:OURTH YEAR OF WAR A BITTER ONE
FOR ALLIES BUT ENDS WITH PROMISE
-- ..I... ■■■■■■ . - i. ■
tussia and Rumania Were Crushed, Great Britain, France and
Italy Each Suffered the Worst Defeats of Entire Period of
World Struggle, But Growing Tide of American Troopers
Turned the Scales In Nick of Time and Next 12 Months
Should Be a Story of Victor ies Over the Teuton.
By Frank H. Simonds.
Copyright, 1918, Now York Tribun*)
The fourth year of the world war
1r the western nations, the gloomiest
t the whole struggle, is ending under
tnditions which are more favorable
(id give more real cause for optimism
ian any that have existed In the past
I month* We are entering the
fth year of the contest not with any
Kispect of peace now hr even within
te period of another year, but under
jrcumstances strikingly recalling the
ltuatibn after the first battle of the
iarne. The second, and wo may be
eve the final, blow of Germany Uae
ten parried, if not broken. If we have
)t brought the new Napoleonic edifice
i the ruin of a Waterloo, there are i
gr.s that the recent defeat may prove :
I some degree suggestive of Leipslc.
The story of the fourth year of the
jruggle is measured by two major
vents: the collapse of Russia and the
bmlng of the United States. When
fee year opened we were, all of us, still
loping against hope that the Russian
berations in Galicia might prove the
flrst sign of a renaissance of Russian 1
iilitary power, and that Russia might J
ypeat the achievement of the first
-bench republic and, in defending the
|>erty of the Slav world, contribute
lightlly to the salvation of western
tvllixation.
But before the campaign had come
p an end Russia had ceased to be a
bllitary factor; treason and madness
fad done their work and hence the
Ilslntegration within was to be rapid;
Vhlle German troops, released from the
test, were to carry peril to the very
jdge of Paris and threaten Sir Douglas
laig’s mighty force with the fate which
jad been prescribed for the "contemp
tible little army” of Field Marshal Sir
fohn French In the opening days of the
The world, particularlly the allied
vorld. was slow In perceiving what
Vere to be the consequences of the
tussian collapse. When the full Ger
taan storm broke In March of the pres
ent year It took the allies by surprise,
ind brought an unready coalition with
it measurable distance of one of the
,*reat disasters of human history. But
yhen the March blow had fallen and
jhe extent of the danger was perceived,
ben the wai became a race between
America and Germany, a race between
lur young troops, hurried across a
tubmarlne infested ocean, and the last
Sower of German veterans thrown up
in the allied lines in offensive after
if fen si ve, seeking a decision before
imorica came.
Lost Without America.
As early as June of 1917, when Nt
felle's Aisne offensive failed, it be
lame claar that unless America came
io the rescue the war would be lost
lo our allies and Germany would win
«n the continent something recalling
Napoleon’s success against Austria in
l8ue, Prussia in 1800 and against Rus
lia in 1807. But what was not per
ceived at that time was that it was
joins to be a narrow question whether
France, Britain and Italy could hold
Igainst our coming, and, blind to the
real facts, our coming continued to ask
real facts, our allies continued to ask
»f us material and money rather than
men. until the bitter awakening of
March transformed the whole situa
tion.
The Russian revolution and the re
sulting anarchy, which led to the de
moralization of the Russian army, in
fact produced a situation in which
France and Britain could win the war;
It produced a condition in which the
possibility of a German success was
patent, at least to Germans and neu
trals. It brought back the old prob
lem of 1914, and in the next 12 months
there was to be repeated the German
effort of tip Marne campaign. From
August. 1917, onward the German prob
lem and the German hope was to or
ganize a new blow which should crush
France and Britain before America
could arrive, as Germany sought to
crush them in 1914 before Russian op
erations In the east should demand
attention.
In a word, we went back suddenly to
the conditions of the opening days of
the war. By the end of last year Ger
man; was free to strike for Paris
again; before the campaign of 1918 was
well opened the peace of Brest-Lito
vsk and of Bucharest had eliminated
Russia and Rumania, abolished the
eastern front, given to the Germans
the mastery of the Baltic and Black
eeas, placed the kaiser’s generals in
control of the colossal Russian carcass
and removed from the eastern flank
of a completed Mltteleuropa the imme
diate menace of Slavdom. The Teuton
seemed to have won his age long bat
tle with the Slavs, his way to the Pa
cific-lay open, while he still command
ed the Constantinople bridge to the
nearer east.
