A Story of the War and FAMILY WAR SERVICE RECORD 1914-1919 MACKEY. SMITH & STILES ST. PAUL, MINN. Copyright 1919, Mackey, Smith & Stiles, St. Paul, Minn. STORY BY CHAPTERS. ^ ^-l-'i' ^ Chapter One. First Drive Toward Paris. Chapter Two. First Battle of Marne. Chapter Three. Deadlock on the Aisne. Chapter Four. Canada's Contribution to Victory. Chapter Five. Battle for Verdun. Chapter Six. Wonders of the World War. Chapter Seven. Russia Defeated in IQIS- Chapter Eight. Serbia Is Crushed. ChaptierNine. :Jiumania Quickly Defeated. Chapter Ten. Battle of Jutland. Chapter Eleven. Revolution Betrays Russia. Chapter Twelve. Submarines — The Lusitania. Chapter Thirteen. America Enters War. Chapter Fourteen. Whole Nation Volunteers. Chapter Fifteen, igiy Campaigns in West. Chapter Sixteen. U-Boats Raid United States Coast. Chapter Seventeen. German Drives in igi8. Chapter Eighteen. Americans Enter Fighting. Chapter Nineteen. Allies Take Offensive. Chapter Twenty. St. Mihiel Salient Conquered. Chapter Twenty-One. -'Algonne Drive Hastens End. Chapter Twenty-Two. ''German Peace Drives. Chapter Twenty-Three. Armistice Signed. Chapter Twenty-Four. Italy's Share in War. Chapter Twenty-Five. Bulgaria First to Surrender. Chapter Twenty-Six. The War with Turkey. Chapter Twenty-Seven. Cost in Lives and Money. ©CLASH 71 4 FEB >A \m w n Admiral Sir Davis Beatty H o ©^^ <^^<® 1® »^ "S °^@@^'^yg»^°^'@°g°g^ ® Introdudlion Now that the hordes of savage Huns that attempted to overrun the civilized world have been thwarted and subdued, there naturally comes with this victory a desire for a story of this ivonderful war and a service record for those who participated in it, and this work is designed to accomplish that end. It is often more difficult to tell a story briefly and comprehensively than to relate it in many chapters and volumes, and it is hoped that the admirable brev- ity of this work will be appreciated. It is entirely proper that the deeds of the heroes who placed their services and their lives at the disposal of their country in defense of the principles of democracy, liberty and freedom, should be properly recorded. The nation will spend millions of dollars to do so, but its records will be filed away in the archives of the government at Washington. These records will not be easily accessible, nor complete as to the personal services of the individual in any event. The purpose of this work is to preserve the record of each individual for his own personal satisfaction and for the pleasure of his family and friends, and to commemorate with a fitting souvenir the deeds and patriotic devotion of the men and women to the service that the same may be handed down to posterity. In order to do this systematically and uniformly throughout the country, this family war service record has been prepared ethically and logically and will be found to provide a place for every one to make his own record easily and quickly. No nation was ever organized more thoroughly for a task. Almost every man, woman and child, old and young, in every state, county, city, village and rural district, and even the far-away Pacific Islands, were organized for some form of war work. It was the greatest union of military and civic effort the world has ever known, and this family war service record provides a place for each and every one of them to record what he did, where he did it, and how he did it. There is a leading question in each case, and it is only necessary to write the answer that a complete and permanent record of one's service in the great war may be made, and these records will soon become an important part of the permanent history of the world war. The story of the war contained in this work has been prepared by one of the ablest war critics of the country, and this narrative clearly and logically places before the reader in a highly interesting and orderly fashion the prin- cipal events of the great war. The chapters on the war service organiza- tions of the country, like the Red Cross and others tell wonderful stories of the atrocities of the war and should be read by every one. Beside the story of the war there are nearly two hundred typical war scenes and sketches, including many photographs of persons and places immortalized by the great conflict. The records in this work are intended primarily for the soldiers, sailors, marines, aviators ami other fighting forces of the nation, but the whole people were so widely and intensely organized that they all took some part in the great war and so this service record provides for each and every one an equal opportunity in its pages to show what he or she did to aid in its success- ful prosecution. It is believed that this ivork will greatly contribute to the patriotism of the whole people and that it tvill be enjoyed now and preserved and prized by future generations. Address of Woodrow Wilson The President of the United States Delivered at a Joint Session of The Two Houses of Congress April 2, 1917 Gentlemen of the Congress: 1HAVE called the Congress into extraordinary session because there are serious, very serious, choices of policy to be made and made immediately which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible that I should assume the responsibility of making. On the third of February last I officially laid before you the extraordinary announcement of the Imperial German Government that on and after the first day of February it was its purpose to put aside all restraints of law or of human- ity and use its submarines to sink every vessel that sought to approach either the ports of Great Britain and Ireland, or the western coasts of Europe, or any of the ports controlled by the enemies of Germany within the Mediterranean. That had seemed to be the object of the German submarine warfare earlier in the war, but since April of last year the Imperial Government had somewhat restrained the commanders of its undersea craft in conformity with its promise then given to us that passenger boats should not be sunk and that due warning would be given to all other vessels which its submarines might seek to destroy when no resistance was offered or escape attempted, and care taken that their crews were given at least a fair chance to save their lives in their open boats. The precautions taken were meagre and haphazard enough, as was proved in distressing instance after instance in the progress of the cruel and unmanly business, but a certain degree of retraint was observed. The new policy has swept every restriction aside. Vessels of every kind, whatever their flag, their character, their cargo, their destination, their errand, have been ruthlessly sent to the bottom without warning and without thought of help or mercy for those on board, the vessels of friendly neutrals along with those of belligerents. Even hospital ships and ships carrying relief to the sorely bereaved and stricken people of Belgium, though the latter were provided with safe conduct through the prescribed areas by the German Government itself and were distinguished by unmistakable marks of identity, have been sunk with the same reckless lack of compassion or of principle. I was for a little while unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized nations. International law had its origin in the attempt to set up some law which would be respected and observed upon the seas ivhere no nation had right of dominion and where lay the free highivays of the world. By pain- ful stage after stage has that law been built up, with meagre enough results in- deed, after all was accomplished that could be accomplished, but always with a clear view, at least, of what the heart and conscience of mankind demanded. mm -sm This minimum of right the German Government has swept aside under the plea of retaliation and necessity and because it had no weapons which it could use at sea except those which it is impossible to employ as it is employing them without throwing to the winds all scruples of humanity or of respect for the understandings that were supposed to underlie the intercourse of the world. I am not now thinking of the loss of property involved, immense and serious as that is, but only of the wanton and wholesale destruction of the lives of non- combatants, men, women, and children engaged in pursuits which have always, even in the darkets periods of modern history, been deemed innocent and legiti- mate. Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be. The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind. It is a war against all nations. American ships have been sunk, American lives taken, in ways which it has stirred us very deeply to learn of, but ships and people of other neutral and friendly nations have been sunk ami over- whelmed in the waters in the same way. There has been no discrimination. The challenge is to all mankind. Each nation must decide for itself how it will meet it. The choice we make for ourselves must be made with a modera- tion of counsel and a temperateness of judgment befitting our character and our motives as a nation. We must put excited feeling away. Our motive will not be revenge or the victorious assertion of -the physical might of the nation, but only the vindication of right, of human right, of which we are only a single champion. When I addressed the Congress on the twenty-sixth of February last I thought that it ivould suffice to assert our neutral rights with arms, our right to use the seas against unlawful interference, our right to keep our people safe against unlawful violence. But armed neutrality, it note appears, is impractic- able. Because submarines are in effect outlaws when used as the German sub- marines have been used against merchant shipping, it is impossible to defend ships against their attacks as the law of nations has assumed that merchantmen would defend themselves against privateers or cruisers, visible craft giving chase upon the open sea. It is common prudence, in such circumstances, grim necessity indeed, to endeavor to destroy them before they have shown their own intention. They must be dealt with upon sight, if dealt with at all. The German Government denies the right of neutrals to use arms at all within the areas of the sea which it has proscribed, even in the defence of rights which no modern publicist has ever before questioned their right to defend. The intimation is conveyed that the armed guards ivhich we have placed on our merchant ships will be treated as beyond the pale of law and subject to be dealt ivith as pirates would be. Armed neutrality is ineffectual enough at best: in such circumstances and in the face of such pretensions it is more than ineffectual; it is likely only to produce what it ivas meant to prevent; it is practically certain to draw us into the ivar without either the rights or the effectiveness of belligerents. There is one choice we cannot make, we are incapable of making. We will not choose the path of submission and suffer the most sacred rights of our nation and our people to be ignored or violated. The wrongs against which we note array ourselves are no common wrongs; they cut to the very roots of human life. With a profound sense of the solemn and even tragical character of the step I am taking and of the grave responsibilities which it involves, but in un- hesitating obedience to wliat I deem my constitutional duty, I advise that the Congress declare the recent course of the Imperial German Government to be in fact nothing less than war against the government and people of the United States, that it Jormally accept the status of belligerent which has thus been thrust upon it; and that it take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense, but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources to bring the government of the German Empire to terms and end the war. Wlmt this will involve is clear. It will involve the utmost practicable co- operation in counsel and action with the governments now at war with Germany, and, as incident to that, the extension to those governments of the most liberal financial credits in order that our resources may, so far as possible, be added to theirs. It ivill involve the organization and mobilization of all the material resources of the country to supply the materials of war and serve the incidental needs of tfie nation in the most abundant, and yet the most economical and efficient way possible. It will involve the immediate full equipment of the navy in all respects, but particularly in supplying it with the best means of dealing with the enemy's submarines. It will involve the immediate addition to the armed forces of the United States already provided for by law in case of war, at least 500,000 men, ivho should, in my opinion, be chosen upon the principle of universal liability to service, and also the authorization of subsequent additional increments of equal force so soon as they tnay be needed and can be handled in training. It will involve, also, of course, the granting of adequate credits to the Gov- ernment, sustained, I hope, so far as they can equitably be sustained by the pres- ent generation, by well conceived taxation. I say sustained so far as may be equitable by taxation because it seems to me that it would be most unwise to base the credits which will now be necessary entirely on money borrowed. It is our duty, I most respectfully urge, to protect our people so far as we may against the very serious hardships and evils which ivould be likely to arise out of the infliction which would be produced by vast loans. In carrying out the measures by which these things are to be accomplished, we should keep constantly in mind the wisdom of interfering as little as possible in our own preparation and in the equipment of our own military forces with the duty — for it will be a very practical duty — of supplying the nations already at war with Germany with the materials which they can obtain only from us or by our assistance. They are in the field and we should help them in every way to be effective there. I shall take the liberty of suggesting, through the several executive de- partments of the Government for the consideration of your committees, measures for the accomplishment of the several objects I have mentioned. I hope that it ivill be your pleasure to deal with them as having been framed after very careful thought by the branch of the government upon tvhich the responsibility of conducting the war and safeguarding the nation will most directly fall. While we do these things, these deeply momentous things, let us be very clear and make very clear to all the ivorld ivhat our motives and our objects are. My own thought has not been driven from its habitual and normal course by the unhappy events of the last tivo months, and I do not believe that the thought of the nation has been altered or clouded by them. I have exactly the same things in mind now that I had in mind when I addressed the Senate on the 22nd of January last; the same that I had in mind when I addressed the Congress on the 3rd of February and on the 26th of Feb- '-^i ruary. Our object now, as then, is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world as against selfish and autocratic power, and to set up amongst the really free and self-governed peoples of the world such a concert of purpose and of action as will henceforth insure the observance of those principles. Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its peoples, and the menace to that peace and freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments backed by organized force which is controlled wholly by their will, not by the will of their people. We have seen the last of neutrality in such circumstances. We are at the beginning of an age in which it will be insisted that the same standards of conduct and of responsibility for wrong done shall be observed among nations and their governments that are observed among the individual citizens of civilized states. We have no quarrel with the German people. We have no feeling towards them but one of sympathy and friendship. It was not upon their impulse that their Government acted in entering this war. It was not with their previous knowledge or approval. It was a war determined upon as wars used to be determined upon in the old, unhappy days when peoples were nowhere consulted by their rulers and wars were provoked and waged in the interests of dynasties or of little groups of ambitious men who were accustomed to use their fellow men as pawns and tools. Self-governed nations do not fill their neighbor states with spies or set the course of intrigue to bring about some critical posture of affairs which will give them an opportunity to strike and make conquest. Such designs can be successfully ivorked out only under cover and where no one has the right to ask questions. Cunningly contrived plans of deception or aggression, carried, it may be, from generation to generation, can be worked out and kept from the light only within the privacy of courts or behind the carefully guarded confidences of a narrow and privileged class. They are happily impossible where public opinion commands and insists upon full information concerning all the nation's affairs. A steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by a partner- ship of democratic nations. No autocratic government could be trusted to keep faith within it or observe its covenants. It must be a league of honor, a partnership of opinion. Intrigue would eat its vitals away; the plottings of inner circles who could plan what they would and render account to no one would be a corruption seated at its very heart. Only free peoples can hold their purpose and their honor steady to a common end and prefer the interests of mankind to any narrow interest of their oivn. Does not every American feel that assurance has been added to our hope for the future peace of the world by the wonderful and heartening things that have been happening within the last few weeks in Russia? Russia was known by those ivho knew it best to have been always in fact democratic at heart, in all the vital habits of her thought, in all the intimate relationships of her people that spoke their natural instinct, their habitual attitude towards life. The autocracy that crowned the summit of her political structure, long as it had stood and terrible as tvas the reality of its power, was not in fact Russian in origin, character, or purpose, and now it has been shaken off and the great generous Russian people have been added in all their native majesty and might to the forces that are fighting for freedom in the world, for justice and for peace. Here is a fit partner for a League of Honor. One of the things that has served to convince us that the Prussian autocracy was not and could never be our friend is that from the very outset of the present war it has filled our unsuspecting communities, and even our offices of govern- ment, with spies, and set criminal intrigues everywhere afoot against our national unity of counsel, our peace within and without, our industries and our commerce. Indeed, it is now evident that its spies were here even before the war began; and it is unhappily not a matter of conjecture but a fact proved in our courts of justice that the intrigues which have more than once come perilously near to disturbing the peace and dislocating the industries of the country have been carried on at the instigation, with the support, and even under the personal di- rection of official agents of the Imperial Government accredited to the Govern- ment of the United States. Even in checking these things and trying to extirpate them we have sought to put the most generous interpretation possible upon them, because we knew that their source lay, not in any hostile feeling or purpose of the German people toivards us (ivho were, no doubt, as ignorant of them as we ourselves were), but only in the selfish designs of a Government that did what it pleased and told its people nothing. But they have played their part in serving to convince us at last that that Government entertains no real friendship for us and means to act against our peace and security at its convenience. That it means to stir up enemies against us at our very doors the intercepted note to the German Minister at Mexico City is eloquent evidence. We are accepting this challenge of hostile purpose because we know that in such a government, following such methods, we can never have a friend; and that in the presence of its organized power, always lying in wait to accomplish we know not what purpose, there can be no assured security for the democratic governments of the world. We are now about to accept gage of battle with this natural foe to liberty and shall, if necessary, spend the whole force of the nation to check and nullify its pretensions and its power. We are glad, now that we see the facts with no veil of false pretence about them, to fight thus for the ultimate peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples, the German peoples included; for the rights of nations, great and small, and the privilege of men everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience. The world must be made safe for democ- racy; its peace must be planted upon tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of the nations can make them. Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves but what we shall wish to share with all free peoples, we shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and of fair play we profess to be fighting for. I have said nothing of the governments allied with the Imperial Govern- ment of Germany because they have not made war upon us or challenged us to defend our right and our honor. The Austro-Hungarian Government has, indeed, avowed its unqualified indorsement and acceptance of the reckless, lawless sub- marine warfare adopted now without disguise by the Imperial German Govern- ment, and it has, therefore, not been possible for this Government to receive Count Tarnowski, the Ambassador recently accredited to this Government by the Imperial and Royal Government of Austria-Hungary; but that Government has not actually engaged in warfare against citizens of the United States on the seas, and I take the liberty, for the present at least, of postponing a discussion of our relations with the authorities at Vienna. We enter this war only where we are clearly forced into it because there are no other means of defending our rights. It will be all the easier for us to conduct ourselves as belligerents in a high spirit of right and fairness because we act without animus, not in enmity towards a people or with the desire to bring any injury or disadvantage upon them, but only in armed opposition to an irresponsible Government which has thrown aside all considerations of humanity and of right and is running amuck. We are, let me say again, the sincere friends of the German people, and shall desire nothing so much as the early re-establishment of intimate relations of mutual advantage between us, however hard it may be for them, for the time being, to believe that this is spoken from our hearts. We have borne with their present government through all these bitter months because of that friendship — exercising a patience and forbearance which would otherwise have been im- possible. We shall, happily, still have an opportunity to prove that friendship in our daily attitude and actions toward the millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy who live amongst us and share our life, and we shall be proud to prove it towards all who are in fact loyal to their neighbors and to the Government in the hour of test. They are, most of them, as true and loyal Americans as if they had never known any other fealty or allegiance. They ivill be prompt to stand with us in rebuking and restraining the few who may be of a different mind and purpose. If there should be disloyalty, it will be dealth with with a firm hand of stern repression; but, if it lifts its head at all, it will lift it only here and there and without countenance except from a lawless and malignant few. It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all ivars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried near- est our hearts — for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come ivhen America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other. -^1i THE CIVILIZED WORLD AGAINST GERMANY. NINETEEN NATIONS SHARE IN VICTORY. Nineteen nations were arrayed, from first to last, in the war against Ger- many, Austria, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Eight others in Central and South America severed relations with the Central Powers. The nineteen Allies were the United States, Great Britain and the Domin- ions, France, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Russia, Montenegro, Japan, Rumania, Greece, Portugal, San Marino, Panama, Cuba, Brazil, China, Siam and Liberia. The declarations of war, in the order of their dates, were: 1914 July 28 — Austria against Serbia. Aug. 1 — Germany against Russia. Aug. 3 — Germany against France. Aug. 3 — France against Germany. Aug. 4 — Germany against Great Britain. Aug. 4 — Great Britain against many. 4 — Germany against Belgium. 6 — Austria against Russia. 6 — Montenegro against Austria. 9 — Austria against Montenegro. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug -Montenegro against Germany. 1917 Aug. 2 — Italy against Turkey. Oct. 14 — Bulgaria against Serbia. Oct. 15 — Great Britain against Bul- garia. Oct. 16 — France against Bulgaria. Oct. 19 — Italy against Bulgaria. Oct. 19 — Russia against Bulgaria. Ger- 1916 Mar. 9 — Germany against Portugal. Aug. 27 — Rumania against Austria. Aug. 28 — Italy against Germany. Aug. 29 — Turkey against Rumania. Sept. 14 — Germany against Rumania. 9 9 — Serbia against Germany. Apr. Aug. 13 — France against Austria. Aug. 13 — Great Britain against Austria. Apr. 23 — Japan against Germany. Apr. 27 — Austria against Japan. July 28 — Austria against Belgium. 3 — Russia against Turkey. July 22 — Siam against Germany and 5 — Great Britain against Turkey. Austria. Aug, Aug. Aug, Nov, Nov, Nov, Nov, Dec. 6 — United States against Ger- many. 7 — Panama against Germany. 7 — Cuba against Germany. 2 — Greece against Bulgaria and Germany. 5 — France against Turkey. 23 — Turkey against Allies. 2 — Serbia against Turkey. Aug. 4 — Liberia against Germany. Aug. 14 — China against Germany and Austria. Oct. 26 — Brazil against Germany. Dec. 7 — United States against Austria. Dec. 10 — Panama Against Austria. 1915 May 1,9 — Portugal against Germany. May 24 — Italy against Austria. May 24 — San Marino against Austria. The countries which severed relations with Germany in 1917 without de- claring war, and the dates of their action, were: Bolivia, April 14; Guatemala, April 27; Honduras, May 17; Nicaragua, May 18; Hayti, June 17; Costa Rica, Sept. 21; Peru, Oct. 6; Uruguay, Oct. 7. mm A Story of the War CHAPTER ONE. First Drive Toward Paris. America was busy getting the signatures of the great powers to a series of permanent peace treaties in 1914. The nations were pledging their word to the United States and to each other — Germany was not one of them — to help avert all wars forever by refraining from hostilities for at least a year in an^^ cause of quarrel. Mars, the dread god of war, seemed as far away as the planet of the same name. It was midsummer and the farmers were think- ing of nothing but harvesting their crops. The las- situde of the dogdays was upon all. It was a time for fishing and idling for those that could give the time. Suddenly this peaceful world was convulsed with a war of all the great nations of Europe. Even then, so little was the strange situation realized that if any one had told the average Amer- ican or Canadian father or mother that the war was going to last four years, that it would cost the lives of nearly 10,000,000 soldiers and millions more of women and children, that the money expense would be $200,000,000,000, that 2,000,000 young Americans and 500,000 young Canadians would take part in it in Europe, he would have been re- garded as an alarmist or a dreamer. All that and more has happened since Aug. 1, 'h-~.-^-~:^.,i^^^^^r'^ - ~<^-- // , ' u/ '^ — m 1914, when the news came under through the air and over the wires: "Germany declares war against Russia." This message was taken to mean a general Euro- pean w^ar for the first time since Napoleon was de- throned, for all knew that France was allied with Russia, that Great Britain was a member of an entente cordiale or understanding with France and Russia and had formed an offensive and defensive alliance with Japan, that Austria was closely allied with Germany, and indeed had made the first move bv declaring war upon Serbia three days before, on July 28. There were hopes that the war could be averted. England Strives to Avert War. England in particular made every effort to patch up the quarrel and had been doing so for a week past, within public knowledge. The British people, including the dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the British Isles, regarded war with hor- ror and to be averted by every honorable means, but to be sternly accepted if duty so demanded. The great question was whether Belgium would be used as a route for German troops to enter France from the north, the most vulnerable side. From the border of Alsace and Lorraine, France was protected not only by the most powerful arti- ficial defenses that the wit of man could devise but by natural strength. The land from Metz to Paris A Story of the War is guarded by a series of ridges, with the sharp side toward Germany, difficult to capture. On the Bel- gian side France had built forts at Mezieres, Valen- ciennes and Maubeuge, but the land was almost level. England was under obligation of a treaty made in 1839 with France, to which Germany also was a part3% not to violate the neutrality of Belgium nor to permit any other nation to do so. The wise men of the early 19th century had agreed that the pos- session of little Belgium, formed from territory that had been in dispute for 300 years, would give any one of the three too great an advantage in attacking one of the others, and hence they would all keep out of it. In return for this protection Belgium bound herself to take no sides in any foreign war. Sunday, Aug. 2, Germany made the first move toward France and Belgium by invading the neutral grand duchy of Luxemburg and crossing the French boundary near Longwy before declaring war against France. Bel^an Neutrality Demanded. Germany declared war on France Aug. 3, alleg- ing she did so in self-defense. Britain demanded of Germany a promise that the treaty rights of Belgium would be respected, which Germany refused. Von Bethmann Hollweg, the German chancellor, asking the British ambas- sador in Berlin, in apparent surprise, if England would go to war "for a scrap of paper." 