t ' :vn t, . ' -. -., ;-y. HArw ,r,K,i"V'V."; 1.' ' EVENING ;jjE)aERPHILArElJPHIA. kArcURDA-Y .TTTTjY i&'.'ltfi? gvIEWOPTHREE YEARS OP wbRLD WAR AND CHANGES WROUGHT BY TlflNld S 5.000,000 RILLED IN STRIIMIF i of 19 Nations and 40,000,000 , TROOPS; END NOT YET IN SIGHT PROMINENT PERSONAGES WHO PLAYED A PART IN WORLD'S GREATEST WAR Five Continents Involved in Strife Chris , tians, Jews, Buddhists and Moham- ' medans, Whites, Blacks and ' Yellows in World Travail Peoples Wiped Out, Thrones Shattered, Statesmen Ban ished and Seven Seas Strewn With Wrecked Ships and Bodies U. S. and Russia Now Command Situation Bv ARTHUR H. WARNER (Copyrleht. 1917. by Evivincj Ledger and New York Evening Post) Three years and one month ago today two shots were fired in an obscuro province of the Old World by a man whoso name mankind has since forgotten and whose purpose it never knew. These shots have traveled around the world, bursting into a million frag ments, each expanding and gaining in momentum, until they have set the five continents at war, crossed over and under the Seven Seas and even filled the high air 'of heaven with sulphur and shattered iron. Great mortars have been hauled and hoisted up icebound Alpine peaks to roar across hitherto silent valleys of snow, while the gentle hills and dales of northern Franco havo be come a world arsenal and an international cemetery. Christians', Jews, Mohammedans and Buddhists havo fought with each oilier and against each other; white skins, black skins and yellow skins havo become inextricably mixed; Turks and Teutons, Boers and British, Lascars, Senagalcsc, Cossacks and Moors have been drawn in; men are burrowing in the ground, submerging themselves in the sea and mounting into the sky to get at or away from each other. Nineteen nations arc now in a state of war: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Turkey and Bulgaria on one side; Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Montenegro, Japan, Italy, Portugal, Rumania, the United States, Cuba, Brazil, Greece and Siam on the other. Six nations China, Guatemala, Panama, Haiti, Uruguay and Bolivia are in a state of modified neutrality. More than 40,000,000 men have been called to arms, of whom not far from 5,000,000 have been killed. , And Lord NorthclifTe, British High Commissioner in America, says the war is just beginning. KINGS AND STATESMEN BRUSHED ASIDE BY WAVES OP CONFLICT In the welter of the conflict an nmpcror of Austria-Hungary has died, full of years and of sorrow"; a Czar of Russia has stepped from his throne, and a King of Greece has lost his crown. Not one of the Frlme Ministers or Min isters of Foreign Affairs who conducted the diplomatic maneuvers preceding or Imme diately following the beginning of the war In the six most Important countries of Europe Is still In power. In Russia, Gore mykln and Sazonoff aro forgotten behind a line of successors equally unstable. in France Delcasse left the Foreign Ofllco and Vlvlanl ceased to head the Cabinet fol lowing the collapse of Serbia In the second autumn of the war. The tragedy of Ru mania a year later contributed to the over throw of Asrjulth and his Foreign Secre tary, Sir Edward Grey, In Great Britain. San Glullano, of the Italian Foreign Olllce. and Salandra. the Prime Minister, have passed. Count Derchtold, Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary In 1914 (tie Umpire has no I'rlmo Minister), has passed Into oblivion, while von Jagow gave up the man agement of Germany's foreign affairs last autumn. Von Bethmann-Hollweg, the last of the group to loso his grip, has Just gone down, despite tho fact that he was not responsible to any elective body. Ministers of war In the belligerent coun tries havo not been more stable. Keronsky fellows a long procession In Russia. France has had four war ministers from Mlllerand to ralnlee. Inclusive, while Lord Kitchener,' organizer of Great Britain's most marelous war achievement, a volunteer army of some 4,000.000 men, Bleepslbelow the waters of the North Sea, History has as ruthlessly