Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-01
4 Year Of Victory.

TweivC months have brought won
derful d'Gcsance to the world. A yeaI
ago the armies OF the powers wcr,
aligned over hundreds of miles. await
+ ing the spring for the leap forward
that each side hoped would bring vie
tory. Millions of men we're in arms
with the seas infested with submarines
seeking their prey. The central powers
were at the maximum of their strength
Russia had virtually collapsed and was
soon to sign q treaty quitting the war
y Germany transferred great numbers OF
troops from the eastern to the western
front. Americas war program was be.
ing but slowly developed, it would
seem, in terms of effectiveness for the
ensuing season. 1t was not known
whether it was possible to put our men
across the seas in sufficient numbers in
time to be of avail to stem the tide
that every sign indicated as inevitable
I'm the spring Only the faith that sus-
,etains the spirit of the righteous served
to uphold the heart a year ago.
But 1918 brought victory. The en-
envy made his dash forward at what
he felt to be the ripe moment, before
the American forces were overseas in
great numbers, and at place of the
most vital consequence to the allies
EHe drove on and on and made such
strides toward his goal that there were
many days Of utter gloom, when all
seemed lost, and they were repeated
! later when the forward impulse was re-
ntwed and deeper gains were scored,
and at last the lines grew thin and,
weakened by repeated onsets seemed
sbcut to break.
And the lines did not break. The
indo nitable spirit Of the French, Brit
3sh AID Italians holding them did not
4alter. Tie Americans who were there
In small numbers proved themselves
capable Of the stoutest service. And
By q superhuman effort the transpor:
Of troops from these shores swelled
= into q volume such as the world had
{ never seen before, a phenomenon of
Reorganization and courage and deter
j nination that defed all difficulties and
dangers. The apparently impossible
vas accomplished.
In the middle Of July the allied lines
had been sufficiently reinforced by this
tremendous flow of lightning trained
men from this country to enable Foch,
the great leader who had developed in
the hour of supreme need, to. deliver
the counter blow that broke the en-
emy's onset and drove him back, mile
By mile, to the point of virtual sur
render.
ayisH is needless now to consider how
slender at times were the chances of
success, how very near the enemy
was to victory, how narrow was the
margin of the escape from defeat. 1t
h enough now to regard with graft
tude the fact that the year brought
the enemy's confident drive that in
turn brought victory to us.
Now the day of adjustment is at
hand, the day of peacemaking. If the
problems that present themselves at
Paris are as successfully met as those
: that arose in the field of action the
! year 1919 will be one of the most nota.
ble, the most glorious in the worlds
history. There are grave perils in the
way. Evils may arise from selfishness
and obstinacy on the part of those who
are commissioned now to make peace
terms. The nations are still in tur-
moil. New states have been born, age
old national aspirations have been
awakened. Old states are in chaos. 1t
10 for those that have weathered the
storm and are today intact and strong
sAnd capable to set forth a program
,iof reconstruction and mutual support
and development that will endure
t0g1mst all strains.