Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-09

wsshington.-ne final report Of
Gen. John J. Perxhing as Commander
In chief Of the American expeditionary
forces In Europe was made public BY
the secretary Of war. Gen. Pershing
says in effect. although not in terms.
1T was this spirit Of determination
animatins every American soldier"
says General Pershing. referring to the
Aeuse-Argonne battle. "that made Il
impossible for the enemy to maintain
the struggle until 1919"
The report In It's more important de-
falls 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 apprscL
ated. II II desirable to have In mind
the main events leading up to the
time of our entry into the war.
iSf%-Although 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
eions Of northern France. embracing
one-fourteenth Of her population and
about three-fourths Of her coal and
iron. The German armies held
strongly fortified line 46s miles in
length. stretching from the Swiss
border to Nieuport 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.
evea before the battle Of Marne. 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-
Auiss Helped BY Italy.
101S-Italy Joined the allies In May
and gave their cause new strength.
but 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 IN immediate offensive effort
in those directions and t. maintain
saly defensive attitude On the vest.
eFn front German arms achieved .
striking series q successes In the vicin-
ity q the Aazurian lakes and IN
0alicia. capturing Warsaw. Brest-A.
tovsk and Wins. The central powers
overran Serbia and Montenegro. Mean
while the Italian armies forced Aus
tria to use approximately one-haif her
strength against them.
In the west the Freach and Brit
ish launched offensives which cest The
German armies considerable loss: but
the objectives were limited and the
effect was local. The Dardanelles ex'
pedition. having failed in its mission.
was withdraw in January. In Aeso-
potamia the dllied operations had not
been spccessful. Although the British
Adet had established its superiority on
the sea. yet the German submarine
blockade had developed into . serious
menace to allied shipping.
Russia stlii Powerful.
Germany no doubt believed
that her advantage on the eastern
front At the close Of 1915 again war
ranted an offensive in the west, and
her attack against verdun was ac-
cordingiy launched In the spring ef
1916. But Russia was not yet beaten.
and early In June. aided at the same
time y the threat Of IN Italian o6en-
dive in the west. she began The great
drive in 'Galicia that proved % dis
astrous to Austria.
RoumanIa. having entered oo the
side OF the allies, undertook Q promis
Ing o6ensive against Austria. The Brit
ish and French armies attacked along
the Somme. Germany quickly returned
to the defensive In the west. and tn
ssptember initiated campaign IN the
east vAieh. be{ers TIE close q 1919.
proved unfortunats foe 1sssia - wsal
- Roumania.
spriss ~ tei7-Aetaining - the
eastern front the forces conSldered'
su1eisAt Ter ~ anal conquest u Rns-
-. Germany preparsd - AZ Austria
= N efIeasive against ftaiy. Mess