4i n: i Ik ■^J i: i i! H liii \ ! i \,^>- A Story of the War 'WW The answer was an ultimatum from England, giving six hours for a promise to keep out of Bel- gium. Before that time had expired, Germany sent troops across the Belgian border to attack Liege and dispatched a declaration of war to England. The German declaration of war was made public at the same time as a British declaration of war against Germanj^ What had caused an appeal to brute force among nations no one of whom had been at war with any of the others for 43 years? To the German people it was represented as purely a defense of the fatherland, attacked by ene- mies all around it. Russia was pictured as seeking to establish a great Slavic empire by conquering portions of Germany and Austria, France as in league with Russia in this design and also desiring revenge and the recovery of the lost provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, England as jealous of the growing commercial and maritime power of Ger- many and determined to destroy it in blood and Kaiser Claims Self-Defense. Emperor William II, clad in a new field gray uniform, appeared before the people of Berlin and declared: "The sword is forced into my hand." He was obliged to take this position by the Ger- man constitution, which gave him power to begin war on his own sole authority only in defense of A Storv of the War the country. Speed, which was essential to success, did not permit of first asking the consent of the reichstag. It was chiefly necessary to make it out that Ger- many had been attacked and was the injured party in order to gain unanimous popular support of the war at home and the goodwill of neutral nations. Thus early was the German propaganda seen to be at work. The response was all that the kaiser and the war party could desire. The mobilization of troops, all previously arranged by a card index system, was carried out like clockwork. The soldiers appeared at their appointed stations and immediately were outfitted in new uniforms of a greenish gray color, which had been provided in abundance, though the world knew nothing of it. Everything else that forethought could suggest had been arranged, but only for a war of three months. Germany had no idea that opposition would remain uncrushed after that time. The time table of the march to Paris had been prepared in advance, with all the necessary stops for water and provisions, just as is done in the traffic department of a railroad. Britain's Safety Imperiled. To the British empire the war involved the honor of the nation, pledged to defend the neutral- ity of Belgium. This pledge was fortified by con- siderations of national defense of the highest kind. /- A Story of the War The safety of Britain would be in grave peril if the Belgian coast, with the ports of Antwerp, Os- tend and Zeebrugge were possessed by the nation with the greatest armj^ in the world and a navy which threatened to equal that of England. The situation would be even more dangerous than in the time of Napoleon, when he said that in Ant- werp he had a "loaded pistol pointed at the heart of England." Steam, electricity and steel would make the 22 miles of the English channel little pro- tection against invasion of the land or destruction of commerce. The peril to France was immediate, for it was known that Germany, which had taken away half of the French iron ore resources in 1870, wanted to take more than half of what remained, also wanted to seize the port of Calais and to cripple France by exacting indemnities so as to make it a second rate power, never to be feared in the future. France's colonies in Africa and Asia also were inviting fields for German plunder, a purpose frank- ly disclosed in the statement frequently made in Germany that Germany must have her "place in the sun," alluding to the British boast that the sun never sets on the British dominions. How much further such designs went in the German mind can only be surmised from the fact that German officers, when preparing for the inva- sion of France, marked their baggage "Paris, Ger- many." The average Russian knew or cared little except ',1 ! ..^ I ii i V A Story of the War that the Czar had ordered him to war. The Czai% Nicholas II, was not a strong man, but all evidence is that he meant to do his duty when he gave con- sent to the mobilization of 1,000,000 men July 31, 1914, which furnished Emperor William with a pre- text for declaring war. Nicholas was under the influence and control of a bureaucracy and court cabals, whose motives were mixed. Russia Honeycombed With Spies. Some of the Russian officials who helped to make the Czar's mind doubtless were patriotic and were for waging a war to win it and prevent Austria from conquering Serbia and opening a straight Ger- man road to Constantinople, the Dardanelles, which Russia coveted for nearly a century, and to India. No question ever was raised as to the patriotism, energy and ability of the Grand Duke Nicholas, uncle of the late czar, who was commander-in-chief of the Russian armies under trying circumstances. Other Russians, in positions of trust and power, were traitors, German agents and spies, who be- trayed their country from the beginning of the war, by revealing secrets to the enemy and by depriving the Russian armies of the food by which they lived and the ammunition, but for the lack of which they might have won. Suspicion has pointed at the Czarina, who was a Hessian princess and was re- ported to be under the influence of a Russian monk and mountebank, Rasputin. Rasputin met his death at the hand of an assassin shortlv before the revo- / I' ry 1 <=s» M / /}"H; v;%#?^vi£'; :^ ^ A J 16 ^ S/ory o/ z'/z^ ^/^(^r liition that deprived the Czar of his throne in March, 1917. The mobihzation order by the Czar, July 31, be- fore mentioned, which gave Germany an excuse to precipitate the general war, followed a declaration of war, July 28, by Austria against Serbia. This declaration resulted from the refusal of Serbia to allow Austrian police to extend their jurisdiction over Serbian territory, to hunt and arrest persons suspected of complicity in the murder of an Aus- trian archduke and to stamp out on Serbian soil cer- tain Pan-Slavic societies, whose existence Austria considered perilous to herself. Ultimatum Sent to Serbia. These demands formed part of an ultimatum which was delivered by Austria to Serbia July 23, based upon the murder of the Archduke Franz Fer- dinand, heir presumptive to the Austrian throne, and his wife, which had occurred at Sarajevo, Bos- nia, Austrian territory, June 28. This murder Aus- tria attributed to a conspiracy of certain Slavic soci- eties which were aiming to detach Bosnia and Her- zegovina from Austria and attach them to Serbia. Every Austrian demand in the way of prosecuting the offenders was granted by Serbia, save the one above mentioned, which would have amounted to Serbia abdicating her sovereignty and becoming in effect subject to Austria. As to that proposal Serbia asked for a modification of its harsh terms. Austria had no thought that Serbia would yield ' \\\u r'-^- A Story of the War 17 to the ultimatum when it was presented. Can one beheve that the world has been engaged in war for more than four years merely on account of the death of an Austrian princeling? The cause will be found in the revelations of Prince Lichnowsky, who was German ambassador at London when the war was precipitated, and of August Thyssen, a German iron founder. Lichnowsky told, early in 1917, how the German foreign office ignored and thwarted his own at- tempts to co-operate with Sir Edw^ard Grey, British foreign minister, to preserve peace in the closing days of July, 1914. Thyssen confessed the plans that were made be- tween the German government and the great manu- facturing, shipbuilding and commercial interests of Germany to distribute the plunder of the world con- quest even before a shot was fired. Revealed by American Envoy. Edward Morgenthau, American minister at Con- stantinople, has revealed the frank confessions made to him by a German diplomat, while the world knew nothing that a war was near, that the kaiser and representatives of banking and other interests made all the final arrangements for the wholesale murder at a meeting in the emperor's Potsdam pal- ace July 15, 1914. Thereupon the kaiser arranged an alibi, as known in the criminal courts, by taking a pleasure cruise in a yacht to a secluded place on the coast of mif' »M/;?" \-^ "I dl 'P\-==.^\s*' :^^^ ..'7 ) A' ^ if ^ 18 A Story of the War Norway, leaving the other conspirators to carry out their parts. The storm broke. It came upon the astonished world like a tornado upon a happy village, sudden, blasting, merciless. Continental Europe went to its mobilization points. England, aroused by a whirlwind of pa- triotism, forgot all party dissensions, rallying to the national defense. Canada instantly responded to the mother country's need, young men and old offering their services. From the Yukon to Nova Scotia, from Labrador to British Columbia, from farms, mines, workshops, offices, from city and country, they no longer thought of themselves as Canadians, or people of Ontario, Quebec or Mani- toba, but as Britons. Americans filled the streets in front of the news- paper offices, reading the bulletins of the only war of the kind that had occurred within the memory of living men. Great scaffoldings covered the fronts of the newspaper office buildings to carry the print- ed or painted messages from a war field that cov- ered all the seas of the earth and most of the land inhabited bv civilized man. Rush From Europe Homeward. Thousands more of Americans, scattered all over Europe, suddenly thought of the blessings of home and peace, every one trying to get aboard the first ship for the United States. The United States ambassadors, ministers and consuls were besieged 1^^: J^^^finrrtxk^ A Story of the War by throngs that reahzed the usefulness of such offi- cials in a foreign land. Many of the travelers lacked the ready money to pay their way home. The gov- ernment advanced funds to many such. The homecomers were glad to get any berth in a ship going west, though it plunged through the seas at night in pitch darkness, no light visible un- der heavy penalt^^ Though the submarine terror was yet to become known, there were German cruis- ers at large. CHAPTER TWO. First Battle of Marne. Germany had been training men and accumu- lating munitions and supplies, with world conquest in the minds of the junkers (the old landed aris- tocracy) and the military party for at least 25 years or since 1889, when William II became emperor. It is to him that Germany owed the building of its powerful navy, from small beginnings in 1897 to second place in 1914. It would be incorrect to lay the whole conspiracy to one man, as he would have been able to do noth- ing without a powerful party or interest behind him. The largest element in this support was the junker or agrarian interest, owning large estates, particularly in East Prussia. Its position and its power have been cynically expressed in a German rhyme, which may be translated: mix A Story of the War "The king shall have absolute sway As long as he does as we say." In 1914 the Czar had ordered, but not yet put into operation, a reorganization of his army which would materialh^ increase its strength. France had enacted a three-year in place of a two-year term of military service. Great Britain was agitated with threat of civil war in Ireland over home rule. The time was propitious for a German attack on the liberties of the world. On the heads of the German war lords is the guilt of solemn faith and honor despised, 10,000,000 men sent to violent deaths, 5,000,000 more crippled for life, hundreds of beautiful cities in Belgium, France, Serbia, Russia and elsewhere reduced to ruins, the very soil accursed and made worthless by churning up the underl^dng gravel and, last and worst, the pollution and robbery of the bodies of countless young women and girls by ruffian soldier^^ and soulless villains in high office. Liege Resists Valiantly. Liege, a strongly fortified city on the Meuse river in eastern Belgium, was the first obstacle en- countered by the Germans. The city was attacked Aug. 4 and taken by storm Aug. 6, but the forts re- sisted till Aug. 15. The forts had been equipped with cannon manufactured in the Krupp works at Essen, Germany, and consequently the Germans had full information of the armament and nature A Story of the War of the works. For the first time the Germans em- ployed 42 centimeter (16 inch) mortars, the largest guns on wheels up to that time, the existence of which had been kept a secret. The huge shells, loaded with high explosives, were dropped on top of the forts, laying the whole interior in ruins. Nevertheless the Belgians made such valiant re- sistance at Liege, in the face of certain defeat, that the German march toward Paris was delayed 10 days beyond expectations, which aroused the fury of the invaders and was in part responsible for some of the atrocities that followed. After Liege had been reduced, heavy fines being imposed upon the city for having resisted, the Ger- mans swept up the valley of the Meuse in the direc- tion of Namur, a fortress city at the junction of the Meuse and Sambre rivers. On the way the invaders swept Belgium clean of Belgian soldiers, conquer- ing Louvain, Aerschot and other cities. Louvain Suffers From Vandalism. The burning and sacking of Louvain was one of the first outrages committed by the enemy. Lou- vain was the seat of an ancient university, contain- ing many old and beautiful buildings. It was de- liberately burned and thousands of its inhabitants slaughtered, on the pretext that some of the people had fired on German soldiers. An official report by a British commission, headed by Lord Bryce, for- mer ambassador to the United States, has estab- lished that the Germans were not attacked unless ml A Story of the War t, K^i \\^ ^'-^ '■^ li4 "■'i''?