brushed aside most of the army commanders of the early days. v mom- k MsiF LH i -m. i k,tch &oees 1 s'1 "4 -v iwk$ miles of Warsaw when 100,000 horsemen "'f ''ICil'SPS rode upon thorn, and tho German advance wS!flfiF was cliecked. &l' Tho 1'ollt.h capital was not to fall that ; ' t. . . WSySlW year. j r . Ol, WMffiSifci. and compelled to surrender on'JwR mis. A later exnedltlon met with a tate, And on March 11 of the nreicnt Uagdad was captured by Qeneral Man UERMANY LOSES HER Ve W AFRICAN COLONM' . fp J Oermnnv was .l.niiMl . ...k . v colonial empire, consisting of terrltofir -iTIr.r"."" "V""..?' "'" . oi mm , fij umicu ouhj, ana wun a population, Of t cuiuo jo.vuu.uuu persons, in the courw m " the first year of tho war. Australia ami'' Japan, which latter country entered tha war against Germany on August 1, lt, soiled the raclflc Island possessions, wh)t' wie Japanese, assisted by a detachment 'V! i"u iiiuioii Rrmy irom inaia. iook tn nrAir ' ". - lnce of Klaochow, which Germany had cow- f' i.jcm V.UIUU uj ccue 10 ner on a ninety ,', nine-year lease In 1897 as Indemnity for'tha 4 murder of two missionaries. ' A boon nrter the war began the Union tti'l South Africa organized an expedition' against tho Important neighboring colony otn German Southwest Africa. The old resent 5.V ment of tho BoerB was played upon by Get ; man agents to render this abortive, nnd u.' rebellion In tho Union of South Africa wag" W' organized. General Botha, the Premier, took - personal command of the British forces, ,, nut ftnurn tUll ..l.nll nn.4 tw f&- .1.. - ' year's time forced tho surrender of German,' : cuuuinin Sirica, ivamerun ana Togoiana,,- ,; also fell, and at this tlmo there remaina toliA4 the ICfllAlfr nnlv nnft nt nmm vmt if.l.n ' .j the complete conauest of which In belUva'?11 to be near. . ,its (rl?4 Tl: NAVA.M. ttATTT.W J71I7 .K SUPREMACY ON SEA 2ri n quarter of a million men, and had to fall back alt tho way to their frontier. It was Hlndenburg's first step toward military pre-eminence. Ho followed It with a thrust on Warsaw, designed as a counter-attack to draw the Russians back In Gallcla. In this tho plan was successful The Russians had to nlinn don tho Investment of Przemysl, and Von Hlndcnburg's cavalry was within a few ALLIED HOPES OF 1915 AND WHY THEY FAILED OF REALIZATION SHOT OF SERB PATRIOT SET WHOLE WORLDf AFLAME WITH STRIFE Of course, the assassination of the heir to tho throne of Austria-Hungary, tho Arch duko Franz Ferdinand, together with tho Archduchess, In Serajevo, Bosnia, on Juno 28, 1914, was not the cause of the world war. Most wars have both a cause and a pretext. The shooting of Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian fanatic belongs In tho latter category. It was the immediate, definite happening upon which hinged all tho events of tho feverish month that followed, and as such will go down in history as tho point of departure for the world war. On July 23 Austria-Hungary sent an ul timatum to Serbia in regard to the Serajevo tragedy, Tho moment this document, with Its Impossible demands, was made public, intelligent men In Europo realized that the long-dreaded great war was at hand. Serbia made a brave attempt to satisfy her neighbor, yleldlae virtually everything ex cept Austrla-Hurtgary's demand to exercise Judicial authority in Serbian territory. It was not enough, and on July 28 Austria Hungary declared war ort Serbia. Russia had already given notice that she would not see a Slavic kingdom destroyed, and now began a partial mobilization. Thereupon Germany sent her an ultima tum. Insisting that sTie rescind tho mob ilization order. Russia's answer was a general mobilization. Germany herself started to mobilize under an order pro claiming martial law, and on August 1 sho declared war upon the Czar. France, as Russia's ally, began to mob lllzo on tho day following,' and without waiting for their country to declare war, German troops at onco crossed tho French frontier. Italy, coming to a swift decision, declared that tlio Trlplo Alliance did not obligate her to