THE 8EMI.WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRA8KA.
GENERAL FOCH
GEN. JOHN J. PERSHING
GEN. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG
Commander-in-chief of allied armies
who presented the armistice terms to
tho German delegation.
L
8
SE
NATION REJOICES WHEN ARMIS
TICE IS FINALLY SIGNED.
KAISER GIVES UP HIS THRONE
Hohenzollcrn Dynasty No More Em
peror and General Staff Flee to Ho.
land People's Government Set Up
ln Germany With Prince Maxmllllan
at the Head.
Wellington, D. C, Nov. 12. Nolls
ranjy, whistles shrieked ami people Hi
hundreds of cities In all parts of tho
United States celebrated the end of
tlio world war immediately following
the announcement early Monday morn
lug by tlio State department Unit tlio
nrmlHtleo lind been signed by the Ger
man delegation. The, momentous doc
ument was signed iitjnldnlght Sunday
and hostilities ceased at (1 o'clock
Monday morning, Washington time.
Terms of the armistice Include J
Immediate retirement of the Ger
man military forces from France, .Bel
gium nnd Alsace-Lorraine.
Disarming and demobilization of the
German armies.
Occupation by the allied ami Amorl
Ican forces of such strategic points In
Germany as will make It Impossible
to renew hostilities.
Take Over High Seas Fleet.
Delivery of part of the German high
sens fleet and a certain number of
submarines to the allied and American
naval forces.
Disarmament of all other German
warships under supervision of tho al
In tho town of Do teg, nearS Utrucht.
lied and American navies which will
guard them.
decuimtlon of the principal Gorman
naval bases by sea forces or the vic
torious nation.
Release of allied and American sol
diers, sailors and civilians held pris
oners In Germany without reciprocal
nctlou by the associated government.
Signs Decree of Abdication.
London, Nov. 11. Emperor William
signed a letter of abdication Saturday
morning at tho German grand head
quarters. In the presence of Crown
Prlnco Frederick Wllllain and Field
Marshal Hludenburg, Just tblrty-slx
hours beforo tho German emissaries
signed the armistice with tho allied
nations which meant abject surrender
for Germany.
Tho German crown prince signed
his renunciation to the throne shortly
afterward.
Beforo placing his signature to the
document an urgent message from
Phlllpp Sclieldeman, who was a so
cialist member' without portfolio In
tho Imperial cabinet, was handed to
tho emperor. Ho read It with a shiver.
Then ho signed the paper saying: "It
may bo for the good of Germany."
The emperor was deeply moved.
Ho consented to sign tho document
Hoover World Food Boss.
Washington, D. O., Nov. 11. Food
Administrator Hoovor has been re
quested by tho president to take
charge of food rations for the liberat
ed people of Europe nnd to go at once
to Kuropo on this work. Tho relief
commission has, during thu last four
years, sent to the 10,000,000 people In
tho occupied nrca of Belgium, over
COO cargoes of food, comprising l'-!0,-000,000
bushels of breadstuff and
over 3,000.000,000 pounds of other
foorstuffs besides 20,000,000 garments.
GREAT W
OH!
ROHTOGLO
Comender-ln-chlef of the American
' armies In France who hastened the
capitulation of Germany.
only when he received the news of the
latest events in the empire.
Former Kaiser In Holland.
Washington, Nov. 11. William Ho
nonzollorn has arrived In Holland and
has proceeded to Middachten castle,
In tlio town of Desteeg, near Utrucht,
Practically the whole German general
staff accompanied the former emperor.
Do Steg is on the Guelders Yssel,
an arm of the Khlno river about forty
miles from the Gorman bonier. The
chateau Mlddacbteii, to which tlio
former emperor is reported to have
proceeded, belongs to Count William
Frederick Charles Henry von Ben
thick. Leaves Country In Ruins.
Thirty years and almost live mouths
after ho ascended the Imperial throne,
William Ho'lionzollern, ills armies de
feated in the Held, forced to sue for
armistice terms and thu German peo
plo rising In revolt, gives up his
power.
Ho came into authority with his
country at tho threshold of an era of
peace and material progress; he
leaves It torn by revolution and suf
fering from hardships and sacrifices
of more than four years of war vir
tually ruined.
Prince Maximilian, the imperial
chancellor, will remain In olllce until
questions connected with the abdica
tion of the emperor are settled. For
the regency, Frledrlclt Ebort, a social
ist and president of the main commit
tco of tho relcltstag, will be chancel
lor. Revolution Is spreading rapidly,
and from the fact that a socialist Is
now chancellor it may be gathered
that tho object of the revolution Is
not merely the quick ending of tho
war, but tho complete severance of
political ties which still hind the na
tion with its past.