When the campaign of 1917 was. over
the JJerman could calculate and did
calculate that he had, with hands free
and resources concentratetl upon the
western front, another chance to win
the war in the largest possible sense,
to dispose of France and Britain before
American was ready, and then to ne
gotiate a favorable peace with the
American foe.
Story of Misfortune.
The story of the campaign af 1917,
after August 1, Is briefly told. For our
allies it is a history replete witl^ mis
fortune. In August and September the
brilliant but foredoomed Brusilpff of
fensive In Galicia • faded info the
shameful and indescribable flight of
Russian troops from the field of vic
tory Into the darkness of demoraliza
tion and disintegration. There was a
moment* when it seemed as if Lemberg
wns again in danger, we read the old
names of towns and rivers, the scenes
of victories by the Russians' in 1914,
but in' a few brief hours the Russian
offensive in Galicia succumbed to the
internal diseases of the Russian nation.
After August, In-point, of fact, Russia
was gone.
Meantime, in the west the British
offensive in Flanders pursued Its un
lucky road to complete failure. It had
been the conception of Haig and Rob
ertson. striking north from Ypres and
out of the famous old salient, to break
the German line, cut off the troops on
the Belgian seacoast or compel their
retreat, frcg_ Ostend and iieebrugge,
abolish the'submarine bases on this
coast and,- prgpglpg eastward throw the
Germans behind the Scheldt and com
pel thch- later retirement out of France
from the Lys to the Meuse.
in this effort Plumer had made a
brilliant beginning in June at Meseines.
But in July and August Gough, later
to disappear as a result of the Picardy
defeat of the present year, had so
handled affairs that a second operation
lind ended In costly failure ami when
I’lumer resumed the direction of opera
tion I he weather was already changing
- he gplcejj'moment bad passed. 4a
n0*.?.4 campaign of the
British was already sure to fait, for
German troops were hastening west
ward from Russia. Yet. doggedly and
grimly, the British generals held their
me“ to their task and the toll of cas
ie8./°.r British in Flandera rlv
alled if it did not pass that of the |
oomme the previous year, while great i
hopes, excited by a brief but brilliant !
success before Cambrai, gave way to j
new developments when one more op-|
Portunlty was sacrificed.
On the map there was proof of Ger
man retreat. The Ypres salient disap
peared, the British troops seized the
w“<>le of th# Passchendaele ridge and
critics talked of the advance from this
vantage ground In the next year to!
Ghent and to Lille, little dreaming that
a few days of battle would then suf
fice to compel the surrender of these
hills, won by so much sacrifice and ef
fort, and that Ypres itself was again to!
be In peril, In peril as deadly as that of
October. 1814.
In this autumn the French-army was
passing through a period of reorganiza
tion and renaissance. Its defeat In May
had shaken it to the very foundation.
For a few weeks Its morale was lower
than at any time since the war began.;
To Petaln, who succeeded Nivelle. was'
assigned the grim task of restoring.
confidence and discipline, while behind!
tha army the nation, under Clemen- i
ceau, cleaned its high places of those!
who had conspired against victory and !
held secret conference with the foe. A |
few minor successes above the Atsne;
and about Verdun served to prat’s that j
the task was being accomplished, butj
for the balance Of the campaign of 1917
the French army was limited to the de
fensive, or to operations which were
but local offensives.
In Italy, Too,
The first months of tha fourth year
of war saw Italy winning considerable
successes along the Isonzo, where for
two years Italian soldiers had been
struggling to break Ihrough the gigan
tic Thermopylre between the Julian
Alps and the Adriatic, by which ran
the road to Trieste and the Austrian
capital far beyond, the road Napoleon
had taken more than a century before
in Ills brilliant campaign of 1787. By
October the gate seemed forced; Aus
trian recoil was general north' and
south, and allied capitals, ' looking
southward, saw In Italian success at
least consolation for their own failures.
But In November, Italy suffered her
first great reverse of the war. Her
population and her army, like those of
the French nation, had been corrupted
by enemy propaganda and by defeatist
and pacifist efforts. The taint of bol
shevism was already beginning to do
its work in Italy as It had in Russia.
Suddenly, along the Upper Isonzo front,
out of the mountains about Caporetto,
a German army appeared and struck
an Italian army holding the flank of
Cadorna’s main forces to the south
ward, and holding It carelessly and
with little thought of danger.