\&*T'S^i; 5*^- it was by a party of their own troops by mistake. Aerschot was destroj^ed in similar fashion. Many documents were found on captured Ger- man soldiers, showing it was part of the German system, planned long before the war, to intimidate the inhabitants of conquered territory and make police work easier by acts of unprovoked atrocity, such as herding numbers of the noncombatants to- gether, butchering them in batches of 100 or more at a time, outraging the women and girls, burning homes on some false or frivolous excuse and gath- ering plunder of all kinds and shipping it back to Germany. The testimony on this head is so volum- inous that it is not necessar^^ to more than refer to it here. Laying heavy fines on cities and districts for imagined offenses, direct contributions for the sup- port of the German army and other damage were estimated at $4,000,000,000 in Belgium in an unoffi- cial statement that probably will be largely in- creased. The seizing of the officials and leading citizens of a cit3% with a threat to kill them if any person does anything to interfere with the successful prog- ress of the army, was another piece of medieval barbarism that was frequent in Belgium and France. British Send First Army. A British army of 100,000 men, under command of General Sir John French, had been landed at iMimm^ ^L^' im A Story of the War Ostend and Calais early in August and rushed to the assistance of the Belgians, whose entire force numbered only 250,000 men. The British took a position about Mons and a French force on the east and south of Namur, along the Sambre and Meuse rivers. Namur, it had been expected, would offer strong enough resistance to delay the enemy until the main French army could come up, but its forts, like those of Liege, were shattered by the 42 centimeter guns of the Germans, and in far less time, two days, com- pared with eleven. The keystone of the arch being broken, the long retreat of the French and British forces to the gates of Paris began Aug. 22. In the battle of Mons the British not only were outnumbered five to one, but suffered from a great disparity of artillery and machine guns. The Ger- mans were abundantly supplied with rapid fire rifles which inflicted fearful slaughter on the Brit- ish, who were unable to reply in any adequate meas- ure. For twelve days the British and French retreated at the rate of ten miles a day, battling by day and marching by night, but thwarting every effort of the enemy to break their line. Meantime the Belgians had fallen back to Ant- werp, giving up Brussels, the capital, without a fight, in order to save it from destruction or damage. The city of Malines, midway between Brussels and Ant- werp, did not escape, it being one of many places where the civilian inhabitants suffered a massacre. i % ■1 A 0^^^'^>^S^^"'^^^W^P Wn^iAUMl^'*^ A Story of the War Zeppelins Bombard Antwerp. The siege of Antwerp, beginning Sept. 26, was marked by the first ZeppeUn bombardment of the homes of noncombatants. The huge airships, about \vhich there had been much speculation for several years before the war, appeared in the dead of night, high enough up to be out of range of ordinary shot. A bomber w^as lowered in a cage attached to a chain, in order to drop deadly missiles more accurately. The first bombardment failed, if its object, as seemed probable, was to kill the Belgian king's fam- ily, as the hotel at which they were staying was a special target. Antwerp Falls — Belgians Retreat. The great German cannon easily destroyed the Antwerp fortifications, w^hich w^ere inadequately hianned by one Belgian division and a body of Brit- ish marines. The city was evacuated Oct. 5, most of the defenders escaping westward, though some crossed the border into Holland and were interned. The Belgian seventh division, under command of King Albert, retreated southwestward toward Nieuport. In this withdrawal they gave up Bruges, an old city, famous for the stubbornness with which its inhabitants resisted tyrants in the middle ages, Ghent, wdiere the treaty that ended the war of 1812 was signed, and Ostend, a beautiful watering place on the English channel. Ostend and Zeebrugge, a small port further north, were destined to play a ^ Story of the War large part in the war later. From those places the German submarines sallied forth in the attempt to destroyBritish commerce and incidentally murder- ing civilians and neutrals, passengers and crews, of peaceful vessels. Germans Rush Toward Paris. Von Kluck's German army pressed southward late in August from Namur toward Paris, captur- ing Valenciennes and Lille, two cities well known from the manufacture of laces and textiles. Lens, and the extensive coal district about it, and Rheims, which contains a cathedral famous from medieval days as the place where the French kings were crowned. Rheims they were to lose soon after- wards, but the other cities they held for four years. Meantime the German Crown Prince, Frederick William, had crossed the French border from Lux- emburg and captured Sedan, the small town which was made famous by the surrender of Marshal Mac- Mahon's army and Emperor Napoleon III in 1870. It was later to be the scene of a French and Amer- ican victory in one of the last days of the war. The crown prince moved toward Verdun, one of the principal fortresses in northeastern France, expecting to capture the place quickly. In this he failed, and failed again two years later in probably the longest and bloodiest battle fought in the whole war on any piece of ground of such comparatively small dimensions. The French had made an attempt to invade Lor- ■WW ^m/ mL \^ w ^1 7;! i'/ tte if??! -'-^^ lil 26 ^^ S^ory o/ ^A^ War raine and Alsace early in August, with apparent suc- cess at first, but the progress of the Germans through Belgium toward Paris caused a change in the plans, which was hastened by a disaster to the French fifteenth army. The French were defeated by a force under the crown prince of Bavaria near Metz, Aug. 22, with heavy loss, and forced to re- treat to what is known as the Grand Couronne. Here, a short distance west of the former French and German boundar3% the French took a stand north and south of the city of Nancy, on the sum- mit of a long wooded plateau, and held their ground till the end of the war against many and vigorous German attacks. Teuton Center Held Up. By Sept. 5 the German army in France held a front in the shape of a horseshoe, with Paris at one end, the Alsace front at the other and Verdun in the bend. Von Kluck, commanding the extreme German right and Von Buelow, on his left, had ad- vanced into France at the rate of 10 miles a day while the German center and right had made rela- tively no progress. Von Kluck turned eastward instead of attempt- ing to occupy Paris. Whether he did so because his line was becoming too extended and thin in spots or whether, as the German prophets at the time loudly proclaimed, it was the intention to surround the whole French army or cut it off from its base of supplies in Paris, may never be known, but in either ^\ N- V ^^--- ■^^ A Story of the War case he failed and the campaign became a German defeat in the first battle of the Marne. By turning eastward, Von Kluck exposed his flank. The British rallied and drove him back in the center while the French in one of the most spec- tacular movements of the war, smote the right flank, and their joint action eventually compelled a Ger- man retreat from the south of the Marne river to north of the Aisne, a distance of 40 miles. A French army of 250,000 under General Gal- lieni had been held in reserve in Paris. When the Germans began moving away from the city, the entire French force was transported five miles and more to the scene of battle in automobiles. Every taxicab, motor truck and private automobile in Paris was pressed into the public service to convey a whole army and its supplies in a way never known before in the annals of war. Great Allied Victory. From Sept. 5 to Sept. 12 the world knew nothing of what was happening on the great battlefield in France. Then the censors released the news of a great Allied victory. The German armies that had threatened to put France out of the war within a few weeks, as had been planned, had been hurled back until they were nowhere nearer than 50 miles to P^ris. There they were destined to remain, with little change in the battlefront, in a deadlock that lasted for three years and a half. General Joseph Joffre, afterwards made a mar- s' -f^ »-v. "> \ fet^iiiiiN'' J^ W^' .r?'««^" ^ '^iis§^-^:m>imr A Story of the War ""N shal of France, ordered a pitched battle on territory that covered the famous field of Chalons, where Attila the Hun was defeated by the Romans and the Gauls in 453. The modern Huns suffered the same fate. Joffre's general order to the French army is one of the great documents of history. He commanded: "The hour has come to advance at all costs and to die where you stand rather than give way." The Allies attacked with great vigor along the whole line from south of the Marne to Vitry le Fran- cais, a distance of 50 miles. General Ferdinand Foch, who was destined four A^ears later to become generalissimo of all the Allied armies and begin the winning of the war in a second battle of the Marne, won the decisive action in the first Marne when he attacked the enemy near the marsh of St. Gond. Foch struck at the point of junction of Von Bue- low's army and a force of Wurttemburgers, throw- ing both into confusion. The German retreat beyond the Aisne was the first great victory after six weeks of uninterrupted disaster on the western front. It brought hope and courage where there had been defeat and dismay. CHAPTER THREE. Deadlock on the Aisne. The Aisne river, on which the Germans took ^/j their stand, runs for a large part of its course almost parallel with the Marne, but about 40 miles further A Story of the War north. The banks of the Aisne are steep and chalky and admirably adapted to defense. Further north is the famous Chemin des Dames or Ladies' High- way, a winding road along the summit of a wooded ridge, for the possession of which the French and Germans fought with varying success for four ^; years. In this locality were the French fortresses lit of La Fere, Laon and Rheims, built for an inter- mediate defense between Paris and the northern frontier of France. The French regained Rheims after the first bat- tle of the Marne and held it to the end of the war, but the cit3^ suffered terribly from a bombardment that knew no mercy. The Rheims cathedral, one of the most beautiful specimens of Gothic architec- ture in Europe, was destroyed, the enemy excusing this act bj^ asserting that the French used its towers for artillery observation. The French had placed wounded men within the sacred edifice, hoping that they would be safe, but learned long before the war was over that a church was one of the most perilous places for injured soldiers, women or children, if it was within range of the German artillery. The spires furnished a fine mark for cannon. Le Fere and Laon were not recovered from the enemy till within a month of the end of the war. From the middle of September till winter the battle of the Aisne raged. The French captured Soissons and a small bit of land north of the river, but the Germans by this time had intrenched them- selves, placed an array of machine guns and heavier re V' Vv • X'' -1', '^f J . ' ^" ill ^V i ■\ii^' H~^^ x^mi \M6/.. 30 A Story of the War artillery in position and were not to be dislodged. Then ensued a series of attempts by both sides to turn the flanks of the others in the west. The French bent back the Germans to a line running north from Albert to Arras, a place once famous for the manufacture of draperies, to west of Lens, the center of France's principal northern coal mining district, to the Belgian border, thence slightly east and north of Ypres and along the Yser river to Nieu- port on the English channel. Belgians Cut Dikes. Through October and November the enemy at- tempted by throwing huge masses of men to break through to Calais. The first blow was delivered Oct. 17 against the remnant of the Belgian army, 70,000 men, which had escaped from Antwerp and was commanded by the Belgian King Albert in per- son. For 12 days the dauntless Belgians held their line in spite of heavy losses and then used the last resort of the men of the lowlands in all ages. They cut the dikes which supported the Yser river and canal, the surface of which is in places above the level of the land. A flood was created in which many Germans were drowned, the rest giving up the attempt to attack further. Emperor William's hordes next transferred their onslaughts to the slightly higher ground further east around Ypres, which was defended by a British force which had been rushed northward after the battle of the Marne. Assailed bv five times their 41 ^^^^ A Story of the War 31 -^ \ number, the Britons refused to yield. Throughout the four years of the war Ypres was subjected to such a bombardment by the enemy that nothing could live in it. Here and there a bit of a wall or a gaunt chimney remained standing, but for the most part it soon was nothing but crumbled ma- sonry and charred timbers. The only gain made by the enemy in the west in the fall of 1914 after the battle of the Marne was the capture of what became know as the St. Mihiel salient. The winter of 1914-15 was one of bombardment and trench warfare on a line more than 400 miles long extending from the English channel near Nieu- port to the junction of the French, German and Swiss boundaries. Two events stand out in the 1915 fighting on the western front. One is the first use by the enemy of asphyxiating gas and the other the Allied offensive late in September. The remaining operations were of a local and transitory character, though marked with as much heroism as in the greatest campaigns. Canadians Attacked With Gas. Poisonous gas was first used by the Germans in an attack in the Ypres sector April 24, 1915, upon a section defended by the Canadian regiment known as the Princess Patricias, or more commonly Prin- cess Pats, named from the daughter of the Duke of Connaught, w^ho was formerly governor general of '^Vf,v~ — fis J Story of the War I,' I 'x^ Canada and is a brother of the late King Edward VII. The Princess Pats noticed a cloud of light green vapor floating toward them from the German lines. They knew not what to expect, but stood their ground. The green cloud, rolling over the ground, for it was slightly heavier than air, propelled by the wind, strangled the Canadian soldiers. Unable to breathe without suffering, they died in the trenches or sought refuge in the dugouts. The green fog lifted, when the German gas projectors ceased oper- ations, and on came the German infantry, perfectly safe from attack by men who had been poisoned. The Germans gained three miles by the new method of fighting. This chlorine gas was no new thing. Its proper- ties had long been known to chemists, being set down in the school textbooks, long before the war, as "not respirable." The onty new thing was its use in war. At the Hague conference in 1889, when an at- tempt was made to pledge the nations not to use poisonous gas, the Germans had objected. The use of poison, either in the air or in water or in any way, has always been regarded as the most cowardly and cruel method of attacking an enem^^ In this case it was doubly damnable because of the frightful suffering it inflicted upon the victims. Victims Suffer Tortures. It seared and ate the tissue of the lungs and , ., ^^^^ 'j:\ iffn^r"^?"