Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 10, No. 51, Ed. 1 Friday, January 10, 1919 Page: 6 of 8
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PALACIOS BEACON, PALACIOS, TEXAS
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REVIEW OF YEAR THAI BROUGHT PEACE
10 WORLD AFTER FOUR YEARS OF WAR
Germany and Her Allies Are Crushed and Forced to Accept Such
Terms as Winners Dictate—United States Supplies Power
That Turns Tide—President Wilson Joins Other Demo-
cratic Rulers of World in Great Peace Congress at
Versailles—Old Nations Crumble and New Ones
Are Formed—Russia Torn by Disorders.
itrr II
|Puni
Into
By DONALD F. BIGGS.
More hislory lias been made in the
yeur 1918 tliun in any year that has
passed since time began. This mo-
mentous twelve months' period comes
to a close with the world at peace af-
ter more than four years of the most
uinary lighting of this or any
r age.
tiring the year great nations have
Timbled, new nations have sprung
into being, thrones have tottered and
fallen, monarchs who once ruled hun-
dreds of millions of people with an
Iron hand have lied for their lives or
have fallen victim to the wrath of peo-
ples Intoxicated by their now-won
freedom.
The coming of peace finds America
and her allies strong and fully able
to meet the responsibilities that come
with victory. On the other hand it
finds the nations responsible fur (he
world cataclysm exhausted and torn
by civil disorders that are born of de-
feat.
HOW THE WAR WAS WON
The year oner^", the opinion
Beucrall#**^#vailing that the -world
wiifc-rfiuld not be brought to a conclu-
sion in less than eighteen months. It
was an open secret that the German
high command was planning to make
a supreme effort on the western front.
In Russia Premier Lcnine and For-
eign Minister Trotzky intrenched
themselves in power by dissolving the
constituent assembly which met at Pe-
trograd January 18. On January 21
«n ull-Itussian congress of sovlets was
convened to replace the constituent as-
sembly. There was little activity on
any front during the month, but on
January HO it was announced officially
that American troops were holding
front-line trenches in France, occupy-
ing a sector northwest of Toul.
The Americans holding this sector
received their baptism of fire when
they repulsed a vigorous German raid.
The Americans lost two killed, four
wounded and one missing. On Febru-
siry 5 the steamer Tuscanla, carrying
2,1 Til American soldiers, was torpe-
doed and sunk, with a loss of 159
lives. On February 9 the Ukraine
signed a separate treaty of peace with
the central powers.
Conditions in Kussia continued to
be chaotic. The bolshevik! declared
the war with Germany over but re-
fused to sign the peace treaty dernind-
ed by Opriimny. The Hermans ther**-
npon renewed hostilities against Kus-
sia, capturing Iteval, Russian naval
base, and advancing on Petrograd. Le-
nlne and Trotzky then announced that
Kussia was forced to accept the Ger-
man peace terms. On March 3 the
Jtussian delegates at Brest-Lltovsk
signed the peace treaty with Germany,
providing for the cession of a vast
area of Russian territory, the payment
of a big indemnity and the disbanding
of the Russian army and navy.
Germans Begin Great Drive.
On March 21 the long-heralded of-
fensive of the Germans was launched.
A terrific blow was delivered against
the British lines ou a front of more
than ,r>0 miles, extending from the Riv-
er Olse, near La Fere, to the Sensee
river, p.bout Crolselles. Wave after
wave of the finest German troops werf
hurled at the Rrltish lines, and In a
few days had advanced 15 miles. The
British Fifth array at the point where
it touched the French lines was rout-
ed, and for a time the allies faced dis-
aster. The Germans continued to push
southward, and at the end of 15 days
liad advanced <17 miles from La Fere
nnd were within six miles of Amiens.
Here the advance was halted. Jn the
meantime, on March 29, the allies, fac-
ing a catastrophe, at last agreed upon
a unification of command, and General
Foch, the brilliant French leader, was
placed in supreme command of ail the
allied armies.
On April 10, the Germans shifted
their attack and began the second
phase of their offensive—a drive
against the British in Flanders with
the channel ports as the objective.
Here again the British were forced to
give ground, but, there was no brenk
such as occurred earlier ou the Scmme
front. The British and Portuguese
were swept back along the River Lys.