In a few short hours this Italian army
was destroyed in exactly the fashion
Radko Wimltrleff’s Russian army had
Radko Dlmitrieff’s Russian Army had
with consequences to other armies
equally grievous. One day advancing
and seemingly on the eve of decisive
victory, Cadorna’s armies on the Lower
Isonzo and about Goriza found them
selves on tho next with their rear and
Hank Imperiled, condemned to a swift
and costly rush backwatd, behind the
Tagllamento and then behind the
Plave. The Invasion of Austria was
over and the Hapsburgs once more oc
cupied at least a wide sweep of their
old province of Venetia, while It was
-the fate of Venice, not of Trieste, which
was now in doubt.
Thanks to an Italian rally and to the
rush of British and French troops to
their stricken ally Venice was saved,
and the retreat ended at the Plave and
not at the Adige, but Italy had suffered
one of the great defeats of history and
was henceforth condemned for long1
months to the defensive. Shs had. In
fact, been on the edge of ruin; her es
cape had been by a slight margin, and
at the moment the question of her
future capacity to fight, brilliantly an
swered at the Plave the other day, was
to give her allies grave concern.
Thus the calendar year and the cam
paign of 1917 ended amid the most
gloomy of all possible circumstances.
British successes in the early months
had been dimmed by the failure, the
bloody failure, In Flanders. The French
army had not merely seen Its hopes
come to nothing at the Aisne, but had,
for the first time, been shaken In its
confidence and was only beginning to
give signs of renewed constancy and
efficiency. The Italian army had suf
fered one of the great disasters of the
war. The minor efforts in the Balkans
had been without even the smallest
material benefit.
To swell the balance on the wrong
aide Rirasla was sinking to. a hapless
derelict and Rumania was obviously
soon to quit the war. All hope of an
offensive in 1918 had now to be sur
rendered. The allied high command
did not preceive that, the defensive
which was Its role would be one beset
with difficulties so great that disaster
might impend, but It did recognize that
there was no longer any chance of
victory in 1918 nor at any other time
until America shouldifie able to replace
Russia tn the battle line.
As for tire German, he could look
forward to a return to the west now
with his armies victorious in tho east;
he could look forward to superiority
In guns as a result of Russian end
Italian successes and to advantage In
numbers as a result of the suppression
of the Russian and Kamanina fronts.
For him th-3 new year dawned bril
liantly. tl’or his enemies It was tho
i beginning of a time which they already
foresaw was to be one of grave trial.
! but how grave it was to be they could
I not suspect, and, not suspecting, failed
to provide against.
The German Strike*.
| On March 21 the German struckbe
tween the Scarpe and the Oise, 40 dl
! visions against 15, swiftly destroyed
tlie Fifth British army, swept over its
ruins to the outskirts of Amiens, opened
the road down the Oise valley to Paris
aa far as Noyon and took Montdidlor.
and cut the main railroad from Paris
to Amiens by artillery Are. Only the
swiftest possible work on the part of
the French rushing to the aid of their
Britlstfalllcs prevented the separation
of the two armies. The blow was
checked at the moment v.hen further
German progress would have meant
separation and separation approximate
ruin.
Barely has any defeat taken the van
quished more completely by surprise
Suddenly tlie French and British alike
were aroused to the fact that their
position w;as critical, tlieir numbers in
sufficient Vend hound to lie insufficient.
They had expected to maintain a suc
•“wiful defensive uctll America delib
emtely accomplished her military pro
gram. They saw themselves condemned
to a desperate defensive, while Amer
ica feverishly rushed to France those
division* without which a Ludendorff
victory seemed inevitable.
By his flrat attack Ludendorff, for hta
had become the master mind In the
German high command, employing the
method of a brilliant lieutenant. Hutler,
had succeeded where all predecessors
had failed. He bad pierced and broken
an enemy front on an extent of 69
miles and to a depth of 86. After three
years and a half of a war of positions,
of stagnation, of siege and trenches, h*
had carried an offensive tnto open coun
try beyond all defense cones.
Checked in Picardy. Ludendorff car
ried his offensive to Flanders and again
achieved swift and substantial vic
tory. Breaking the allied Una south
of Ypres he pushed forward 16 miles
toward the channel ports, won back all
the lost ground of the Passchendaele
campaign of the previous year, took
Kemmel, which looks down upon the
rear of Ypres. and threatened to re
duce this restored salient, which had
for.the British empire the same sig
nificance Verdun carried for the French
nation. This greater success was not'
attained, and a sharp repulse on April
89 closed the Flanders battle, but this
second episode had served to demon
strate anew the efficacy, of German
tactics and the advantage of German
numbers and interior position. It,re
opened the question of the arrivai'gffj
the Kaiser at Calais and emphasiMd'
again the greatness of allied peril.