- y^ iSz^ory oj the War 33 bronchial passages until breathing was the most ex- cruciating torture for those that did not die at once. In the early days of its use, when there were no gas masks, even those who survived were condemned . to a living death of a few months till Providence '|i; mercifully allowed them to breathe their last. if The Allied armies were forced to retaliate in this ' new horror of war, and, except for the advantage of using it first, the enemy gained nothing. Gas masks were speedily devised. Though im- perfect at first, they later were made a perfect pro- tection. The masks were saturated with sodium, contact with which converted the chlorine into so- dium chloride or common salt and made the air fit to breathe. Thereupon the Germans employed other gases. Toward the end of the war the favorite poison employed by the enemy was mustard gas. This vapor scalded the hands and face and even pene- trated clothing, cooking the victim's skin. Against this horror the best protection was found to be smearing certain ointments over the body. The Germans used gas of various densities for different purposes. When they intended to follow the poison deluge with an attack, the gas was light, -i ^ so it could be blown away by the wind after it had done its work. In other cases a heavy gas was poured into one portion of the battle area, to pre- vent any activity on the part of the Allies there while the Germans attacked in force in another quarter. ■'// 'mi if ^11 m ~%i/y r % *\. ■>iir^ •'/ -=^t3^, ^i. i:,.,W m 'ilvm^ ■~v. ^1 u-4 34 A Storv of t/i(- Jf'ar w Allies Launch Offensive. After a week of whal is known as "drumfire," or eontinnons honibardnient, the Freneh attaeked llie Gernians in tlie (^lianipagne distriet, between Uheinis and Verdun, Sep. 24, 1915. Tlie enemy's front line trendies liad been torn to pieces by the lieaviest slielling with liigh explosive known up to that lime. The (icrmans were driven back three miles and 20,000 of them captured. At the same time the British took a series of German trenches live miles long south of the La Hassee canal in France near the Belgian border. The enemy at once counter attacked, but regained only a small portion of the lost ground about Tahure in Cham- pagne. The attempt to recover the trenches lost to the British was a complete failure, costing the Ger- mans a loss of 8,000 dead. Though this lirst Allied otfensive gained a little territory and brought in the largest number of pris- oners taken so far in one operation, it was a failure as far as results were concerned. It cost the Allies 100,000 casualties, but it did not break the enemy line. CHAPTER FOUR. Canada's Contribution to Victory. Patriotic enthusiasm for the cause of the British empire was allame in Canada from the moment war was declared, Aug. 4, 1914. All Canada realized nwvr , TT^jT-r ^, ?. ,_ *^is^;' ■\r-^*J'^V-'- A Story of the War 35 from that instant lliat it was as much a part of the empire as England, wScolland, Ireland or Wales, and resolved to do its part. Patriotic meelings and dem- onstrations all over the Dominion were spontan- eous from the first night on which the news was received. Canada contributed men, munitions, mone^' and food to the limit of her capacity to defend civihza- tion from the attacks of an aspiring world tyranny. Seven hundred thousand men were put under arms in Canada, according to unofficial estimates, or one in ten of the population. This number is twice as large, in proportion to population, as the army raised in the United States, but probably about in the same ratio as the greater country would have provided if the war had lasted longer. The first Canadian expedition of 33,000 put away from the Atlantic shore in silence and dark- ness and mystery, for the German submarines were known to be lurking in wait, but there is no record of any Canadian soldiers having lost their lives through such attacks. These first troops and others like them were rushed to action even t)efore they had received the training which military scientists deemed requisite, but on the bloody field of Ypres in 1915 they justi- fied the pride and hopes of the Dominion and saved Calais and the channel ports. They were the first troops to resist poisonous gas, and, though they suffered fearful losses, were not defeated. Over- ir '^f ':-^' ■:^'A I'c/ i''^is-i ^^ ■m' 36 A Story of the War /c^\ whelming numbers of the enemy beat upon them, but could not break them. At Hill 70, Lens, Vimy Ridge and in the breaking of the Hindenburg line and the Wotan line, the Maple Leaf battalions earned fame that rivals that of any nation in the world war or any other war. Home Security Maintained. Foes at home were quickly rounded up and dan- ger from foreign enemy colonies was quickly avert- ed, if any existed. Damage from the work of spies and plotters was held to a minimum, though it must ever be regretted that the burning of the parliament buildings at Ottawa probably was the act of incen- diaries. German spies were not idle, but their machina- tions availed little, thanks to the co-operation of Canadian and American secret service men, which resulted in the timely discovery of widespread plots, laid in the then neutral United States, to destroy munition plants, railway tunnels and the Wetland canal. The war taxes laid in the two countries were in many respects similar, particularly the income tax, which was on a two per cent basis for the smaller earnings, with $1,000 exempt for single and $2,000 for married persons. Canada's habits of saving, as well as her patri- otic spirit, were exemplified in the overwhelming subscriptions made to all of the five war loans. The government asked in all for $750,000,000, but the 7mm^ x'^ '^i^^g A Story of the War subscriptions amounted to $1,663,000,000, of which $1,000,000,000 was accepted. In addition munitions worth $1,200,000,000 were furnished to the mother country, including 70,000,000 shells, from Canadian factories, and Great Britain was given credit for $550,000,000 to pay for food as well as munitions. Subscriptions to the Red Cross in the Dominion amounted to $28,000,000 in money and goods. Prosperity Maintained. The industries of the country, particularly man- ufacturing and agriculture, were sustained through- out the four years of the great struggle, as shown in increased exports. The general condition of pros- perity was such that the Dominion gained great numbers of immigrants, mostly farmers, during this time. The ties of a common language, blood relation- ship and kindred aims with the United States, which have been strengthened during more than 100 years of peace, were still more closely drawn as a result of the war. Many young Americans, eager to aid in the defense of liberty before their country entered the war, hastened to Canada and sought to wear the khaki under the Dominion's colors. Side by side with born British subjects, they shared the hard- ships and perils of the war, suffered and died in the same cause. No greater mistake was made by the German emperor and his advisers than when they failed to Vh .y. ^-, '^ -.-/ \\\ y-i WV ^-1 A% W >j^^^£^;22z^.^^s^^^^m^mmi^ #3^5^?3 ,-JI« r* <"^ ;:. 7- • •-> ^ Story of the War reckon the strength of the British dominions in the J \ U^ scale against them. Canadians, Austrahans, New t Zealanders, Sonth Africans not only proved their loyalty by pouring forth their men and means, but heartened the people of the British Isles to endure and carry on. Canada will never be a land for Germans to ex- ploit, but will remain British, and Canada helped to make it so. >^ CHAPTER FIVE. Battle for Verdun. "lis ne passeront pas" — "They shall not pass." This watchword of the French army at Verdun yM\tV/< has been made famous by the great battle that //i^^^^^fe opened Feb. 21, raged with little abatement for four '' "^ ' '' and a half months, cost the Germans 1,000,000 and the French 500,000 in killed, wounded and captured, ending in a French victory that for the second time saved Paris, saved France and probably the out- come of the war. Verdun is and was one of the four great French fortresses protecting the northeastern border where it adjoins Alsace and Lorraine, the others being "-" ^_r^^^ Tout, Epinal and Belfort. The town of Verdun is ^^^ ^ insignificant in size and the forts around it, though ^'^*' ^ ' " ' ' numerous, might have been completely shattered, W' but it is a strong point because of its natural posi- tion at the gateway through the Argonne forest on the west and the hills of the Meuse on the east. ^i ^-^m/j iiC.^''^; V ifllW'h^^'T/ n sA SiVlJ/'Mr-J^^jT' #' dbysMi^ y t{\\ .^r!'"^^ III M ;(l(|!i 1 1 1 7/ cj:;?^'^/ '\ A Story of the War On a wide semi-circle extending northwest to southeast of Verdun, a distance of 32 miles, the French had built 16 large forts, 21 smaller ones and 47 permanent batteries. Only two of the large forts did the Germans capture with a sacrifice of 1,000,000 men, and both of those they lost a little Inore than eight months after the beginning of the battle. Along this 32 mile front at a distance of four miles or less from the fortifications, the Germans opened a terrific bombardment Feb. 21. They had massed 3,000 guns of large caliber on this line and rained upon the French 1,000,000 shells a day. They had assembled a picked army of 300,000 men to oppose French forces aggregating 80,000. Both armies later were greatly increased. General Herr, the French commander, drew his forces back slowly at the rate of a mile a day, bringing the Germans to the neighborhood of the village and fort of Douau- mont, and the village and fort of Vaux, east of the Meuse. Petain Earns Marshal's Baton. General Henri P. Petain, afterwards made a marshal, was then put in command. From Feb. 25, the fifth day of the battle, the foe continued the con- flict at appalhng loss of life till early in July and gained no more than two miles at any point. Though Verdun was soon pounded into ruins, being not more than five miles from the German lines when they were nearest, there was one mass /^ '0 U A Story of the War ''*. y^-^^t '^i')4i i^k^ y.- ;^v ■-.V ':>'y.y.'V/y J Story of the War 43 CHAPTER SIX. Wonders of the World War. Airplanes, submarine torpedo boats, wireless telegraphy, Zeppelins, long range cannon throwing 16 inch shells or larger, poisonous gas, "tanks," new and terrible explosives, grenades and trench sys- tems hundreds of miles long had their first applica- tion in war in the great world contest of 1914-19. The airplane revolutionized land campaigns. It was difficult to make a surprise attack when thou- sands of aviators were keeping watch on each side over the operations of the other side. As a counter to this work, the art of camouflage or painting can- non and ships to resemble something else was de- veloped to a marvelous extent. In the beginning the fliers had aircraft capable of carrying only one man at a moderate rate of speed. At its close such ships carry 50 and can travel at more than 120 miles an hour. The war developed the armored plane, the bombing and the photographic plane, as well as the mere single scout employed at the beginning. These ships carry wire- less telegraph and wireless telephone apparatus. The submarine threatened to revolutionize naval warfare. It will be used in the future only against fighting ships, as the victors will provide safeguards against piracy beneath the waves as well as on the surface. The newest submarines carry great can- non as well as small guns and torpedo tubes. A #^r ^: *,,*.-f^^S?»» A Story of the War /-?:>—> British submarine armed with a 15 inch gun was used toward the close of the war to bombard the German forts on Hehgoland The Germans experimented with the Deutsch- land, a merchant submarine, but it is doubtful whether such vessels will prove of any value. Wireless telegraphy was used by aviators to in- form gunners how near they were to hitting their targets and also employed by the Germans to send out messages in spite of a blockade on land and sea. The enemy also transmitted diplomatic notes by this means across the Atlantic and found the wire- less a valuable adjunct to the spy system. Zeppelins Prove Failure. Germany had 12 Zeppelins at the beginning of the war and expected by their use to make the Brit- ish navy valueless. About 80 more of these air- ships were manufactured and the French have rec- ords that more than 30 were destroyed by accident, gunfire from the earth or by airplane bombardment. Count Zeppelin, the inventor, died chagrined at his failure to conquer the world. Many times England was raided by squadrons of Zeppelins, of which six were brought down in or near London. A story has been told to the effect that the wire- less was the means of betraying the Zeppelin. Zep- pelins were equipped with wireless systems with which they reported their position to German re- ceiving stations. One such airship falling into Brit- ish possession, the Britons built a receiving station A Story of the War of the same wave length as the enemy employed. Henceforth it was easy to foretell from the enemy's messages when Zeppelins were on the way and where to expect them. Airplanes soaring out of sight met and vanquished the invaders. Sixteen inch cannon were used by the Germans to bombard Namur, Belgium, in August, 1914, speedily reducing the fortifications to ruins. A gun with an enormously long barrel was used by the enemy to send nine inch shells from the St. Gobain forest into Paris, 75 miles away. Beginning March 23, 1918, this gun dropped 24 to 27 shells a day at intervals of 20 minutes. The inhumanity of this indiscriminate bombing of a great city was inten- sified on Good Friday, March 29, when the Chuich of St. Gervais was struck, during a service, 75 per- sons killed, 54 of them being women, and 90 in- jured. The fatal defect of this gun was that it was on an immovable platform. The French discovered its location and destroyed it. ^-..ifSsg^fe-ar-: r\ '^"f^'r^r^. Big U. S. Guns on Rails. Fourteen inch American guns were mounted on railroad trucks and contributed to the American victory in the Argonne forest and the French cap- ture of Laon in 1918. The cannon could be moved into position, fired a few times and then the location changed before the enemy could discover them. The shells fired by these guns weighed 1,600 ■'^^c^::x:.i'''(% Zt 17^§^^ ■®^^ .M^ J^ <^..