follow Austria-Hungary Into a war of conquest, and proclaimed her neu trality. On tho same day (August 2) the Kaiser demanded passage through Belgium for his armies, hoping to buy tho neutrality of Great Britain by promlslngiher part of the spoils of France. Belgium refused the Kaiser's demand, and on August 4 he marched an army across her borders. That afternoon Great Britain, having failed to secure from Germany a promise to respect tho International treaty guaranteeing the Independence and integrity of Belgium, de clared war upon tho Kaiser, while Monte negro, smallest of kingdoms, cast In her fortunes with her Slavic brothers In Serbia. The general war, on the brink of which Europe had long trembled, had begun at I last. GERMANY'S BOLD PLAN SMASHED BY FRENCH AT BATTLE OF MARNE Germany's plan was simple, and except tor tho unexpectedly sudden decision of England and an unlooked-for power of re slstance in Belgium It would not improbably havo been realized. Tho war lords of Ger many planned to capture Paris i by a .m Itt. sharp attack from tho north, before Franca could fairly gather her force to and before Russia had got her army In movement, and then to turn-and smite the Bear on tho eastern frontier. But tho march through Belgium d Ragged The natives, fighting tho lnyader tooth ana nail, held him at J.lego until the middle of August Meanwhile. Great Britain landed a small professional army on the Continent, and France, which had risen as one man in response to the danger call from La Patrle, was mobilizing apd equipping her forces. Even so, the German army plowed Ita way steadily forward. Years o :sc en title war preparation now came to fruition. Germany had learned from Napoleon that artillery wins modern battles, and In num ber and Blza at guns, as well as In gener oslty of ammflnltlon, she outmatched all tne forces that were trying to stay her. Swiftly, terribly swiftly, the Oermart war machine cut its way wuim ",,"' Belgian frontier. It traveled 125 m lies n But the German army did not enter Paris. Von Kluck decided, apparently, that safety lay In first defeating the forces In the field, and on Soptember 4, when just north of the capital, ho ewung his army to the east and prepared for the final and crushing blow. There, near tho green, grassy waters of the River Marne, a stocky frenchman was waiting, who looked out at the world from placid blue eyes with the air of on honest shopkeeper of the Quartlcr Salnt-Antolno. wiih him he had tho citizen army of France, which had Just been told that tho time had come at laBt for every man to stand and, if need bo, to fall In his tracks. If the Idea of civilization which Franco had evolved was to remain In the world. Of the fight which began on September 6, and which lasted for a week, there Is not room for even an outline here, but Ita Importance cannot be overstated. The end of tho Battle of the Marne found the army of Von Kluck driven back to the north bank of the Alsne,- where It was able to Intrench Itself. In the next few weeks, both the Franco-Brltlsh-Belglan forces and tho Germans began digging, themselves Into the ground In a fashion bo formidable that the line then established from Belgium to Alsace haa since remained essentially unaltered. The writer saw lurious ngniing ai iprea The spring of 1915 opened with a great hope among tho Entente Allies of driving tho Germans out of France before summer was over. Tho fiercest of tho fighting that lonowed was In the neighborhood uf Arras. In that confused and Intricate network of trenches near Ncuvlllo Salnt-Vaast, where thcro was a tangle of two f.quaro miles which the Germans thought to'be Impregnable, known as tho "Labyrinth," the French threw them selves on their enemy with Incredible clan sustaining losses that recalled tho slaughter at tho Marno. Better pay any price and get through with It, was tho French Idea. It was a heroic resolve, but It was not to bo realized. Neither tho French nor tho British, farther west, had yet evolved an offensive which could consistently win ground against the