The third German blow was in the
larger sens# even more terrifying than
the first. Although two months had
passed and the allies had been aUowed
time to study the German method and
p-epare an answer, Ludendorff was
able in late May to duplicate his March
successes, and, sweeping across the
Aisne and the Vesle, the victorious
German troops reached the bank of
the Marne once more, after nearly
three years of absence. Ner was this
all; the British positions In Picardy
had lacked any dominating military
strength, but the French positions at
the Aisne were among the finest on
the western front. And. as at the
Somme, Ludendorff had In a week re
gained all the ground lost in the
months of the British offensive of 191*
and the German retreat In the spring
of 1917, he now in three daya retook
all tlie- ground gained by Niyells in
his Ill-starred offensive of 1917, and
in addition drove south between
Rheims and retook Solssona, French
since September 12, 1914.
The British defeat in Picardy was
the greatest in British military history;
the French reverse on the Alan* sur
passed the disaster of the first days
of the Verdun campaign. As a result
of the two successes the German was
once more within striking distance of
Parie and had thrust wedges forward
toward the French capital down the
Otee and the Marne valleys. June was
only just come and .America's ferces
were still too weak to exercise any
decisive Influence. There remained the
relatively restricted tasks of eliminat
ing the Complegne and Rhelms salient,
the one a menace to the community
of his operative front between the Oise
and the Marne, the other a threat to
the rear of thia front, and then he
could undertake the final venture, a
drive straight south upon Paris, which,
even if it failed to take the city, might
bring his heavy artillery within bom
barding distance and enable him to
destroy the city If it refused to sur
render, and with this destruction he
hoped French nervea and French spirit
would at last break and the army, after
the civil population, abandon a stiuggle
which had cost France so much and
still held out the threat of even worse
suffering without any promise of ulti
mate victory.
Ths Tide Turns.
It may be that this German success,
which took the kaiser to the Marne,
will prove the last high water mark
of the war. Before June was over the
tide had changed. Seeking to sweep
the French out of the Complegne re
gion. open up the lower valley of the
Alsne, Insure the continuity of the
right wing of his operative front be
tween Solssons and Montdldler by
clearing the French out of atrong
ground and carrying their line Into
the open ground south of Seniis, Lu
dendorff launched a fourth blow be
tween Montdldler and Noyon, between
the Avre tind the Oise. This time there
was no surprise, no collapse; the Ger
man machine ground its way forward
for a short distance, cleared the Las
signv heights and some valuable ground
along the Oise. But by the third day
it was checked, and Mangin, the de
liverer of Verdun, was striking a
counter blow on the German flank,
which paralyzed the offensive. Com
plegne was not taken; at u staggering
cost the German had gained a little
ground, but his fourth venture had
been a failure.
While Ludendorff prepared for the
fifth stroke his Austrian colleague, Bor
evic, struck on the Piave and sought
by a supreme strope, with the largest
and finest Austrian army which had
yet appeared in Italy under his com
mand, to crush the troops who had been
beaten so terribly at the Isonzo six
months before. But the Austrian of
fensive failed dismally, a brief advance,
a short desperate period of days when
Italian counter attacks held up the ad
vance, then floods and net? Italian at
tacks, and the Austrians were driven
in disorder across the Plate, losing 250.
000 men, innumerable guns, and having
suffered in a few brief days a defeat as
destructive to their plans for this year
as Verdun had proven for the Germaus
in 1916.
And now, last of all, checked on the
Oise and at the Compiegne salient, we
have seen Ludendorff In recent days
launch his fifth offensive, j> colossal at
tack from the Marne to the Argonne,
later restricted to a local operation to
.break in the Rheims sa.licnt and clear
his flank and rear, against the day when
he, should resume his drive for Paris.
The results of this venture are being
written on the map at the r resent hour.
Its failure'was immediate ^nd, save in
one sector, complete. Its failure in all
•sectors was complete when Foch
launched his ever memorable counter
attack, in which for the first time
American troops in large numbers
played a leading part.
America hus at last arrived, the de
spairing call of March had been an
swered in July, when more (hart 200.000
American troops participated in the de
cisive thrust, and American troops In
^France numbered above 1,200,000.