^:^ -7^ Ail;-- . ' -^kks ..^S'-avJWi 'Vdi ;rt5i.Xiiiv»7 -.^ pounds, were fired 35 miles and tore holes big enough to hold a railroad car. Poisonous gas was used first bj^ the Germans, but by the end of the war the Allies were giving them more of it than they sent. Likewise the bom- bardment of interior cities, far from the scene of warfare, was started by the Germans, but in the last year of the war the British and French daily and nightly dropped bombs from airplanes on the cities of the Rhine valley, such as Cologne, Coblenz, Mainz, Bonn and Mannheim. Two thousand per- > ^.;s\ sons were killed in the many raids on England, but '"^^^ no figures are available as to Germany. The land battleships known as "tanks" were a British invention, but were used b^^ all the Allies in great numbers in 1918. One of them weighed 40 tons. They solved the problem of breaking down barbed wire and smashing machine gun nests with little loss to the attacking party. The Germans im- itated the tanks, but without equaling the original. Only volunteers were placed in the tank crews be- cause of the arduous nature of the service. The men were subjected to the terrific heat made by a 100 horse power engine in a small space, where X, there was practically no ventilation, their eardrums pounded with the tremendous noise of cannon and machine guns, while the tank rolled over uneven ^'4;»\ \ \n\\\ ground like a ship in a storm. A Tin Cans Used as Grenades. The first grenades used were mere tin cans filled 'crrti 'i»4^ : ,'->}■ ,l!^ xm nil ■^^ V'? fefe- A Story of the War 47 i*So^^ with trinitrotoluol or some other high explosive, after it had been discovered that the powerful charges exploded equally well if unenclosed. The nature of trench warfare, with the opposing lines sometimes only a few yards apart, made rifles of little use and led to the invention of these small bombs that were hurled by hand so as to drop in the enemy's trench. Later the bombs were made in scientific fashion, so as to explode after the release of a spring and not while in the thrower's hand. Trench mortars were used when the distance to be thrown was more than 40 yards. Grenades were also used to clean out or "mop up" the enemy's trenches after an advance. The 400 miles of trenches in western France and Belgium and the 600 miles in Russia, which were inhabited in some places for more than four years, were like nothing ever known before. The Ger- mans were particularly adept in making their un- derground habitations as comfortable and homelike as possible, sometimes bringing in pianos for the ^%^c^r^S -■Ti^* ^'/7J officers. One such trench system in the west, known as the "Labyrinth," was more than two miles square. Wonders of surgery were performed in the great war. Sanitation and preventive medicine also played the chief part in keeping the death rate from natural causes to far below the normal in civilian life. The application of the aseptic principle and anti-tetanus serum not only saved millions of lives but enabled quick recoveries, at least 75 per cent of m '■^^f h\- \ \- l^u^X&'~'^f : , ,\\ '^v\ ^^ ;^'-: f^^/. u ^ 48 A Story of the Wa r the wounded being able to return to the front lines. Much has been done to provide for the crippled and blind, through the establishment of schools to teach them work within their capacity. CHAPTER SEVEN. Russia Defeated in 1915. It took the Germans a little more than a year to defeat Russia thoroughly and remove any danger to themselves from that quarter, but at the begin- ning the Czar's armies gave the Teutons much trou- ble and contributed indirectly to the failure of the German plan to destroy France within six weeks. The great Russian armies, which had been sup- posed to number 5,000,000, are not now believed to have amounted to more than 1,250,000 in Au- gust, 1914, though increased to 2,500,000 in 1915. With proper management and with the treasonable pro-German element eliminated from the govern- ment and the army, the Russians might have raised, equipped and used 20,000,000 soldiers. Such was the boast of Czar Nicholas II, but it was never real- ized. The story of Russia's collapse and utter demor- alization is one of German intrigue and treachery, as will be unfolded. Grand Duke Nicholas, uncle of the czar, was in chief command of the Muscovite forces at the be- ginning of the war. Throughout the year that he retained such command he showed great military ■■'■ v 'A>: \ xV 1^ \l f;^' -^'•\aV A Story of the War 49 ^■> •j£*a?vi \ ability. With anything like proper support from the government he would have won a great victory. The grand duke Nicholas invaded East Prussia and Galicia almost simultaneously in August, 1914. The invasion of Germany seemed the most prom- ising venture and indeed threw fright into the gen- eral staff at Berlin. Two army corps were hurried from the west front in France and three more from parts of Germany to the scene of danger. General Paul von Hindenburg, afterward made a field mar- shal, was placed in command of the German de- fense forces. This officer had long been known as a student of the East Prussia military problem and had made it so completely a hobby, it was re- ported, that he was subjected to much ridicule amons other officers on that account. He was per- sonally obnoxious to Emperor William, because, --^.%^fj!\ it is said, he had worsted the kaiser in the field ''^^' ' - ''^"^^' maneuvers or war game, some years before. It was a case of the hour and the man, and Hindenburg was sent in. Russians Slaughtered by Hindenburg. Hindenburg immediately showed his mastery of the problem, if the German story on the subject may be taken at its face value. He permitted the Russians, under General Rennenkampf, to over- run the greater portion of East Prussia and to threaten the important Baltic seaport of Danzig. He decoyed them into dividing their forces among the swamps of the Mazurian lake region, then fell upon >v ..k,.^l - ''nm %. •f !, m Sii "^m^^t- 'mmmm ■'"1 V- '-tX ^' and nearly annihilated them. The Germans claimed to have taken 100,000 prisoners in this campaign. Another explanation of the Russian defeat is that treachery in Russia, even thus early in the war, disclosed Russian plans to the Germans, interfered with the supply of Russian ammunition and in short betraj^ed the invaders. German authorities seized this opportunity to circulate stories of Russian atrocities in East Prus- sia, to offset the news of German "frightf ulness," — so named by themselves — in Belgium, but no con- firmation has ever been made from other than Ger- man sources. On the other hand, the German vic- tors are known to have slaughtered many thou- sands of Russians who surrendered in the morasses of the Mazurian lake region, firing machine guns into the trapped and helpless men. Hindenburg pla^^ed what he considered a practical joke on the Russian prisoners who were permitted to live. He came into possession of a quantity of bread, aban- doned by the Russians, which they had soaked with kerosene oil, to make it of no use to the Germans. "Feed it to the prisoners," Hindenburg command- ed, and it was done. Meantime the Russians advanced into the Aus- trian territory of Galicia, which is inhabited by Poles, captured Lemberg and laid siege to Przemysl. A German invasion of Poland was made to compel the Russians to evacuate Galicia and had the desired effect. ='~>»-»,^ A Story of the War Waves Beat Back and Forth. But the Russians were still strong and quickly expelled the invaders from their own territory and renewed the drive into Galicia, going as far this time as Cracow. They pursued the Germans over their own border into Silesia and had captured Ploecken, when another German wave surged into Poland in the northwest corner and caused them to beat a retreat from German and Austrian territory. The Russians had been taking advantage of the Polish campaign keeping the Germans busy and moved into East Prussia a second time, but met a second defeat at the hands of Hindenburg Feb. 22, 1915, which was almost a duplicate of that of Aug- ust, 1914, 100,000 Russians again being captured in the destruction of their army in the Mazurian lake region. In spite of these terrible defeats, the Russians did not lose heart, as most of the fighting had been on foreign soil and each army was in its own coun- try, generally speaking. One Russian host of 250,000 was an exception to this rule and had been laying siege to Przemysl in Galicia for seven months when the fortress surrendered March 22, the Austrian prisoners numbering 120,000, besides great quantities of cannon and ammunition. The Russians followed this success by threatening the invasion of Hungary on the 300 mile line extending along the Carpathian mountains to the border of Rumania. ">.' // y.^ 'i/ /,%y csrS p^^ ^^^Wm '[!!^^**i-!ag»J^**^ 52 A Story of the War German assistance was given to Austria again. As all through the war, the Austrians were unable to stop the Russians without German assistance. Austrian Armies Germanized. This aid was given first by the addition of Ger- man armies to the Austrian forces, but soon took the form of Germanizing the Austrian commands, placing German officers in control and mingling the troops of the two nations. This was necessary, not on account of a lack of personal courage among the numerous nationalities that made up the Aus- trian empire, but because of disaffection on the part of the Slavic subjects of Emperor Francis Joseph. In some cases whole battalions and regiments sur- rendered to the Russians after making little or no resistance. General von Mackensen, a German, was sent to command the Austrians in April, 1915, and the Ger- man attack that finally crushed Russia's military power in Europe soon was under way. Przemysl in Galicia was recaptured by Macken- ,- sen June 3, and Lemberg June 24. Hindenburg at the same time started a drive into Poland to take Warsaw its capital, and another into the Russian provinces on the Baltic sea, east and northeast of East Prussia. From the beginning there was no stopping the German arms. The Teutonic steamroller crushed Poland, Warsaw being captured Aug. 6, and con- tinued going. Kovno, Brest Litovsk, Lipsk, Grod- ^-^^C ^^h^< "'Hi y^ Story of the War no, Vilna, all great Russian fortresses and military supply depots, fell into German hands. Beaten by German Spies. Why did Russia so completely succumb? No other explanation need be sought than the pres- ence of German spies and agents in every depart- ment of the Russian government and army. For a century or more Germans had been tutors to the Russian in business and governmental circles in Russia. They were well placed to do service to Berlin when the war was started. The Germans won against Russia because they were fighting an army whose supplies were continually going to the wrong place and was always short of ammunition. The shells often did not fit the cannon, but, mar- velous to relate, when captured by the Germans, were exactly suitable to the enemy's guns. Even rifles for the infantry were insufficient, so that it was necessary to equip reserve troops from the weapons of the killed and wounded. CHAPTER EIGHT. Serbia Is Crushed. Three tremendous attempts had been made by Austria to conquer Serbia previous to September, 1915. All had ended in disaster. Belgrade, the capital, though situated on the Danube, opposite Hungarian territory, still remained in Serbian hands, though it had suffered from bombardment ^. L mm '■■•Avxa\\w/Mv \ mx\mtm\ \ m 54 by huge guns, made in the Austrian works at Skoda and rivahng the German 42 centimeter in size and power. King Ferdinand of Bulgaria hesitated no longer in making his decision to pick a winner, after the Russian disaster. He had flirted with both sides while taking time to make up his mind. He wanted to add to his domains, territory in the ancient king- dom of Macedonia, including the city of Monastir, which Serbia had won in the Balkan wars of 1912- 13. For this consideration and for a cession by Turkey of a small strip of land, by which Bulgaria would have the use of the Maritza river to its mouth in the Adriatic sea, he was willing to give Germany a right of way, in effect, over Bulgaria to connect with Constantinople and join the German and Turkish empires into one. Bulgaria mobilized her army Sept. 23. French and British troops were landed at Saloniki, Greece, the next day, in an attempt, which was too late, to help Serbia. This use of a Greek port was on the express invitation of Eleutherios Venizelos, pre- mier of Greece, who was a loyal supporter of the Allies. Venizelos lost his office as soon as King Constantine of Greece, brother-in-law of the Ger- man emperor, heard what had happened. Four hundred thousand Germans and Austrians assailed Serbia, capturing Belgrade, Oct. 10. Bul- garia declared war on Serbia Oct. 13 and sent for- ward three invading armies immediately. Attacked from north and east simultaneously. fifi.^ d .j^ ^^Iff^W': ^:,->; •va-4i (\ a ^^ /^ A Story of the War 55 '''^- ■ / •i Serbia quickly collapsed. By the end of the year no Serbians in arms were on Serbian soil, though a remnant of her armies had escaped through Alba- nia and were to take part nearly three years later in a reconquest of their country. Serbia's Fate Worse Than Belgium's. Serbia, under the iron heel of the Austrians and Bulgarians, suffered a fate even worse than that of Belgium. Mercy was no part of the conquerors' creed and there was no great organized relief agency, as in the case of Belgium, to save a large share of the population from starvation. Turkish harems were supplied from the young women of the captive land. Wanton butcheries of the in- ^.^^/^ habitants, whom it was inconvenient for the Bui- f^'^^T^] garians to feed, occurred in cases without number. Through such agony did Serbia pass to regain free- dom ultimately and to become a greater nation in union with the Slav populations of southern Austria and Hungary. The year 1916 was marked on the eastern front by an attempt by Russia to regain her own terri- tory on the north from Germanj^ and to invade Aus- tria on the south, in spite of her losses in the disas- trous campaigns of 1915 and of the handicap of shortage of munitions and treachery at home. Russia's first 1916 offensive was early in Jan- uary in Bukowina, a small province of Austria, east of the Carpathian mountains and north of Rumania. This lasted only a few weeks. In the same month mf/m A Story of the War Grand Duke Nicholas attacked the Turks in the Caucasus, bordering the Black sea on the south- east. His forces scored their first victory Feb. 16, in the capture of Erzerum in Armenia, bringing re- lief to the oppressed Christian subjects of the sul- tan, who had been subject to probably the worst of the many systematic massacres that have made the name of Turk abominable. 