enemy, except at a pro hibitive cost in human life. Lord Kitchener had been building up a British volunteer army since tho summer before, which was now represented In Franco by a bravo but inexperienced force. Its weakness was only too obvious In tho dlsastious offensive at Neuvo Chapelle In March, when men wero rushed against tho enemy over ground whero tho barbed wire had not been destroyed, and when, through miscalculation, Bhcll.s from the British guns fell among their own infantry. Nevertheless, on tho defensive, tho Brit- Ich fnrees held their D.irt of tlio llllO with characteristic doggedness, and, in April I repulsed a second despcrato attempt by tho Germans to break a road through to Calais at Ypres. In this encounter, whero tho enemy made uso of asphyxiating gas fnr tbo first time the famous "I'rincfss I'at" Canadian light Infantry. In tho courso of a heroic fight, was almost decimated. The last formidable effort of tho year was made in Champagne In September by the French. Political prehsuro rather than mlllmrv exnedlcucv led tho army to un dertake tho attack and although the Ger mans wero driven back three miles, French lost 100,000 men. tho defense of Verdun. Men were massed there from other fronts, and a continuous procession of automobile trucks rushed out guns nnd munitions, In March the Germans shifted their at tack to tho left bank of tho Meusc, and piihhed tho French back nearly to the point gained nn tho other side. Thlaumont work was taken and retaken somo five times In four days. But as the days passed, the Germans made gains more slowly, nnd with heavier nnd heavier losses to their ranks. The world breathed easier In tho hope that France had withstood nnother crlslB, a hope hlch becamo certainty when on July 1 French nnd British forces began an attack on tho Sommo which compelled their foe to drop the Verdun offensive and rush troops from thero to Plcardy. The "big puRh" on the Sommo marks a dividing lino In tho great war. For two cars both sides had been developing de fensive possibilities In such a way as to change tho entlro aspect of fighting. Like Nebuchadnezzar, men now went on their hollies, nnd like nnlmals they lived in deep caes. But though both sides had been developing defensive tactics, tho Entente Allies hnd not stopped there. Great Britain had finally raised, equipped, and trained a great volunteer army, and tho product of the vnt!t munitions campaign thero and In France was finally ready. At Verdun tho German loss was estimated at about 500,000 men, and tho French wast agn at half that. Tho year 1910 closed propitiously for the French at Verdun. By attacks on Octobor 25 and December 15 they recovered four miles of territory on a sevcn-mllo front, In cluding Forts Douaumont and Vaux. Undeniably the one most Important fact - of the war is tho British navy. Through thla V the German licet has been corked un In .., Its homo ports and the German merchant,?; , f mnrlnA ,)ifi,wl fi-n,, l.A barb ..uti M.jKy.Vr w W.....J... .ull .,. KBD, VV1U1B kUlU" j munlcatlon has been maintained among YM Rnilree" nf til nntlpd nsnlrnl i.n.U tin., fc wfA) liinn n.tAn in h I.. ,.... ..I-Ib. . .I ... 3tLI talnlng their war status. . ci In tho Initial year of the conflict therv T; wero only two naval engagements that can,' , Si ..; w "'bxiuvu uj me iiiuiitj ui uaiuva. fr in uio nrsL iamirai urauocK, commanaimr iWrf the British squadron In the Pacinc. waa . I1?! surprised off tho coast of Chill on Novem- M her 1 by a superior German force and Vi lost two vessels outright, while a third was .fflM seriously damaged. Tho second battle oe NX1 curred when the victorious German fleet,' &X under Admiral von Spee, was met at the-.TO I.il1r1n.,4 11n .!. ll. .11. -M f. .1. v & i-aiAiuiiti joiauuo uu ina uincr Blue 01 oouvn-f,, ., America, on December 8, by another British ,&. squadron, under Sir Frederick Kturrtae. Four of the German vessels were sunk, while tho fifth, tho Dresden, escaped, but was destroyed a few, months later. Easily tho most Important naval en counter of tho war to date Is tho