It seems now, as I write these lines
today. Just four months after l.uden
dorff’n first blow in Picardy, that tho
worst is over, the consequences of the
Russian collapse have been liquidated
If ww may not yet wisely fix the time
when victory will in the larger sense
ho won, we have come to the hour when
tlie danger of defeat is passing, prob
ytbly has passed. The second battle of
the Marne has already had conse
quences recalling the first, us did the
French strategy; after four months and
at the close of tremendous exertions
the Germans are retiring on a bread
front from the Marne; the Paris front
la disappearing, and on their heels
American as well as French soldiers are
pr»ssing, while the flood of American
troops continues to flow toward France.
Aa in 1914.
The German problem In 191* was his
problem in 1914. Four years ago British
unreadiness and Russian slowness In
mobilization gqvq him six weeks In
which to dispose of Franco, employing
'the full weight of bis mftrfary estab
lishment against France. He used the
six week^ he won many battles and
drew near to Paris, but the close of the
period saw him In retreat, hie time ex
hausted, his blow parried; the Russian
menace In the east, no longer to be
neglected entirely, destine to make ever
growing demands upon him until he
was forced to go east and seek what he
found—victory and the destruction of
Russia.
In March, 1918, the kaiser’s nsw com
mander could count not upon six weeks
but on something like six months In
which to bring horns the victory. Rus
sia's collapse gave him back the ad
vantages of the first weeks ef the war.
But again ha had to win in the time
fixed, for by the end of six months
America’s aid would begin to become
effective, and If he failed In the cam
paign of 1918 to put one of his great
foes out he would automatically lose
the initiative, the offensive, the chance
for victory in the next campaign, when
the American hosts had arrived.
And now, In late July, we see Ger
man armies* again retiring from the
Marne after a severe defeat, the extent
of which Is still unrevealed. Wo dis
aster may earns now, as none came in
1914. The German may presently
gather up his strength and strike
against the British, as he struck In
Ootober, 1914. Defeated at the Marne,
he may, for a second time, aeek com
pensation in a new effort to open the
road to Calais. But the road to Calais
ends at the Channel, and It was not
by taking Calais but by bsatlng down
French or British armies, ons at least,
both If possible, that the kaiser in his
grandiose campaign of the present
year was te achieve a victorious peaoe.
MARRIAGE COST MILLIONS.
New York—Three children of the late
Dr. Matthew 8. Borden have lost their
legal fight to share in the millions left
by their grandfather, Matthew C. D.
Borden, a cotton financier. He was ir
revocably opposed to his son's secret
marriage while a student at Yale uni
versity to the daughter of a New Haven
tailor, and to the subsequent renewal
of his marriage vows.
A codicil to his will disinherits the
son who chose love rather than wealth.
He directed that neither his son, daugh
terlnlaw nor their lesue should derive
any benefit from his estate.
Both father and son are now dead.
The daughters of the latter, Mlssee
Gladys Minerva, Muriel Durfee and
Harriet Dorothy Borden, all younger
than 18, and who live with their mother,
through their guardian, asked that the
codicil denying them $2,819,000 which
would have been their father’s share,
be declared Invalid.
Hearings were conducted before Jchn
Couch, as referee, upon the accounting
filed by the late John W. Sterling, Bert
ram H. Borden and Howard 8. Borden,
executors of the estate. They charged
themselves with receiving $8,165,910 and
having a balance of $5,120,936. The lat
ter two executors, sons of the testator,
announced their intention to divide
them Dr. Borden’s share, which would
entitle them each to $1,009,500. Objec
tions to this disposition were filed In
behalf of Dr. Borden’s children.
The girls are entitled to collect In
terest on the sum for two years, repre
senting the period between the death
of their father and the testator. This
Is expected to aggregate more than
$100,000.
The stand taken by the elder Borden
against the marriage was assailed by
the special guardian for the children.
The codicil, said Darnel J. Mooney,
their counsel, had the effect of offering
a premium for the dissolution of the
marriage by its suspension of income.
The lawyer contented that the girls
at least were entitled to one-half of the
principal under article eight of the will,
which provided for such a payment to
eaoh of the testator's sons when they
attained the age of 85. Dr. Borden
was 41 when he met his death.
Referee Couch admitted that several
clauses of the codicil touching upon
the marriage were Invalid as contrary
to public policy. The Interest of the
testator was paramount, however, he
held. _ _
Afghanistan, Guarded.
Basanta Koomar Roy, In Aela.