The Germans took the Messlnes ridge
iiikI threw- 125,000 m.'n against the
British below Ypres.' But the Ypres
defenses held firm, and in the west the
Germans failed In their efforts to reach
Hnzebrouck. The terrific drive spent
Itself and the Germans had failed lo
threaten the channel ports seriously.
On Aprl! 22 the British navy execut-
ed one of the spectacular feats of the
war, blocking the channel of Zee-
brugge, a German submarine base.
On May 27 the Germans renewed
the offensive with a powerful attack
between the Aisne and the Marne. In
a day they swept over the Chetnln-des-
Daines on the heights north of the
Alsne and crossed the river in a rush.
Next they took Soissons and reached
the Vesle. On they went to the Marne,
extending their front on the river from
Chateau-Thierry to Verneull, nnd
threatening Reims In their advance.
The drive was halted with the Ger-
mans occupying a front 10 miles wide
ou the Marne.
In the meantime the Americans had
won attention on May 28 by taking
Cantigny on the Picardy front in a
brilliant attack.
On May 25. German U-boats began
operations off the coast of the United
States, sinking 11 ships.
The German drive for Paris was re-
sumed btu the turning point was
reached when on June 0 and 7 Ameri-
can marines were thrown across the
path of the advancing army at Chateau-
Thierry. The Americans not only
stopped the Germans but drove them
back two miles, capturing severa1 hun-
dred prisoners.
Trs an effort to unite the Somme sali-
ent with that of the Marne to provide
a base for another move toward Paris,
the Germans launched another heavy
attack west of Noyon on June 10. They
made considerable gains on a 20-mlie
front but the drive was halted within
two days.
Austrian Offensive Is Fiasco.
Attention was transferred from
France to Italy when on June 15 the
Austrians opened an offensive on the
Italian front from Asiago plateau to
the sea. The attack proved a complete
fiasco. It was repulsed at all points
and tlw Italians pursued the fleeing
Austrians across the Piave; taking 45,-
000 prisoners.
The German commanders made one
last effort to break through to Paris
when the crown prince's army group
on July 15, the morning after the
French national holiday, launched an
offensive along a front from Chateau-
Thierry to Massiges, 30 miles east of
Reims..
This fifth and last phase of the great
offensive failed most signally, being
stopped on the third day. The Ameri-
can forces played a big part in this sec-
ond decisive battle of the Marne.
Allied Offensive Opens.
On
18 Genera! Foch assumed
the offensive. He struck the crown
prince's right flank a vital blow and on
the first day the French and Americans
fought their way for six miles along
the Aisne, reaching the outskirts of
Soissons. For two weeks the great
counter-offensive continued. On July
29 the Americans met the crack divi-
sions of German guards and defeated
them lu a stubborn battle at Sergy.
Soissons fell to the French on August
2 and by the following day the entire
Solssons-Reims salient had been wiped
out.
General Foch opened the second
phase of his counter-offensive on Au-
gust 8 when a surprise attack was
launched on a 20-mile front in Picardy,
tiie allies gaining seven miles at some
points and taking 7,000 prisoners. The
following day Haig's men gained 13
miles in Picardy and the next day the
French, attacking ou a 20 mile front,
wiped out the Montdidier salient.
Foch Hammers Foe.
Then followed a series of sledge-
hammer blows on nil portions of the
front, all fitting f rt to the general
scheme of attack worked out by the
mnster mind of Foch. On August 20
Lasslgny fell aud the former Somme
front was restored. British and French
armies, aided by American units, con-
tinued the smash on the Somme front
and on Augusl 30 the Germans were
hurled across the Somme. The British
took Bapaume and were close to
I'eronne. Roye fell to the French and
dozens of small towns were wrested
from the Invaders. Further north the
British smashed the Hlndenburg line
and forced the Germans to begin a re-
treat from the Lys salient.
On September 12, the First Ameri-
can army, under the direct command
of General Pershing, began a brilliant
action which wiped out the difficult
St. Mlhlel salient in three days. The
Americans took 20,000 prisoners lu
this action.
Serbian, French and Italian forces,
on September 18, launched a big drive
against the Bulgars In Macedonia. Al-
most simultaneously the British broke
the Turk lines lit the Holy Laud.
The first decisive break in the ranks
of the central empires came on Sep-
tember 27, when General Malinoff,
commander of the Bulgar armies
which were routed before the advanc-
ing Serbs and French, asked for an
armistice. On September 30 Bulgaria
accepted the armistice terms pro-
posed by the allies and surrendered
unconditionally.