battle of Jutland on May 31, 1910. Admiral Beatty met a considerable German fleet, which had made a dash out from tho Kiel Canal, and engaged with It off the coast of Denmark. Both sides claimed victory, the British de claring that tho Germans lost eighteen ships, and tho Germans saying that the British lost fifteen ships. Admiral Jelllcose reported twenty-one German vessels as probibly lost. Berlin admitted a loss of 60,720 tons and 39G6 men, while London conceded 114)100 ' tons and 6C13 men as lost, a total of 331 British officers perished. tho GERMANS CONQUER POLAND IN DRIVE FROM DUNAJEC TO THE DVINA Since tho beginning of tho war tho Rus sian and Austrian forces havo swung for ward and back in Gallcla like a pendulum. Without attempting to traco all of these movements, It Is enough to say that the spring of 1915 found tho pendulum again swinging westward, and on March 22 tho Russians took Przeinjsl. Austria called cm tho Kaiser, and von Mackensen was sent to save her. Ho took a large supply of the Invincible German heavy artillery, against which the Russians, with nothing to match it and now running short of ammunition besides, could not stand. On June 3 the Teutonic armies recaptured Przemsyl and soon after retook Lemberg and other lost positions. Meanwhile von Hlndenburg was again moving on Warsaw, and was Joined pres ently by von Billow, who had landed troops In Russia by way of tho Baltic nnd marched -T. Von Mackensen now omplojed his ti. so as to jid in this campaign,, and tho jcrmnn battering ram began to pound Its way across Poland. The Russians wer powerless to stop It. but their retreat w-ns accomplished In a masterly way, restricting their losses to a minimum. Tho evacuation of Warsiw was begun lato In J.uly, and on August 6, tho last of tho Russians having slipped out, tho Bavarians, under Prince Leopold, entered the capital of Poland. Ivangorod fell soon after, and on August 19 the great stronghold of Kovno was occu pied Tho conquest of Poland was com pleted by the surrender of Brcst-Lltovsk on August 27. CONQUEST OF SERBIA BY TEUTONS; LANDING OF ALLIES AT SALONICA Belgian frontier. It traveiea -- "" ."ht d on the yser, in an attempt by Germany twelve days, until finally It was w"nln I aQnnn fa,8i but the effort was vain. Liven iiiuca vi -w r - RUSSIANS INVADE EAST PRUSSIA; HllSIDENBURG'S RISE TO POWER One of tho tragedies of 1915 was tho overrunning of Serbia by Austro-Gcrman forces. Tho campaign, was partly a halt to draw Bulgaria In on Germany a side through tho prospect of participating In tho territorial loot, and partly an object lesson to keep the other Balkan States from joining In tho war on tho side of tho Entento rowers For Germany, too, tho success of tho move had tho deeper significance of constituting under her tutelage the long- dreamed-of Mlttel Europa blocfk from tho Baltic to tho Bosporus. The Entente Allies mado a tardy attempt to save tho little kingdom by landing troops at Kalonica, and unall French forces joined with tho Serbians In the flnnl fighting. It was too late, however, to save tho situation, and toward the end of October tho Austro German and Bulgarian forces met, com pleting tho conquest of the country. Montenegro was overrun soon after. ALLIED FAILURE AT GALLIPOLI . IN STUBBORN BUT VAIN FIGHT Ono of tho early efforts of the Entente Powers was a campaign for tho capture of Constantinople, with a view to crushing tho Turk and opening communication with Russia by way of the Black Sea. It was ..,.r)ivn nrocram to lay minds, and found a strong champion In Winston, snneer Churchill, then First Lord of the British Admiralty. Lord Fisher. First bea Lord, and various French ofilcers opposed it. A fleet was sent out early In the win ter of 1915 to bombard Its way through the Dardanelles. It was unsuccessful, and a land force, largely Australians and New Zealanders, was then landed on tho penin sula of Galilpoll to strike at Constantinople from behind. Eighty thousand men were landed on April 25 under a withering flro and tremendous difficulties. The expedi tion