Afghanistan has no outlet to the sea
and hence no navy. But the paramount
factor In Its life ts Its state of military
preparedness. Out of political and mili
tary chaos a new Afghanistan has been
created by the supreme genius of Abdur
Rahman, the late father of the. present
Amir. He fought his way to the throne
of Afghanistan, and Immediately after
his recognition set hlmeelf to reorganis
ing the scattered force? of the army.
He introduced a system of compulsory
military training by which one man In
every seven between the ages of 18 and
30 had to take military training. Thus
he planned In course of time to train
every man In military science. He had
the British manuals of military train
ing translated Into Persian and Pushtoo
fcr the use of his army. He hired
Turkish officers to train his officers and
to drill his men. He built forts all over
his kingdom, especially along Its fron
tiers. He established arsenals, two if
which, those at Kabul and Herat, were
under German military experts for some
time.
Abdur Rahman used his subsidy money
In buying guns, rifles and munitions of
war from the British. He built store
houses throughout his kingdom for stor
ing foodstuffs, to be used only In cases
of emergency. He built strategic roads
though there Is not a single mile of rail
road In Afghanistan—over some of ths
almost Impassable parts of his mountatn
kingdom. His plan was to raise an army
of 1,000.000 men, and to have all the means
within the land to arm, clothe and teed It.
REPRESENTS CHINA
IN ALLIED MEETS
Hoo Woitol.
Hoo Weitel ta the Chinese minister
to Kranoe. He is the man who repre
sented the Chinese kingdom in the
inter-allied conference held daily at
Versailles. He acted aa spokesman
for Japan military powers la ills wo»K
war.
MODERN SNIPING '
BECOMES FINE ART
British Officers Have the Work
Down to a Scientific
Point.
Behind British Lines in France (by
nriall).—Sniping and countersnlplng has
been reduced to a fine art in modern
warfare, and the sharpshooter uses
many other branohes of the service to
assist him. An incident which oc
curred a few days ago in the British
ln Flanders shows how a little ar
tillery work is sometimes necessary In
bringing about the undoing of the Ger
man snipers.
Lieutenant Jackson, battalion snip
ing officer, was walking down the
trench when he heard a sudden rattle
| of musketry—German bullets striking
one of the British sniping plates. One
i of bis sniping posts was being battered
by German armor plerctng bullets. The
orfioer hurried to the scene and with
"I* peeriecope located the spot where
the Germans were firing. It was a bid
post on some ground behind the enemy
firing line, bidden with earth and look
ing exactly like any one ef the other
tangled hummocks with whleh shells
and mines had etrewn the vicinity. But
his trained eye quickly marked out four
small aperturee which he knew to be
loopholes. The excellence of his peris
cope even enabled him to see the puffs
of unburned powder which came from
the four hostile rifles at every shot
'They are behind concrete and eteel
under that surface mud, sir,’’ said the
sergeant. "It won't be eagg dealing
with them.”
“It’s a case for the heavy artillery,
I'm afraid," murmured Lieutenant
Jackson regretfully—he disliked calling
ln any outside assistance for his snip
ers.
“I saw the major of that heavy bat
tery which covers us going by a m*>
mant ago,” suggested the sergeant.
Lieutenant Jackson hurried off down
the trench and found the major, who
was up on a survey of the enemy line
for special targets. A hint of what had
developed brought the major back, and
a minute later he was in the nearest
signal dtigout, telephoning Instructions
to his baterv. Meanwhile, Lieutenant
Jackson beckoned the sergeant away
out of the major's hearing. “Put Hag
party and Brown into Poet 9. sergeant,’*
he ordered. “I don’t think the Ger
mans have any day communication into
that post of theirs, and they will have
to bolt for cover over tha ridge."
Presently the first heavy projectile
came rumbling -up from the rear. It
burst fifty yards wide in a great
splash t>t earth. The second shell
burst in the German firing line, right
ln front of the sniping post, and tore
a huge gap in the parapet. The third
fell right on top of the post Itself. But
the concrete of the structure was
strong, and the shell actually ricochet
ed clear and burst several yards away.
"That has frightened them.” exclaimed
the major suddenly, as four figures ap
peared from behind the sniping post
and raced madly for the crest of the
ridge. Just then a shot rang out from
the British trench, and the first Ger
man pitched forward on his face. The
second fell a yard further on. The re
maining two were dropped aa they
reached the crest.
WEIGHS 649 POUNDS;
TRAVELS IN A VAN
New York—Martin T. Durkin, In
charge of the passport bureau of tho
customs intelligence service, informed
the driver of a moving van that Web
ster Rusk, Seattle, would have to com*
Into the customs house If he wished
to have his passport vised.
"The law," said Durkin, "requires
that all passports must be examined
Inside the customs house."
The driver went out, but returned
shortly. He said that Mr. Rusk was
out at the end of the van, but for lack
of skids, hoists, hydraulic derricks, and
the like, would have to remain there.
“Ya see," said the driver, "this Rusk
guy weighs 649 pounds stripped and he
don't care to move much without tho
aid of a crane or a plank. I'm respon
sible for him until I deliver him safely
to the Brooklyn pier from where ha is
to sail for Porto Rico.
"Sorry I couldn’t roll into the office,"
gurgled Rusk to the customs officer
after he had vised his passport In the
van. “I wanted to come here to a taxi,
but this van proved to be more suit
able.”
Rusk is 19. For some reason the boat
for Porto Rico sailed without him. It
was said there was no cabin door wide
enough to accommodate him.
SINN FEtNERS~ARE
IN NEED OF GUNS
Dublin.—(by mail).—Raids for asms
continue in Ireland, and some are re
ported dally. As a rule the Sinn Fein
ers meet with no resistance In com
mandeering whatever weapons are dis
covered In ft raided house. But oc
casionally the owners- fight and the
raiders suffer. An attack was made
recently by six. armed men with black
ened facts on a woman's house at
Ferbane. A retired army officer living
In the house captured two of the raid
ers an drove the other away. The
prisoners were committed for trial to
the Assize.
In a case near Tulsk. in Roscommon,
e party of men with blackened faces
raided a farmer's house In search of
arms. They demanded his gun, and
when he refused, dragged him out and
handled his roughly. He escaped into
the house, and finding his gun, turned
It against his assailants, who fled. The
weapons seized by the Sinn Feiners
are In many instances seized by tho
police In counter ralds^ The-other day
seweral shot guns and ammunition
were found In Tipperary. In onohouss
during the seizure the police cams
upon a board of 150 pounds In sliver,
which they took away.
WAR BRINGS ABOUT
UNION OF CHURCHES
New Haven, Conn.—At least tempor
ary union of churches in 18 Connecticut
towns has been accomplished within a
year owing to circumstances resulting
from the war, reports a committee of
the Connecticut federation of churches.
Denominations Joining in the movement
were Baptist, Methodist, Congregation
al. Free Baptist, Lutheran and Inde
pendent Methodist. Thirty - seven
church organizations now are combin
ing services in is buildings. In one I
town Baptists and Free Baptists united
under a Methodist, minister.
Each chureh organization has re
tained its own officers and adheren to
Its own denominational beliefs. In
most cases the union is considered a
temporary expedient for the period of
the war. It is pointed out that %hg
federation of churches is not irre
vocable.
Siam produces more than varie
ties of rice, some of w I rich ars^lpene j
tn 78 days from planting, wh>*•■> other*,
retiulrs six months, _
•'v*"
WORLD DOMINION IS
STILL GERMAN IDEA
Educated Prussian Prisoner
Glories In Paot His Country
Started the War.
London (by mall).—Despite their
(our years of fighting, some of the
German prisoners of war still are ob
tessed by the German Idea of conquer
ing the world. That unadulterated
Prussianlsm still exists in ths German
rank* is ths conclusion of one British
•fflcer who has interviewed t. number
pf the German prisoners. Ope of them
*e describes as "an Intelligent untver
»lty man." The British officer quotas
their conversation as follows:
"1 do not wish to Insult you.” said
the German, "but you English are welt
Intended fools. We who govern In Ger
many are not like you. We govern tho
fools; the fools govern you.
"Tour principles are sweeping," re- “
plied the Briton. "To come down. Uf
practice, what have you to' say dbouf
the guilt of beginning the war?”
"GulMT* demanded the German; T|
was a glory. I claim it for Germany."
"That Is hardly your official vleW*
"The official view Is for the fools."
"But you believe In the Prussian pur
pose behind all this,” asked the British
officer.
"I do, as in nothing else," replied tho
German, "The Prussian purpoe# 1*
God. There Is no other. Prussia will
rend the veil of the temple, but eho
wBl destroy to create. Against Prus
sian might the world as It exists today
will fall in ruins, but Prussia will build
a better and more virile world tn It*
place. (Strength only will survive. Tho
life of men is naturally a fight. Tho
strongest in force and cunning will
live."
"It win be going back to the flood,*
said the Briton.
" Prussia Is the flood.*
"And when the old world Is drowned*
virtue and all such weaknesses will go
with it?
" The old virtue was womanish.” said
the prisoner. "The new virtue In
strength.”
"In that blessed future will war
reign triumphant?”
‘Xlfe Is war—all of Hfe that la
healthy. Peace la only striving for
mastery with other weapons. That la
the law of nature."
"Bo everyone will fight till everyone
le dead?"
"The weakest will go under. They
are the diseased. The stronger will
live; and after that the stronger and
stronger, till there Is perfect health."
“But It may be that Prussia will keep
a few slaves ?"
"Certainly,” said the German. "Those
who care not to fight that they may
rule are In their nature slaves."
"I had had enough of it,” the officer
concluded. "It waa nauseating. But
the man was genuine In his beliefs, and
so obsessed by his elementary motion
of virility that it was a waste of tltna
to argue with him. His conception*
were quite definite and not a doubt as
sailed him. The hideous world of hi*
vision seemed to him a natural and a
glorious world."
1 PERSHING IN
♦ ENGLISH EYES X
A-*~b ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
W. Beach Thomas, of th« London Dally
Mall, In Harper's Magazine.
What of General Pershing, who will
one day have as great an army as anyt
The question Is asked as often in Eu
rope as In America. It is not, I think,
known in America how deep a first lak
pression his character as man and sol
dier has mads on the British and, In
deed. the French; but I can only speak
within the sphere of my personal
knowledge.
The feeling of confidence In his fu
ture (which is in no degreo sentimen
tal and exists principally among the
higher authorities in the (.my and In
politics) was due to a masterly onto
contributed by General Pershing to
the question of unity of Command, a
note afterward developed into a mem
orandum described by Mr. Lloyd George
as among the most able ever penned.
When he landed in England in June
1916, one of the British newspapers
whose correspondent had been for a
long while In hi* presence compared
him with Moltke, who was “silent fan
17 languages.” What General Pershing;
the master of several Philippine dia
lects, said was little and good. When
General Joffre shook his hand in Paris
a few weeks later—a scene worthy of a
great historical memorial—he said t<r
one of his staff: "General Pershing will
think first and act afterwards.” At ail
Junctures the general has be»m cool and
prompt and determined. His colonel in
Cuba wrote of him: “He is the bravest
and coolest man under fire 1 ever saw
in my life.” His own recorded max
ims are few; but at the most worrying
crisis In France—when news of th«
arrival of Amertcan troops was pub
lished while some of those troops wers>
still In the danger zone at sea—he said:
“I do not worry, and when the day's
work is over I go to sleep.”
One of the most vivid English writers
said to me after we had watched soma
of the first American troops land at a
base In France: “I did not see among
the tot a single muddied face.” Tli«
compliment was real, if negative In
form; and the general of th* so troops
deserves it in double measure. He U
in that respect their epitome. Face,
voice, figure, thought—all are clear cut,
candid, definite, manly.
Necessary Building Approved.
From Stone.
•'Thegovernment-has at last r lade clesr
that it does not desire, ami has nev,.r
desired, to put a stop to necessary build
ing construction,” said N. F. Ho : ■ -on,
president of lloggson Brothers, builders,
to a-New York reporter recently. ' 'live
Individual or corporation confronted w t*i
a building problem need only amtwef one
question—Is the building essential?’
"Secretary McAdoo has stated in un
equivocal terms In a letter to Ser a* jr
Calder, which forms a part of Ihe Senate
records, that 'there has never been any
suggestion that buildings actually needed
for tha health and protection of the civ 1
population, or for the conduct of essential
business of the country, should not be
constructed during the period of the war.'
A great number of contemplated neces
sary building operations have been post
poned because of an erroneous Interpre
tation of the government's wishes. Tncaa
should now go ahead.
Safest Way. Too.
From the Boston Transcript.
“Why is It that you never mention your
ancestors?”
“Because I betleve In letting bygones be
bygenee."
In order to prevent tho rush ot
workers the British board of trade
tramways committee suggests that in
dustrial concerns should “stagger'
thstr times of opening and closing. By
taking on and discharging work people
at Intervals of to minutes or sd tha
ears could be worked more econom
ically and there would be a contiuuoaa
fetream of passengers instead of iba
grssapt nieb at e attain hour a.
