles eI-
pedition, having failed in its mission.
was withdrawn In January. In Meso-
potamia the allied operations had not
been successful. Although the British
feet had established its superiority on
the sea. vet the German subma rine
klocksde had developed into n serious
menace to allied shipping.
Russia stu Powerful.
1s16-Germany no doubt believed
that her advantage on the eastern
front at the close Of 1915 again war
rantsd an offensive in the west. and
her attack against verdun was ae-
cordIngly launched in the spring Of
1915 But Russis was not yet beaten.
npd enrly In June. aided at the same
time by the threat of an Italian offen-
s,ve in the west. she began the great
drive In Galicia that proved so dis
astrou. to Austria.
Roumapia, having catered on the