maintained a desperate and tantalizing foothold through tho summer that fol lowed, but hope of eventual succjss was finally abandoned, and at the close of the year tho forces wero withdrawn. More than 100,000 men wero lost In tho campaign. BRUSSILOFF'S GALICIAN VICTORIES; RUSSIAN CONQUEST OF ARMENIA In June of 191(5 tho Russians under Gen eral Brussiloff went back to the nttack in Gallcla and Bukowlnn, and for two months met with almost unbroken success In Vol hynhi the Russians captured Important rail way lines from which the campaign of their enemies depended, and at one moment threatened to compel the Austrlans to evac uate Lemberg. Just at tho moment that Rumania entered tho war, however, when aggressive tactics by Russia were most needed, tbo nrmy of Brussiloff slow Ad down Its effort. In the Caucasus tho Russian forces under tho Grand Duko Nicholas made Important gains In 19 1G. Erzerum, one of tho chief fortresses of tho Turks In Armenia was tnken on February 17. Tho Important Black Sea port of Treblzond then fell Into his hands, whllo with tho capture of Erzlngan most of Armenia becamo Russian. The tragic side of the campaign was the unspeakable cruelties visited upon tho Ar menians by tho Turks as tho latter were obliged to fall back. It amounted almost to tho extermination of tho race. RUMANIA'S ENTRANCE INTO WAR AND DEBACLE THAT FOLLOWED Tho Balkan tragedy of 1915 was Serhli. In 1910 It was Rumania. Tho Rumanian collapse was even more unexplalnablo and t.ceiiilngly lnexcuwihlo than tho fall nf Sd-hla, becauso Rumania, on August 27. entered the war of her own volition nnd appatently with the approval of the Entento diplomats. Sho had an nrmy of half a million men. nnd had had two ears to preparo herself since tho beginning of the war. Tho Rumanians ntonco entered Transyl vania, the country they hoped to win as a result of tho war. By many strategists it was thought they would havo dono better to strike against Bulgaria. In any event, they were soon compelled to turn their at tention to that quarter. Von lackensen, following tho well-developed German strat egy of a counter-offensive, began an attack In Dobrudja. This compelled a considerable withdrawal of forces from Transylvania, whereupon von Falkenhayn marched an army against tho remainder, drove them across their frontier, and then swung his own forces through tho mountain passes into Rumania. Tho two German armies converged upon Bucliaiest, and the Ru manian capital was occupied on Decem ber C GREEK MUDDLE; VENIZELOS LEADS REVOLT; ROUT OF TEUTON CREW Conditions In Greece have taxed to the utmost tho diplomacy of tho Entente Powers slnco Bulgaria mado war upon Serbia In 1915. From the outset of tho war tho sympathies of tho Greek people appear to havo been on the sldo of the Entente Allies, but tho fact that King Constantino was married to a sister of Emperor Wil liam mado tho court strongly pro-German, and there was undeniably a substantial sen timent In tho kingdom for keeping Greeco out of the conflict altogether. Vcnlzelos. who was Prime Minister when Bulgaria nftacked Serbia, was for standing by tho treaty with tho latter country, and it was at his Invitation that tho Entento Towers landed forces at Salonlca, .In tho autumn of 1915. In order to block the designs of tho King and court, who wero doing their best to de liver Greeco to tho Germans, tho Entente Powers were obliged to make a succession of demands upon tho Greek Government, in cluding the demobilization of most of the army, tho surrender of tho fleet and the withdrawal of Greek troops from Thessaly. In un effort to enforce their demands the JSntento Allies landed marines In Athens who wero fired upon and finally declared an embargo on Imports Into Greece. Tur moil and Intrigue continued, and In the pres ent year pressure was brought to bear upon Constantino which compelled him to abdi cate tho throno in favor of his second son. Venlzclos returned as Premier, and Greece was nnnounced as a belligerent on tho side of the Entente, MOVES TOWARD PEACE; U. S. ENTERS WAR The