For tho allies the problem has
changed. The countries which fought
Germany and her vassals for more
than four years have emerged from It
completely triumphant, but within
the borders of tho countries wblcli
menaced the pence- of the whole world
stalks revolt, famine and anarchy. The
world's next task may be to restore
order In the desolated central empires.
It may be the lot of the forces who
have successfully contested Germany's
greed for power to save her from tho
fato she Imposed on Hussla. Likewise,
help will have to be given to Austria
Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, whoso
ruin Germany wrought.
All Despots Dead or Dethroned.
With tho missing from nower of
Wllllan Ilohcnzollern all the heads of
tho governments of thu central pow
ers when they entered the war havo
died or lost their thrones. Eaineror
Karl and the sultan agreed to allied
armlstlco terms and Ferdinand of Bul
garia abdicated to be succeeded by his
son, who gave up tho throne when his
people rose against hlui.
The Germnn empire was Hie lust of
the great autocracies whoso fall marks
the real slgnltlci.'iue of the war. In
Hussla, Austria-Hungary and dually
In Germany, Irresponsible power gnvo
way beforo the Irresistible forces of
democracy.
The ending of this greatest of con
flicts has como with dramatic swift
ness. Four months ago the German
military, power apparently was at Its
height. The unchecked forces of the
enemy had battered their way through
the French and British lines until
Paris was In danger and the British
were fighting with their backs to the
wall to prevent themselves from
being forced to the sea. Late In July
tho world was thrilled with the news
of an allied counter-attack between
tho Alsno and the Maine. The Ger
mans were hurled back along the
whole sector and since that day the
victorious progress of the allies has
been maintained.
U. S. Entered War April 6, 1917.
Uirlous causes have contributed to
this reversal. The entrance of Amor
Peoples' Government In Control.
London, Nov. lj. Peoples' govern
ments havo been established In tho
greater part of Berlin and In other
cities of tho kingdom and empire,
Leipzig, Stuttgnrt, Cologne, Essen and
Frankfort havo Joined tho revolution,
In Berlin there has been some light
Ing between tho revolutionists ami re
actionaries In which several persons
wero killed or wounded. The palace
of the crown prince has been taken
over by tho revolutionists.
British general who played a big
part In bringing about the cessation
of hostilities In the world's greatest
war. .
lea Into the struggle, with her vast re
sources of men nnd materials, Is con
cedtd by the allies to have turned the
scale.
Among the Individual leaders, aside
from Foch, whoso names stand on'
most prominently, are Marshal .Toll're,
who saved France In her darkest days
of the summer of lOlfj Field Marshal
Halg, the (British commander; General
Petaln, at the head of the French
forces; General Diaz, who, on the
Italian front, beat back last summer's
Austrian offensive and later tore tho
Austrian armies to pieces In a few
week's, and General Pershing.
On the German side, are Field Mar
shal von Hludenburg, a comparatively
obscure ofllcer who leaped Into world
wide fame by his defeat of the Rus
sians In 1014, and subsequently be
caino the Idol of Germany, and Gen
eral Ludcndoiff, who, although fre
quently credited with being the abler
of the two, never touch .popular Imag
ination as did his colleague. When
Von Hlndoiiburg was at the. height of
Ills fame, a great wooden image of the
Germnn hero was set up, a monument
to tlio power which now Is broken. It
stands today In Berlin, unless tlio new
masters of Germany have torn ir
down.
It was lato in June, 1014, that the
world was stirred by the murder In
Sarajevo, Bosnia, of tho Arthduke
Francis Ferdinand, tho Austrian heir
apparent, and his wife. Austria, back
ed by Germany; accused Serbia of In
stigating the crime and made demands
which Serbia accepted In part. Aus
tria would not agree to urbltratc the
demands not nccepted by Serbia and
the foreign olllces In London, Paris
and Petrograd fallRil to swerve Aus
tria from her course.
Austria-Hungary began hostilities
on July '27, 11)11, by attacking Serbia,
and within a week Germany had Join
ed her, while France, Great Britain
and Russia had thrown their forces
ngalnst Germany and Austria. As the
war went on tho number of nations
involved Increased until the contlct
became the greatest in the history of
tho world.