2,000,000 Armenians Exiled. Two millions of the Armenians were expelled from their homes, compelled to march for hun- dreds of miles to appointed places of slaughter or slavery, the outrages upon the women being such as to be almost beyond belief. Three-fourths of these exiles perished. The Turks were driven from Trebizond, a forti- fied port on the Black sea, April 18, and from Erzin- gan July 25. CHAPTER NINE. Rumania Quickly Defeated. Encouraged by apparent Russian successes in the summer of 1916, Rumania, hoping for Russian aid, entered the war Aug. 27 on the side of the Allies. Three days later a Rumanian army crossed the Transylvanian Alps into Hungary, quickly cap- turing the towns of Kronstadt and Hermannstadt. In this campaign the Rumanians aimed at the conquest of territory inhabited by Rumanians, but A Story of the War under the alien rule of Hungary. Much criticism has been made upon the wisdom of this move, as Rumania was exposed to attack from Bulgaria along the entire southern border, a danger which became apparent when the German Field Marshall Van Mackensen began an attack in that quarter within a month. The Rumanians were also at a disadvantage in their communications through the mountains into Hungary. On their own side there were few and badly planned railroads. On the Hungarian side the roads were admirably designed for defensive or offensive movements of troops. Without making serious resistance, the Hungarian armies fell back, decoying the Rumanians until their lines of com- munication had become too long and too thin for safety. The enemy then fell upon and crushed the Rumanians, driving them in disorder into their own country. The Hungarian and German armies poured through the mountains, pushing the Ru- manians before them, compelling the evacuation of Bucharest, their capital, and three-fourths of the country before the end of the year. CHAPTER TEN. Battle of Jutland. The battle of Jutland, so named because it was fought in the North Sea, off the coast of the Danish peninsula of Jutland, was heralded far and wide by ^^^^^^// the Germans June 1, 1916, as a great German vie- "^^0^ fmm: St^T^i^ \\\ < \ > 58 /^ Story of the War tory over the British fleet. The Teutons got their story out first, and it went so far as to claim that British command of the sea was shattered forever. When the truth came out, it was evident that the greatest naval battle of the war had been fought, that the British had suffered heavy losses in ships and sailors, that the Germans had suffered at least as heavily, but — what was most important — the British had forced the Germans to seek safety in flight in the night time back to their own ports. They never came out again until after the war, and then to surrender. One hundred and fifty ships took part in this great battle. Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, commander of the British grand fleet, made it a practice to take his ships in great cruises in the North sea from time to time. Knowing this, the Germans attempted to in- tercept the weakest portion of the fleet and destroy it, by the use of overwhelming power in a surprise attack, before the rest of the fleet could come to the rescue. About 3:30 P. M., May 31st, 1916, Admiral Sir David Beatty was leading a squadron of six battle cruisers, a few miles ahead of another squadron, consisting of four battleships, commanded by Ad- miral Evan-Thomas. A German squadron of five cruisers joined battle with the Britons. The Britons met with misfortune, two cruisers the Indefatigable and Queen Mary, being quickly sunk, whereupon the four battleships, which were "",' . I'tif'l' A .'■•,(', Ill Wfi ^■SSS^v A Story of the War armed with 15 inch guns, got into action. After an hour of fighting, the main German fleet of 16 dreadnaughts and six old battleships appeared on the scene, as had been planned, to wipe out the British squadrons. Admiral Beatty quickly turned his squadrons to the northeast in search of Admiral Jellicoe's main fleet of 25 dreadnaughts and three battle cruisers. Before the fleet arrived, four more British cruis- ers, the Invincible, Defense, Black Prince and War- rior, had been sunk, and the British had suffered the loss of more than 200 seamen from the explosion of German poison shells that penetrated Beatty's vessels. Jellicoe's big fighting ships did not arrive till 6 P. M., by which time the sea was covered with smoke and mist. The Germans pulled away, and during the night returned to the Kiel canal by a wide detour. The German losses included 21 ships, Admiral Jellicoe reported. The battleship Pommern, two dreadnaughts, the battle cruiser Luetzow and small- er cruisers and destroyers were sunk. Five thou- sand British sailors lost their lives, but the enemy's loss in men was not known. In spite of the advantage of surprise, the Ger- mans suffered greater loss than the British, when measured in terms of tonnage of ships. The Brit- ish admiralty estimated the total German loss at 116,435 tons, compared with 114,000 for the British. The Germans admitted a loss of only 35,545 tons, ■:) f^f /x^ '%£ / r~=^^ >^~^ -•■^ ^-■J"^^^^^^^^ v_ ^ — <■ , A Story of the War but would not concede the sinking of one battle- ship, two battle cruisers and smaller craft reported |V bj^ the British. CHAPTER ELEVEN. Revolution Betrays Russia. German machinations rendered the Russian mil- itary organization worthless, corrupted the govern- ment, paralyzed the energies of the land and brought the country to the verge of famine. Fam- ine brought on the revolution. German spies pois- oned the minds of the multitude, enlisted the base and criminal in their service, caused them to betray the country and thus put Russia out of the war. The winter of 1916-17 was one of much suffer- ing in Russia. All the ordinary currents of life had been interrupted by the war. The millions of bush- els of wheat, by the sale of which the people lived before the war, were denied a market. Food was scarce in the cities because the distribution system, like everything else, had broken down. The ma- chine was working badly because too many Teu- tonic agents w^ere throwing sand into the bearings. The duma (the national legislative body) was trying to make somebody responsible, while the bureaucracy (the class composed of government officials) was resisting every such attempt. The Czar listened to unwise counsels and ordered the duma to disperse till he saw fit to call it again, inti- mating it might be in April. A Story of the War The duma refused to be dissolved and continued its sessions to March 11, when the revolution began with scattered riots throughout Petrograd. The police of Petrograd were loyal to the czar to the last, fighting the mob and soldiers even after the Cossacks had joined the revolution. Six hun- dred to 700 persons were killed in the course of the rioting and their bodies buried in one huge grave in a public spare. On the tops of the buildings the police placed machine guns and battled with the people in the streets. Soldiers compelled their officers to give up their swords and join the revolution or be shot. Machine guns on automobiles were brought to play on the police on the tops of the buildings till the mob was completely victorious. Prison and Records Burned. As in the French revolution a great prison was burned, after the prisoners had been liberated, but it was not a place of punishment for political pris- oners, as was the Bastile. It was filled with crim- inals of every degree of villiany, and this horde of ruffians helped in the midst of the general anarchy to make the disorder greater by adding murders and robberies. The palace of justice next was burned, together with all records of the police and the courts. In the midst of this upheaval Czar Nicholas ab- dicated for himself and for his young son and be- stowed the crown on his brother, the Grand Duke M "ti "^^v //^X n i/<^ 'i'jA ^V \ili' ''&-s^^^^9-~ •T^^'T A ♦'^*^' '^ jC^ <^ i^^^ '\{i Af-, y0^- ■'XK Pli), '■ 62 .^ n ::^:i; l^:> J Story of the War Michael. Michael wisely declined either to be czar or regent. Thns came to an end the reign of the house of RonianolT. The deposed czar was kept a prisoner till July, 1918, when he was murdered by his keepers. Two organizations started to run a government. One was the duma. The other was a meeting of delegates chosen by the workmen and soldiers. The duma chose a cabinet, with the consent of the sol- diers' and workmen's delegates. Before four months had passed the duma had ceased to exist. The first cabinet included Prince George E. Lvov as premier and generally was composed of reform- ers of the moderate sort. The most radical was Alexander Kerensky, a law^yer, who was made min- ister of justice. Within four months this radical was to become dictator of Russia, and less than three months later he was a fugitive. Hailed Gladly by Allies. The new government was hailed with joy throughout the Allied countries, it being believed that the patriots of Russia now would have control, the German agents and sympathizers would be ban- ished and a vigorous part taken by Russia in the war. The United States immediately recognized the government, being the first to do so. Two commis- sions were sent promptly from the United States. One, composed of civilians and headed by Elihu Root, former United States secretary of state, was to help the Russians with advice and information ^-'^-^ S^'^iSS' /i:r. 63 ^r about organizing a republic. The other commis- sion, headed by the chief of the American army staff, General Hugh L. Scott, was to observe and advise in military matters and recommend sending of supplies most needed. A number of experienced railroad men, includ- ing John F. Stevens, formerly an official of the Great Northern and other railroads, hurried to Rus- sia by way of Siberia to help in reorganizing and improving the transportation systems. None of these commissions accomplished much ^l^'J. in reorganizing, because there were too many ele- ments at work, bent on disorganization. No sooner was the Czar overthrown than Ger- man spies took advantage of the general confusion to swarm over the border and start a propaganda for peace. The chief of these was Nikolai Lenine, who had been banished from Russia under the old regime. He traveled from Switzerland through Germany to Petrograd. Agents of the same sort began working in Finland and the Ukrane in a campaign to detach those sections for Russia. Par- ticular success was attained by them soon in Fin- land, where an independence move gained head- way. The Ukrane (also known as Little Russia) is southwest Russia and is inhabited by a people known as Ruthenians, many of the same nationality occupying a large part of Galicia. The seeds of disunion had been sown industriously in the Ukrane by the Germans long before the revolution. -tm^ yy/////////yci Traitor Lenine Escapes. Patriotic Russians demanded tlie arrest of Le- nine. He was taken into custody, but escaped. Another means of German propaganda was by fraternization of the German and Austrian troops with the Russians. Tlie practice, begun witli the excliange of tobacco and other small presents, spread to communications between the two sides under the red flag or white flag. A spirit of insubordination among the troops, started by the revolution, continued to grow. Or- ders were given that soldiers need not salute their officers. Corporal punishment of soldiers, which had been practiced, was abolished and with it a good deal of the restraint of discipline. Capital punish- ment for treason and murder next were abolished, which opened the door to the enemy's spies. The authority of officers was taken away entirely when the companies, battalions and regiments held meet- ings to decide whether they would attack, stand their ground or retreat. It was only one more step for the individual sol- diers to decide for themselves whether they would stay to fight or go home. Many of them chose to return home and take their weapons with them. The returning soldiers commandeered the railroads, and it seemed already in June that all government was at an end. CO'-^'C v^ m iSP'^S^ PmmA 'ii/d E»; )mmmA. '-''I Li '^iM^^h'4^ w A Story of the War :<:^>:>;'x:'^fW government. Other American forces were in Vladi- vostok and vicinit}^ with Japanese troops. French ;.< troops were in Odessa. CHAPTER TWELVE. Submarines — The Lusitania. The submarine torpedo boat furnished Germany the greatest hopes of winning the war and proved in the end Germany's greatest failure. With its use she hoped to starve the British Isles within three months after beginning her campaign of reckless piracy, but failed. The same lawless and desperate course was probabl^^ the chief immediate cause of bringing the United States into the war, though the underlining reason was the response to the duty of joining in the defense of civilization and free gov- vernment against the German attack upon the lib- erties of the whole world. Germany was far from being as well provided as Great Britain with submarines at the beginning of the war or at any time afterward, Germany hav- ing 35 against Britain's 75. But the use of the sub- marines in defiance of all international law made the vessel terrible and made it seem to the unthink- ing as a peculiarly German war implement. It was [(6 A Story of the War not. It was the invention of an American, Simon Lake. Early in the war Germany adopted the policy of "sniping" on the sea. The main German fleet was locked in safety in the Kiel canal, while the sub- marines were sent out to destroy the British war- ships, if possible, one at a time. Four British cruisers were sunk by torpedoes in September, 1914 — the Pathfinder, the Aboukir, the Cressy and the Hogue. The last three were sunk on the same day within sight of each other, in consequence of two of the ships going to rescue the sailors of the first that was struck. While en- gaged in this act of common humanity, the rescu- ing ships were given death blows in quick succes- sion. The British cruiser Hawke was sunk in October, 1914, the battleship. Audacious, Oct. 27, and the battleship Formidable, Jan. 1, 1915. First Naval Battles of War. British submarines had little chance to attack an enemy that kept close to its own harbors, but succeeded in torpedoing the German battleship Pommern in the Baltic sea July 2, 1915, and the Turkish battleship Massudieh later in the Darda- nelles, Turkish waters. Meantime the British navy was destroying rap- idly all of the German navy that was not safelj^ stowed in German ports when the war was begun. In the first general naval engagement of the war, a /^ 's^n sTfr- -^. TOlSJiVTOSWfwB^^ #!l /J ^\\ ~B?