events of the present year are still VJl fairly fresh In the minds of most news- mm paper readers, arid so need be sketched only JdVjl in Darcst outline here. They include four vs! great happenings: the movements toward l& peace, the beginning of an unrestricted sub- t ' murine campaign ay uermany, me aowninii of czarlsm In Russia, and the entry of Uuivjp w-...w utHtia in iu mu v..u w.. t (j Movements toward peace actually beo-anj Tate in 1916, but as they culminate In the,', present year, they belong (logically to Ita V chronology. On December 12 Germany ad- g dressed a note, through hn United Statu. ' r Spain and Switzerland, to tho countries fighting against her, suggesting a confer ence to discuss peace terms, but making; no disclosures as to what her own demands would be. On tho 20th of the same month President Wilson, acting on a determination reached prior to Germany's peaco note, sent i a communication to alt the belligerents susc- gestlng that they publicly define their war jij posal for a peace conference, but again shed no light on her probable demands at such a meeting. Tho Entente Allies, on the contrary, formulated in considerable detail tho objects for which they wero fighting-, mentioning tho evacuation and restoration' ' of all land Invaded by Germany, reparation ' and Indemnities, the liberation of Italians. Cl... T.aau,. - I v. h n a m ,1 TlAtiBmlnn. fSM OlilVD, JkUUIBIIi'liia uuu uuiiviiiimiio wl. .-. I tt..KM. U ...I n tl.. .nlll.tnn n-J-l AUSllU'llUUBailllll IUICi Mill ki lfc.u.0w.. w ip tne lurK irom j-juropo. . Germany's reply was to declare unre- otrirted wnrfare on bell liferent merchant MT ships, and under a "blockade" order vlf-3 luauy 10 promuii neuiriu uunuuoro wjuv i-,, f1An n.llnln TllA firs. f!..HIA WHH fl' Ma'WOi mifllatlnn nf tha nrnmtsA TTindA tn fhff TTnltli,iv!OE Er . :r .."-.,.. . ...- o xv(! stales, niier ine Binning ui 1119 ousuo, i 3 safeguard the lives of passengers on altl vessels nttacked. and In view or mis tn . German Ambassador was, on February S,f&),i handed ms nassDoris. ine inierierence iriSi'M Am.plqn inmtn.rM nn thA htffH ftpAH was AV . J!m more difficult question to resolve. TK "blockade at onco proved to bo an Imp slblllty. The ono supreme essential to mate1 talnlng a blockade, according to long'!, tornntlnnnl usaee. Is that it be effective.' From February t to February 14 aermajWj sUDmarines succceuea , in mopping iuiw about 1 per cent of the ships arriving atof i' tAiivlnir nnrts of the United Kingdom. b - On February 26 President Wilson askedV 1 Congress for authority to arm America, , J merchant ships, and on April 2 he went&'-Si Jj fore Congress and asked It to recognliaSjVi - ITALY: HER NEUTRALITY, BREAK WITH AUSTRIA AND BELLIGERENCY FRANCE WINS IMMORTAL GLORY AT VERDUN; 500,000 GERMANS LOST ' H' While Germany waa striking at France In the summer Of 1914 tho Russians got in motion more quickly and energetically than t Berlin had foreseen, One column "'"'"' i ... . . .. v i in Auiiust and ?e uaucia, laKing xariii"" , . b Lemher in Rentcmber. and then Invested i h the great fortresa of Przemysl. As ims w ' n Austrian territory, aarmany -- - tn via 41.. ailtinnm WllnOUb um""" Men. but when RnnkmP' b"! acu k.i. n i. kik. iiifltian became bimi" JTH 1 rush of the Russians. They swept eastward' until almost within striking dlstanco of Konlgsburg and Allensteln. In the countries of the Entente Allies' the people began to count tho days to Berlin. Thjn five Oerman army corps were de tached from the western front, and Von Hlnden'burg was sent against the Russians. He met them at Tannenberr, and In a three- It has been generally predicted that the spring of 1S16 would see a huge offensive In France, nnd there was wide speculation as to where the Entente Allies would strike. But when, toward the end of February, the Frersh approaches to Verdun were sub jected to an unprecedented bombardment, It was plain that the offensive had begun earlier than expected and that It was the Oermans and not the Entente Towers who were pressing It. ., . tn,. r.ri,ui nf