Declaring war on France, Germany
on August 1, 1014, threw her armies
toward France by .way of IJilglunt.
Fight for tho maintenance of their
neutrality, tho Belgians checked the
on-coming horde for a time, but with
in two months tho Prussian armies
were within a few miles of Paris, from
which the French 'government had
lied. One of tho vital moments of the
war had arrived. In a battel of dra
matic ehnnges, the enemy hordes were
hurled back at the Marne.
Turkey soon entered tho war on the
side of Germany and Italy Joined the
allies, Bulgaria came In with Ger
many, and. Serbia and Montenegro
were over-run. On April 0, 1017, the
United States, unable to force Ger
many by peaceful means to conduct
her ruthless submarine warfare In
keeping with International law, threw
her forces Into the struggle.
At that time tho Imperial govern
ment of Russia had been overthrown
and a provisional democratic govern
ment Instituted. In Italy, the armies
of King Victor Emmanuel were driv
ing back -the Austrians in the Tren
lino and on the Isonzo. In France, tho
French and British were hammering
al the Gorman lines with little appar
ent results.
Th autumn of 1017 witnessed the
defeat of the Italian armies and their
retreat to the Plavo line. Almost
simultaneously American troops ap
peared on tho western front for tho
first time.
Says Sailors Refused to Fight.
London, Nov. 11. British naval of
ficials havo been waiting hourly for a
naval Armageddon and had set the
stage for a great sea battle, but tho
iirin that Intended a last desperate
gambling stroke was paralyzed, Sir
Eric Geddes, Hist lord of the admiral
ty, revealed In an address at the lord
mayor's banquet. "Tho German imvv.
I am convinced, was ordered out for a
great battle a fortnight ago and tho
men would not come," ho declared.
1 American gun in Lorraine which tho crew named "President Wilson's Answer.'' 2 American field signal
men repairing a severed wire nonr Juvlgny. 3 The palace of Versailles, where tho lnter-allled council met to fixi
the armistice terms for Germany.
WS REV
THE GREAT WAR
World's Conflict Brought to
Close by Virtual Surrender
of Germany.
HUNS BEG ARMISTICE TERMS
Emissaries Go to Marshal Foch Bear
ing White Flag While Conference
Is Held Allied Armies Contin
ue to .Smash the Enemy.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD.
The great war Is virtually ended.
At the time of writing hostilities hnd
not ceased, but the plenipotentiaries
of Germany hud crossed the lines to a
point near Guise, bearing n white flag,
and were there considering tho armis
tice terms offered them by Marshal
Foch. That they would bo compelled
to nccept these terms was considered
a foregone conclusion.
Though tho terms of the armistice
had npt beenTnnde public, those grant
ed to Austria and Turkey proved that
Germany would be forced to accept
terms that mount unconditional sur
render, with all that Implies. The al
lies were In ,u position to refuse to
listen to anything short of that. Pres
ident Wilson had notified the German
high cornnmnd that It would have to
ask terms from Marshal Foch In the
Held, and in consequenco Matlilas Erz
berger, General Wlnterfeld, Count von
Oberndorff, General von Gruenoll and
Naval Captain von Snlow carried tho
white Hag to the generalissimo of tho
allies. Whether they wero fully em
powered to act for Germany was not
stated, but It was supposed that if it
wtro necessary to Bubmlt tho terms to
tho reichstag, such action would bo In
tho nnture of a formality.
Thus, after four years and three
months of terrible conflict, the great
wnr, involving directly most of the nn-,
tlons of the globe, has come to a closo
with flie utter defeat of Germany and
her allies, tho complete failure of tho
gigantic conspiracy to force upon the
world tho rule of militaristic autocracy.
At tho expense of millions of lives
and billions of treasure the reign of
democracy has been established
throughout tho world. The price lias
not been too great, for the victorious
nations, and perhaps somo of the cop
quered, have been regenerated by the
blood they have sited and tho gold they
huvo spent.
Her military front In tho west col
lapsing, her home front breaking down,
her people ready to revolt and her
troops forming Soviets after tho fash
ion of tho Russian bolshevlkl, Germany
had to give up the struggle. Had the
army comninnders had their way, prob
ably tho fighting would have been con
tinued for a short time longer, though
hopelessly. But tho Internal changes
hnd actually given tlio people a power
they never beforo had enjoyed, and
they brought It to bear in a way that
compelled the militarists to nuiko a
speedy peace. Tuo revolt of the armed
forces already had begun In Hamburg
nnd Kiel and nlso In Schleswlg, nnd It
was reported that the revolutionists
had gained control of tho entire ter
mnn fleet.
Ho
And now for tho peace conference.
The first question Is the place where
the momentous meeting shaU bo held.
Tho United States offers Washington.
Great Britain favors x Tho Hague;
France, Versailles; Italy, Geneva. All
nro supposed to favor Washington ns
second choice. If the conference
should meet In our nntlonnl capital, it
Is believed President Wilson will pre
sldo; If elsewhere, some other Ameri
can, presumably Colonel Ilouse, will
sit nt theJiend of tho table.
. The allied governments have agreed
that peaco shall bo based on the points
enunciated by President Wilson, win
two modifications which have been
accepted by him. These are that, repa
ration by Germany snail include com
-pensatlon for all damage done to tho
civilian population of tho alliejj and
their nronerty by the Germans by hind,
by sea, nnd from tho nlr; nnd thnt the
entente allies resenre to themselves
,complet freedom on the subject of
the Interpretation of tho phrase'
"freedom of tho sens." Information
on this was sent to Berlin by Secre
tary Lansing In the same note that
told the Huns to ask an armistice from
Foch.
fa.
- Prominent men of England nnd
France, backed by the press of those
countries, Insist thnt tho German mili
tary commanders and others who have
been personally responsible for tho
brutalities and inhumanities of the
war shall be brought personally to
trial and punishment. The names of
these wretches havo been carefully
compiled by the British nndFrench
and Belglnns during the years of war
fare, and If they are permitted to go
unpunished there will be a general
outburst of wrath. The 'Individuals
thus accused Include tho officials of
the Krupp works, who were In con
spiracy with the militarists to bring
on the wnr.
What will happen to Kaiser WI1
helm Is still on the laps of the gods.
ITo Is no longer a free agent, and
there have been loud and persistent
calls In the cities of Germany for his
abdication. However, the German gov
ernment, after ,long consultation with
tlte-jenders of nil parties, deckled that
he should remain on tho throne, nt
least for the present. Tho Socialists
wanted to oust him as a symbol of tho
militaristic system thnt has brought
disaster on Germany; but the other
parties believed he should be .retained
as the symbol of the unity of the Ger
mnn empire, which Is so threatened
Just now. That they have reason to
fear the growing separatist movement
is evidenced by .the Munich Journnls,
which openly ndvocate the separation
of Bavaria from the empire.
The allied commanders In Franco
nnd Belgium gave no sign that they
knew nrmlstlce negotiations were un
der way and the end of the wnr at
hand. Not for one second did they
cense their furious "attack on the arm
ies of the Huns, nnd the result was
that before the end of tho week the
latter wero facing the most complete
disaster that could overtake them.
The fighting raged nil along the front
from Ghent, which was surrounded nnd
taken by the British, Belgians and
Americans, to the region north of Ver
dun, where the Americans wero forg
ing ahead despite fierce resistance and
almost insurmountable dltllcultles of
terrain. Between these points the
French nrmles, nsslsted on each wing
by their allies, were mighty busy in op
erations designed to complete the work
of cutting off the retreat of the Hun
nrmles In the great pocket between
the Holland border arid Metz. Be
tween the Snmbre nnd the Scheldt
three British nrmles engaged twenty
five German divisions nnd utterly de
feated them, inflicting terrible losses
nnd compelling a general retreat. On
their right, after taklpg Valenciennes,
they drove ahead through the Mormal
forest, captured Le Quesnoy, and al
most reached Maubeuge. The. Canadi
ans, on the British left, made' equally
Important advances.
tea
After accomplishing tho difficult
crossing of the Snmbre cnnnl nnd then
stnrtlng the Huns well on their wny
eastward, the French made one off the
grentest leaps forward recorded dur
ing the war. Vervlns, Montcornet nnd
Bethel, nil Germnn strongholds, nnd
Innumerable towns and villages of less
Importance were taken and passed by
the Irresistible Pollus, with whom an
Italian corps was operating, nnd clear
down to the Meuso tlio enemy was In
full flight. So fast did the Huns fall
back and so close on their heels were
the French that the Germans were
compelled to abandon mnny guns nnd
great stores of material, and their
losses In prisoners were enormous.
U-
Meanwhile the Yankees were car
rying out their part of the big drive
by smashing through the German lines
on both sides of the Meuse, nnd by
Thursday they had entered Sedan and
wero closo to Montmedy, Mezleres nnd
other Importnnt towns. The feat of
the Amerlcnns In forcing the crossing
of tho Meuse river and cnnal south of
Dun and the taking of that town was
one of the most dashing of nil tho In
cidents of the wholo wnr. The dough
boys had to swim across the water
ways under heavy mnchlne-gun flro
and to climb the steep banks of the
cannl with the aid of grappling hooks.
Between the river nnd the cannl they
hud to cross a stretch of mud land
threc-qiinrters of n mile wide. Tho
engineers gnllnntly did their share,
ljullding. pontoon and foot bridges nnd
our troops, tired but Jubilant, proceed
ed to chnsc the swiftly retreating
Huns to the north nnd east. The prin
cipal lateral lines of communication
between Metz nnd northern Franco
and Belgium were thus cut.
jss
Italy took full revenge for tho de
feat of Caporctto before the armistice
with Austria went Into effect on No
vember 4. Though the submissfon of
the Austrlnn commanders was n fore
gone conclusion, General Diaz didn't
lose a moment wnltlng for it, but went
swiftly ahead with the Job of abso
lutely crushing tlie enemy forces. It
Is estimated that In that last offcnslvo
tho Itnllnns took about 500,000 pris
oners, nnd that they hold fully a mil
lion Anstrlnns In their prison camps.
Tho value of the material captured
In tho recent weeks Is put nt ?5,000,
000,000, nnd It includes 200,000 horses
nnd 0,000 guns. Tho collnpse of the
great Austrian nrmy was complete,
and the scenes In the redeemed Ital
ian territory where thousands on
thousands of prisoners were being
moved wero snld to be reminiscent of
the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow.
Of course the armistice terms granted
tho Austrians wero most severe, nnd In
cluded In them was free passage of
the allied armies through Austrian
territory, with use of Austrian means
of transportation. This meant tho
opening of the wny to nttack Germnn.v v
from tlio south nnd to protect Rou
mnnln. Emperor Charles refused to
sign, these terms, so thnt was done by
the Austrian chief of staff. There was
some question ns to who could repre
sent tho late dual kingdom, for It Is
all broken up now. Ilungnry, under
the leadership of Count Knrolyl, has"
made complete its separation from
Austria nnd will hold n plebiscite on
the question of being n kingdom or a
republic. Really nothing Is left to
Charles except the Germnn part of
Austria, nnd that shows signs of Join
ing tho German confederation. The
disposition of the peoples of southern
middle Europe Is going to be one of
the most dellcnto and difficult prob
lems the peace conferees will have to
solve. If possible, It must bo so solved
that this region, for ages a hotbed of
Internntlonnl troubles, will be sntls
llcd and nt pence.
All Italy wont wild with Joy over
Its great victory, and the vnrlous cit
ies of Italia Irrldentn, now redeemed,
greeted with acclaim tlio occupying
forces of Italian troops and the civ
ilian authorities. Having conquered
their ancient foe, the Italians dis
played a remarkable spirit of forgive
ness nnd treated the defeated Austri
ans with utmost generosity.
l"Ja
Russia remains the one field of con
flict, and it is not concelvnble that
tho fighting can lie kept up there for
very long. Slherln Is pretty definitely
under the control of the allies, tho
Czecho-Slovnks and loyal Russians, nt
least as far as lines of communl
cntlon are concerned. The government
of northern Russia bus acknowledged
tho government set up nt Omsk us su
preme and the bolshevlkl now find
their main strength Is confined to the
Volga vnlley region. The Soviets nro
still powerful In ninny plnces, buf the
terrible food conditions nnd the fenr
of the approaching winter are hnvlng
their effect. Germany formnlly sev
ered relations with the bolshovlk gov
ernment Inst week, and the latter
asked the allies to open pence negotia
tions at a time and plnco of their
own choosing. Since none of the al
lied governments ever recognized the
bolshevik government, It Is difficult
to see how anything could come of this
except the surrender of the bolshevlkl
to the establishment of decent nnd safe
governmental conditions.
fra
Finland Is sore. Its people declnro
they were misled by the Germans nnd
thnt a German king was thrust upon
them without their desire. It would
not bo at all surprising If that king
wero forced to abdicate In the near fu
ture and If a republlcnn form of gov
ernment were Inaugurated.
US
Tho Imminence of the cessation of
wnrfare caused General Crowder and
his aids to consider seriously tho sus
pension of the November draft call, un
der which more than 800,000 men have
been ordered to army camps. This ac
tion seemed likely.