Teutons Move for Peace.
Turkey moved for peace on October
4 and the German people were thrown
into a panic as they saw their allies
crumbling. Prince Max, who had now
become German chancellor, addressed
a note to President Wilson, asking that
steps be taken Immediately to conclude
an armistice and to open peace nego-
tiations. President Wilson answered
by asking whether lie spoke for the
people or the then rulers of the empire
and whether the proposal was based
ou au acceptance of the presidents .14
peace points. Meanwhile the drive on
the west front continued, and the tier-
mans were driven from much ground
that they had held tince 1914. The
I-lindenburg line was smashed at many
points. Pershing's men broke the foe's
main line of defense west of the Meuse
and after days of bitter fighting clear-
ed the Germans out of Argonne forest.
The Germans were forced to abandon
the Clieniln des Dames nnd to retreat
on a long line from Laon as far east
as Argonne.
Germany sent another note to Pres-
ident Wilson on October 12, accepting
the letter's 14 peace principles and
urging the president to transmit its
proposal for an armistice to the allies.
The answer of the allied armies to
the German pence proposals was to
deliver still harder blows at the retir-
ing enemy. In the north the Belgian
army, led by King Albert, co-operat-
ing with the British, began to sweep
the Germans from the Belgian coast.
Chancellor Max, on October 21, sent
another peace note to President Wil-
son. denying the charges that the Ger-
mans had been guilty of atrocities on
land and sen, and again giving assur-
ances that the new government repre-
sented the people of Germany. Presi-
dent Wilson replied two days later,
agreeing to transmit the request for
an armistice to the allies.
Italians Rou'. Austriins.
As this note was delivered the allies
were smashing the Germans at all
points on the western front nnd on
October 24 the Italians launched a
great offensive against the Austrians
ou the Piave front, who within a few
days were in headlong flight with the
Italians In pursuit. The Americans
continued to smash the Germans In vi-
cious attacks west of the Meuse.
The month of November opened with
the German armies facing utter rout,
the armies of her allies completely
shattered and the end in sight. Tur-
key surrendered unconditionally to the
British nnd the Austrinns bogged for
an armistice, while their armies were
in full flight. The allied war council
at Versailles begau to prepare the
terms to be submitted to the Germans.
The American First army smashed
the German lines at Grand Pre and
advanced seven miles west of the
Meuse as the enemy line cracked.
Austria-Hungary, on November 3,
accepted the armistice terms which
provided for unconditional surrender,
hostilities ceasing at three o'clock
November 4.
On November 5, President Wilson
notified Germany to apply to Marshal
Foch for terms, he having been In-
formed that they had been prepared
by the allied war council.
German envoys were appointed and
approached the allied lines but in the
meantime the allied armies did not
lessen the pressure they were exert-
ing on the enemy. The Americans,
having inflicted a severe defeat on
the enemy, clearing the whole front be-
tween the Meuse and the Aisne, rapid-
ly advanced toward Sedan, cutting the
vital communications between Metz
and the long German line extending
to the north.
On November 9 the kaiser abdicat-
ed and the crown prince renounced
his claims to the throne. The govern-
ment of Germany passed Into the con-
trol of the social democrats and
Herr Ehcrt was made chancellor. The
kaiser lied to Holland aud was per-
mitted to remain there by the Dutch
authorities. At: the uuuie time vari-
ous other German prluces abdicated
and soldiers and workmen's councils
sprang into existence at many points.
Germans Sign Armistice.
On November 11 the German en-
voys signed the armistice which
amounted practically to unconditional
surrender.
The armistice became effective at
11 a. in., Paris time, November 11.
With the cessation of hostilities
revolution spread through Germany
and Austria. Emperor Charles of
Austria abdicated and a people's gov-
ernment was sot up.
Carrying out the terms of the armis-
tice the Germans surrendered 71 war-
ships lo the allies on November 21.
Conditions were very unsettled In
Germany during the closing weeks of
the year, the socialist government np-
purently sharing power with the sol-
diers and workmen's councils. Plans
were tinder discussion for the sum-
moning of a constituent assembly to
determine the future character of the
government but activities of the rad-
ical socialistic (•lenient under the lead-
ership of Herr Llebknecht threatened
to disrupt the entire former empire.
Ou November 29 President Wilson
announced that he would head the
American delegation to tlie peace
conference and that the other dele-
gates would he Secretary of State
Lansing. Col. E. M. House, Henry
White, former ambassador to France,
and Gen. Tusker II. Bliss, United
States military representative on the
supreme war council. The president,
accompanied by the other peace dele-
gates and a large party of assistants,
sailed for Franca December 4.
President Wilson arrived at Brest
December 13 and proceeded to Paris,
where he was given an enthusiastic re-
ception.
British, French, American and Bel-
gian armies of occupation advanced
into Germany as the Germans retired
in accordance with the armistice, the
allied armies reaching the Rhine dur-
ing the early days of December.
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
Practically every phase of American
life felt the dominating influence of
war throughout the year 1918.
In the field of national legislation
woman's suffrage and nation-wide pro-
hibition were urged as war measures.
The woman's suffrage amendment
was defeated in the senate October 1,
after having passed the house. A
nation-wide prohibition measure, to
become effective June 30, 1919, ,vns
enacted by congress and approved by
the president November 22. On Sep-
tember 6 President Wilson had or-
dered the manufacture of malt liquor
stopped on December 1, as a food-
conservation measure.
Government control of the railroads
was followed during this year by gov-
ernment control of all telegraph and
telephone lines. Congress on July 13
authorized the president to take con-
trol of the wires and the government
assumed control on July 31. On No-
vember 17, the government also took
control of all Atlantic cable lines.
The first general election since the
United Slates entered the war was
held on November 5. The Republicans
won both houses of congress, the sen-
ate by a majority of two and the
house by a margin of more than forty.
During September, October and No-
vember the entire country was swept
by a serious epidemic of Spanish in-
fluenza. Thousands of soldiers in the
army camps and other thousands of
civilians succumbed thereto and to
pneumonia.
The country was surprised on No-
vember 22 by the resignation of Wil-
liam G. McAdoo ns secretory of the
treasury and director general of the
railroads. Representative Carter Glass
of Virginia was named to succeed Mr.
McAdoo as secretary of the treasury
December 5.
On November 25 Governor Scephens
of California commuted to life impris-
onment the death sentence of Thomas
J. Mooney, convicted in connection
with the death of ten persons from a
bomb explosion in San Francisco dur-
ing a preparedness parade July 22,
1916.
FOREIGN
The map of Europe was being re-
made as the year 1918 came to a close.
The Czechoslovak republic was al-
ready In existence before the close of
the war, having been recoguized ns an
independent belligerent government by
the United States, Great Britain,
France and Italy, but the coming of
peace saw the formal establishment of
this new government at Prague. The
end of the war also practically assured
the rising of a great new Poland, made
up of most, if not all, of the territory
divided up years ago among Germany,
Austria and Russia. Finland threw
off the shackles placed upon her by
Russia and out of the turmoil of civil
war emerged as a free and independent
nation. The peoples of other smaller
subject states asserted their independ-
ence.
Civil war continued to threaten the
new republic of China throughout the
year. Hsu Shlh Chang was elected
president of the republic on Scptem
her 6 nnd during the next few months
reports indicated a possibility of an
agreement being reached between the
northern and southern sections of the
country.
Peru and Chile were reported on the
brink of war during the closing weeks
of the year. The trouble between
these countries was an outgrowth of
the nitrate war of years ago in which
Chile won Taona nnd Arlca,
Dr. Sidonia Paes, president of Por-
tugal, was shot and killed at Lisbon,
December .15. The assassin was killed
by the crowd that witnessed the crime.
Two days later Admiral Cnnto Y. Cas-
tro was elected president of Portugal.
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Labor unrest, resulting In many
strifes, threatened to seriously ham-
per the government's war preparations
early in the year but through a spirit
of co-operation shown by both labor
aud capital the danger was averted and
there waB little labor trouble during
the greater part of the year.
During the early days of the Jre*
disaffection appeared among the work-
ers in tlie shipyards and by February
12 the situation had assumed a serious
aspect with strikes In effect In five
yards. By February 10 the strike had
spread still further in spite of an ad-
vance in wages announced by the la-
bor adjustment board.
On February 17, President Wilson,
in a letter to William L. lliitcliesou,
head of 'lie United Brotherhood of Car-
penters and Joiners, concerning the
ship carpenters'strike, denied the right
of labor to strike at that critical junc-
ture. "Will you co-operate or will you
obstruct V the president askeu. The
workmen responded to the president's
appeal and the strike was declared off.
At the same time Secretary of Labor
Wilson announced the personnel of it
national hoard of labor, to be com-
posed of representatives of both labor
and capital. On February 24 this board
opened a conference l'or the purpose of
establishing a basis for the settlement
of disputes during the war. I' ornier
President William 11. Taft, chosen by
the employers, and Frank P. Walsh,
selected by the labor organizations, al-
ternated as chairman. This confer-
ence, on March 29, reached an agree-
ment providing that all labor disputes
arising during the war should be sub-
mitted to a board of mediation. This
agreement was adhered to by both em-
ployers and employees and compara-
tively feu strikes occurred during the
remainder of the year!
DISASTERS
Fires, railroad accidents and explo-
sions took a heavy toll of human life
on land during the year 1918 while the
elements combined with the torpedoes
of the German U-boats to send thou-
sands of innocent persons, including
women and children, to their death at
sea.
Fifty-two children met death In a
tire which destroyed a convcnt at Mon
treal, Canada, February 14. February
24 the liner Florlzel, bound from St.
Johns. N. F., to New York, was
wrecked by a blizzard near Cape Racu
and 92 lives were lost.
Seventy Inmates of an lnsnne asylum
at Norman, Okla., were killed In a fire
which destroyed that institution April
13.
On May 1 the Savannah liner City of
Athens was sunk in a collision with a
French cruiser off the Delaware coast
and 66 lives were lost. On May 18
nearly a hundred persons were killed
by explosions In the Aetna Chemical
plant near Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sixty-three persons, Including well-
known circus performers, perished
when a circus train was wrecked at
Gary, Ind., June 22. Fifty persons were
killed by the collapse of a building at
Sioux City, la., June 29.
A small factory explosion in England
killed r>0 persons July 1 and or the fo!
'.owing day an explosion In a munitions
plant near Syracuse, N. Y„ killed 16.
Eighty-five merrymakers perished
when an excursion boat sank in the
Illinois river July 5. A hundred per-
sons were killed In a collision between
two trains near Nashville, Tenn.,
July 9.
During the months of September
and October hundreds of persons lost
their lives at sea either by accident
or by the torpedoing of passenger
boats by German submarines. On Sep-
tember 12 the British steamer Galway
Castle was torpedoed and 189 persons,
Including 90 women and children, were
lost. The American cargo boat H-
conderoga was torpedoed September
30 and 213 persons were lost. A tor-
pedo boat sank a Japanese liner on Oc-
tober 4 anci 290 persons were drowned.
A tornado swept a part of Minnesota
August 21, killing 50 persons at Tyler
•md Connors.
Ou October 6 the United States trans-
port Otranto wns sunk In collision off
the Irish coast and 450 persons lost
their lives. Four hundred were lost
when the British mall boat Lelnster
was torpedoed and sunk October 10.
A series of tcrriflc explosions In a
shell-loading piant at Morgan, N. J.,
on October 3 killed 94 persons and de-
stroyed a vast amount of property. A
severe earthquake which caused tho
death of 150 persons wns reported In
Porto Kteo October 11. Great forest
fires raged In northeastern Minnesota
during October. Many towns were de-
stroyed and about 1,000 lives wero lost.
On October 25 the stenmsliip Princess
Sophia was wrecked on the Alaskan
coast and 343 were lost.
Ninety-eight persons were killed No-
vember 1 In a wreck on the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit lines. On November 21,
about 1,500 persons were reported
killed by the explosion of German mu-
nition trains en route from Belgium t®
Germany.
One of the most unusual cases kn
maritime history was that of the
United States navv collier Oyrlnpw,
which disappeared at sea while bound
from the West Indies to au American
Atlantic port. Announcement was
made April 14 that the boat, with 298
persons on board, was a month over-
due. Not a single trace of the beat
or its passengers and crew was ever
found, nnd the fate of the vessel is a
complete mystery.
(Copyright, 1818, by MoClur* N>w»p«»»*
8yndlcftt#j
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Tucker, T. L. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 10, No. 51, Ed. 1 Friday, January 10, 1919, newspaper, January 10, 1919; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth412095/m1/6/: accessed July 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.