Verdun, on the River IfWIllMIli W portant In tho republic. The fight for Its possession was waged with a fury and a destructivoness for which even tho preced ing year and a half of tho war had hardly prepared the world. Meanwhile the French were rallying their resources for this fresh demand upon their blood and their determination. Two men, hitherto comparatively obscure, were singled out for the great responsibilities of the occasion. General Ntvelle took general charge of the operations In the region, while Italy's great service to the other Entente Towers, as pointed out by GugHelmo Mar coni when tho recent Italian mission visited New York, was In declaring her neutrality at tho very outset of the European con flagration. By bo doing she left France assured as to her southeastern frontier, and enabled that nation to concentrate all her soldiers In the north at the hour when they wero most supremely needed there, At tho same time Italy gavo notice to Austria Hungary that tho alliance between, them was at an end, nnd compelled her neighbor to hold an adequate force along the Italian frontiers, ever ready against posstblo at tack. . Tho subsequent entry of Italy Into the war, which took place on May 23, 1915, has not materially changed the situation, ex cept that It has Increased tho size' of the army which Austria-Hungary has had to detach for the Italian frontiers. So far as tho Italian campaign goes, It has been an Independent one, limited to the nation's spheres of Interest. On January 2 of the present year Italy officially announced that since the begin ning of the war Bhe had won 500 square miles of territory and captured 86,000 pris oners, whllo she had shortened her front from COO to 375 miles. BRITISH MARCH IN MESOPOTAMIA; KUT FIASCO AND FINAL TRIUMPH In the summer of 1915 a British force was sent from India by, way of the Persian Gulf to push up the TlgAls River to Bagdad. The force was Insufficient, while medical and transport facilities Vfere waaequaie. mander of the expedition,- reached Ctesl phon, eighteen miles from Bagdad, late In November. Here he was worsted In battle by a superior Turkish force and compelled to fall bapk to Kut-el-AmaraJ where he was flclally that a Btate of war existed betweW, l thn United states and the German Emulrel '. rn i)m fit). r-nnE-renn nnftsed n rASntutlnii . declaring that a state of war had been,' thrust upon America by Germany. Tlwi.f President signed It the same day. thua four" - mally constituting this country a belligerent'' 1 in tne worm war. lkJrft! ' 4, -I AMERICA AND ALLIES .$&' I AS ARBITERS OF PEACEM . t. .. i.:'sv Aieanvvnue amazing events nau ueen i'fl Ing place In Russia, where on March lSs-' U.ur .iitiiu.an p ..,iij,v.i.. wi.t-1 . cate and a provisional Government waa setjpA UJ. ..III. I or w wwfc -..h.-..b . wv.-.--.- later as a uemocracy, r ur u umo mo reyw--' f. lutlonary movement completely aiBorganlejf' the army, and It looked as If Russia, were ' going to be lost to the Entente 1'cwers-1 a fighting unit. Moro recently the ar has renewed Its offensive, but the na has declared expressly for a peace "with Indemnities or annexations." In America significant events have: on the heels of each other since the 'count entered Uie war. A bill for compulsory M Itary service was signed by President son on may is. xowara mo iuuer,,j of Juno a detachment of the regular an under General Pershing, was landed As the third year of the war drawl a close. It Is widely asserted that future progress, and the decisions, e( peace conicrenco wmvu icruii.ii i largely in the hands of two count) America and Russia. -.. Russia -speaks: In the conditional 'J and America In tne ruture tense. i The one most continuous, moat and most Inspiring factor In the l the last three years lias been rran It Is with France that .leaderships la to rest to the .end. UMS tq rrenei .. tHenU that thA synthetically' ..,. t ( ..l . faaAI. man raaieriuwn,iw invviiw It-tf waHiHi'Ue awej sut TYMMfc Mie i lr " i .. . RHKr 31 5 ft.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers