Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-01-08

Washington.-The final report Of
Gen. John j. Pershing as commander
In chief of the American expeditionary
.orces in Europe was made public by
the secretary of war. Gen. Pershine
says in effect. although not In terms,
that the American army won the war.
ut was this spirit of determination
animating every American soldier"
says General Pershing. referring to the
Meuse-Argonne battle. that made 1t
impossible for the enemy to maintain
the struggle until 1919"
The report in Its more important de-
tails is as follows:
In order that the reasons for many
Important decisions reached in the
early history of the American expe-
dictionary forces may be more clearly
understood and the true value of the
American effort more fully appreci.
nted, 1t is desirable to have In mind
the main events leading up 10 the
time of our entry into the war
t914-Although the German drive
of 1914 had failed in Its immediate
purpose, yet her armies had made
very important gains. German forces
We're in complete possession of Bel.
GUM and occupied rich industrial re
gicns Of northern France, embracing
one-fourteenth Of her population anG
about lhree-fourths of her coal and
iron. The German armies held a
strongly fortified line 46S miles in
length stretching from the Swlss
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 rapidity Of the Rus.
sian mobilization forced Germany,
even before the battle Of Marine. 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-
slant threat created against allied
communications with the Far East,
led to an effort by the allies In the
direction Of the Dardanelles.
Allies Helped by Italy.
1915-Italy Joined the allies in May
and gave their cause new strength,
bur the effect was 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 a defensive attitude on the west
ern front. German arms achieved q
striking series of successes in the vicln'
ity of the Mazurian lakes and In
Galicia. capturing Warsaw, Brest-Li.
tovsk and wilma. The central powers
overran Serbia and Montenegro. Mean.
while the Italian armies forced Aus.
tria to use approximately one-half her
strength against them.
In. the west the French and Brit.
~isn launched offensives which cost the
German armies considerable loss; but
the detectives were limited and the
effect was local. The Dardanelles ex.
petition, having failed In its mission
was withdrawn in January. In Meso
potamia the allied operations had moi
been successful. Although the British
fleet had established Its superiority OF
81 c,,I,,. nj nj
blockade had developed into serious
menace to allied shipping.
Russia Still Powerful.
1916-Gerrnany no doubt believed
that her advantage on the eastern
front at the close of 1915 again war
ranted an offensive in the west. ant
her attack against verdun was &C
cordingly launched In the spring O
1915. But Russia was not yet beaten
and early in June, aided at the same
time by the threat of an Italian often
sive in the west, she began the grea
drive In Galicia that proved so dis
astrOus to Austria.
Roumania, having entered on thu
side of the allies, undertook promis
ing offensive against Austria. The Brit
fish and French armies attacked alonl
the Somme. Germany quickly returned
to the defensive In the west. and II
September initiated a campaign in TIL
east which, before the close of 1916
proved unfortunate for Russia as wei
a. Roumania.
Spring Of 1912 Retaining on tn
eastern front the forces considere'
sufficient for the 6hal conquest Of Rus
sla, Germany prepared to aid Austrl'
IN an offensive against Italy. Mean