^ A Story of the War British squadron under command of Admiral Beattj^ raided the bight of Hehgoland, close to the German coast, sinking two cruisers and two destroy- ers. The next battle was disastrous to the British squadron of Admiral Cradock, who was attacked by a much superior force off the coast of Chile, Nov. L Cradock's flagship, the Good Hope, and the Mon- mouth were sunk with all hands and the cruiser Glasgow badly damaged, though it escaped to port. The German victory was soon more than matched in a battle off the Falkland Islands Dec. 8, when the four ships of Admiral Van Spec's squadron, the Scharnhorst, Leipzig, Nuernberg and Gneisenau, were sent to the bottom of the ocean. One German ship, the Dresden, escaped, but it was found by the Glasgow and Kent three months later in Chilean waters and destroyed. The Germans next took to using their warships for raiding defenseless English towns, suddenly ap- pearing before some peaceful outing place or fish- ing village and bombarding the homes of the non- || combatants, killing women and children for the pleasure of it. Before the British fleet could come to the defense, the Germans would speed back to port, as they employed their fastest ships for this purpose. Bluecher Sunk by British. On one occasion the enemy failed disastrously to get away in time. Sallying forth to bombard the English coast, the Germans met a British battle A Story of the War 73 cruiser squadron and turned and fled, but the Bluecher, an armored cruiser, could not steam rap- idly enough. It was sunk. The German cruisers Goeben and Breslau were in the Mediterranean when war was declared. Knowing where they would be safe, they speeded to Constantinople, though closely pursued by Al- lied war vessels. The ships were sold by Germany to Turkey, and soon were in the war again when the Allies declared war on Turkey in November. A few German commerce raiding cruisers were abroad at the beginning of the war and filled the newspapers with stories of their wonderful ex- ploits in sinking unarmed merchant ships of the Allies, but all met their finish in a few months. One of these, the Emden, was fought and destroyed by the Australian cruiser Sydney in Asiatic waters. The fate of the Karlsruhe has remained a mystery, but the finding of wreckage in the Caribbean sea has given credence to the story that it was blown up by its crew when capture appeared certain. Germany's prospect of carrying out a boastful prediction of Emperor William II that "our future lies on the water," made 15 years before the war, seemed ended at the beginning of 1915, but the Germans had yet a few tricks in "frightfulness," on sea as well as on land, to put into practice. Grand Admiral Von Tirpitz, the minister of marine, gave out an interview about New Year's day, in which he announced that Germany had resolved to use her submarines to destroy England's commerce, \,v ■.-^'^V -.:s»- V\\\ and soon would begin sinking merchant ships with- out warning, leaving the crews and passengers, if any, to swim or drown. Von Tirpitz Defends Piracy. Von Tirpitz defended this program of atrocity by asserting that the British and Allied blockade of Germany was having the effect of starving the non- combatants in that country and that the German course in violation of the law of nations was justi- fied in self-defense. This intention was formally announced to the world Jan. 31. The United States immediately protested in a diplomatic note to Germany against this violation of the laws of nations and declared that it would hold Germany to a strict accountability for the loss of any American lives. A submarine blockade of the British Isles was declared by Germany to take effect Feb. 15. The Lusitania case was one of the first, and in every way the worst, instance of the submarine campaign. For more than three months after the German official declaration of the "blockade," the world hesitated to believe that Germany would com- mit the abomination of torpedoing a great passen- ger liner at sea with hundreds of noncombatants, men, women and children, aboard. When an advertisement w^as published in many newspapers in the United States early in May, 1915, over the name of Count Johann von Bernstorff, the German ambassador, warning all persons not to sail -'^^z^m A Story of the War on the Liisitania to England, as it was in danger of being torpedoed, little attention was paid to the threat. The proposal seemed too monstrous to be- lieve. Early in the morning of May 7, when the Lusi- tania was in sight of the Irish coast, off Old Head of Kinsale, a torpedo struck it, causing a terrific explosion and the quick sinking of the great ship. It was the largest ocean liner afloat. Its passengers and crew numbered more than 2,000. More Than 1,200 Drown. There was no preparation against the attack. It was not yet the custom for passengers to don life belts when in the danger zone, or to be assigned to particular lifeboats or to be drilled in seeking safety. There was confusion and terror on the great ship. Nearly half of the passengers managed to reach land safely, but more than 1,200, including many women and children, of whom 114 were American citizens, were drowned. Hundreds of bodies were cast ashore or were picked up by rescue boats. Every morgue in Queenstown was filled. The world was horror stricken. An Irish grand jury promptly returned an indictment, charging William II, Admiral Von Tirpitz and other German imperial officials with murder. %fx\ ',,1,1 I ^^ i^ / Story of the War IK^^ CHAPTER THIRTEEN. America Enters War. President Wilson dispatched a note to the Ger- man government May 13, 1915, demanding repara- tion for the lawless taking of the lives of American citizens who were passengers on the Lusitania and assurance that no such act would be committed in the future. The German answer was evasive, at- tempting to justify the torpedoing by claiming that the Lusitania was carrying munitions of war to be used against Germany and hence was outside the protection due a passenger ship. This claim was founded on aftidavits, which af terw^ards were found to be utterly false, when the maker w^as prosecuted in a United States court for perjury. President Wilson at once responded that the German note was unsatisfactory and declared that the United States "would omit no w^ord or act" in defense of the position it had taken. This note w^as signed by Robert Lansing, as acting secretary of state. William J. Bryan, the secretary, opposing the vigorous language of the message, had resigned. There were more notes back and forth, but in the end the German government agreed not to tor- pedo merchant ships without warning or without first providing for the safetj^ of the passengers and crew. This promise w^as not given until months later, after many notable torpedoings had taken place, such as the drowning of 1,000 soldiers by the A Story of the War sinking of a British transport in the Aegean sea, the sinking of the Arabic, which was disavowed by Germany, and of the Ancona and Persia in the Med- iterranean. Germany's promise to the United States to con- duct its campaign lawfully was lamely carried out, and at its best was on a weak foundation, as it was coupled with a request that the United States try to have the Allied blockade of Germany lifted, to- gether with a thinly veiled intimation that sea frightfulness would be resumed if the blockade were not lifted. Germany was ready for a new submarine cam- paign Jan. 31, after long preparation, and tliat day announced that unrestricted and unlimited torpedo- ing of merchant ships of all nations trading with any of her enemies would begin the next day. The United States was informed that one American ship a week would be permitted to enter the British port of Falmouth if there were no munitions in the cargo, and that the ship should be painted with alter- nate red and w^hite perpendicular stripes for better identification. This "barber pole" decoration of its ships was more than any self-respecting nation could endure. President Wilson announced in an address to con- gress Feb. 3 that diplomatic relations with Germany had been severed. On the same day the American steamer Housatonic was sunk without warning, but its crew was saved. 'Ui f^f^ ^^"^i.w^Mm I 1^ ^ Story of the V/ar United States Declares a State of War. Events leading to war followed in the next two months. The steamer Laconia was sunk off the Irish coast Feb. 25, and two American women were drowned. The next day President Wilson asked power to provide merchant vessels with guns to de- fend themselves against submarine attacks. This authority was held up by a filibuster in the senate, but after congress had adjourned it was announced that congressional action was unnecessary, and the ?^ guns and gun crews were placed aboard American trading vessels. Fuel was added to the fire of American indig- nation when the state department gave out, Feb. 28, some intercepted messages from the German for- eign office to the German minister in Mexico. Von Eckhardt, the minister, was instructed to invite Mexico into an alliance with Germany and suggest an alliance with Japan, for an attack on the United States. Mexico was promised as a reward the recov- ery of New Mexico, Texas and Arizona, which had been lost in the war of 1846. The date of this com- munication was Jan. 19, and in it notice was given to Von Eckhardt of the submarine campaign soon to break out, with a prediction that England would be starved out in a few months. President Wilson called an extra session of con- gress, April 2, and asked for a declaration of a state of war with Germany. This was passed by con- gress and signed by the president April 6. M^'>^ -^|V^^ ^'T\ ^,^ 0: A Story of the War 79 ^^■S CHAPTER FOURTEEN. Whole Nation Volunteers. 4/' ' '' ''^A M' The United States began the war under a plan by which every man, woman and child in the coun- try was given service to do. The whole country volunteered. Some were chosen for military duty in the field and on the sea, others to manufacture the supplies for the fighters, others to produce the food to maintain the armj^ and navy, some to con- duct the management of the war, many to admin- ister to the comfort and happiness of the soldiers and sailors and the rest to carry on those civilian occupations which were indispensable to the life of the nation. The Red Cross, the Knights of Columbus, the Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A., the Salvation Army, the Jewish Welfare Board, the War Camp Community Service, the Boy Scouts and numerous other organ- izations did their part, all sacrificing their time and \y(f, labor, many giving up their lives that the army might be the most contented and best cared for that the world had known. Fifty million women and girls did their share with the needle, making garments for the troops, such as w^ere needed, but not furnished by the gov- ernment, and in making surgical supplies that saved many a life and eased hours of pain for a qiiarter of a million men. Nearly 10,000,000 men between the ages of 21 ^^ ]is^ :t. 4 Story of thr If'ar % V'.-S-N and 30, both inclusive, marched to registration booths all over the land June 5, 1917, and were en- rolled for their country's defense under the select- ive service act. From these were chosen the greater tl tOj^ portion of the armv of more than 3,000,000 that . ;^^ ^vas raised, the rest bemg members of National (niard regiments, which were called into service, and of the regular army and the marine corps. More than 24,000,000 men w^ere registered for duty under the two selective service acts which ap- plied to all male residents between the ages of 18 and 45. Of these there were 10,334,000 between the ages of 21 and 30 and those between 18 and 21 and between 31 and 45 numbered 13,900,000, a total of 24,234,000. 3,700,000 in Army. From this great number the United States had enlisted 3,700,000 when the signing of the armis- tice brought to a stop the calling out of troops. Two million were in France, and the remaining 1,700,000 in home camps waiting to go overseas. More than 20,000,000 remained subject to call if the need had arisen. Thirty-two training camps for soldiers w^ere es- tablished in the summer of 1917, besides nine for student otlicers, 16 for the regular army, eight avia- tion fields, five camps for medical officers, 10 for the navy and one each for the engineers and the marines. The government spared no expense to get speed in the establishment of these camps, .:t^'H iCOMfC ^'h ^ivt^'iM^ Vj "^^ %^^ .U^J}. ^^^'^^ ■"/^/,,..:^' ^ Story of the War ^■/ / \ 81 which grew up like large cities in all parts of the land. The civilians were mobilized quickly under the direction of the Council of National Defense. This body was composed of the secretaries of war, the navy, the interior, commerce and agriculture and seven citizens: Howard E. Coffin, an automobile manufacturer; Daniel Willard, railroad president; Julius Rosenwald, merchant; Bernard Baruch, in- vestor; Hollis Godfrey, engineer; Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, and Dr. Franklin Martin, physician. Subordinate to the Council of National Defense was the War Industries board, of which Frank A. Scott was chairman. The business of this body was to organize the munition manufacturers so as to produce the greatest quantity of arms and ammuni- tion and supplies in the least time. The Federal Trade commission undertook the fixing of prices of steel, one of the essential ma- terials in munition making, so that private business might not compete unduly with the government's requirements. Railroads Operated by Government. The greatest interference with peace time busi- ness was the taking over of all the railroads in the land by the government. William G. McAdoo, sec- retary' of the treasurj% was made director general of railroads, and all the transportation systems were made one for the purposes of the war. Government ;'^ t 'J w (H fe^r #^ / ..-7 82 A Story of the War business henceforth had priority over everything else, particularly in the transportation of soldiers and military supplies. "Food will win the war" was a slogan that quick- ly became popular. Government and citizens united to bring about that result. The government encour- aged the production of wheat by guaranteeing to the farmers a price of $2.20, and the citizens co- operated by voluntarily abstaining from wheat products to so great an extent that 12,000,000 tons of grain were shipped to Europe in 1918 out of a crop that in ordinary times would have barely been sufficient for home needs. Herbert C. Hoover, who had earned the world's admiration by his labors and success in managing the food supply to the Belgians, before the United States entered the war, was made food adminis- trator. Under his direction, meatless and wheat- less days were established, the people eating corn, barley, rice and various other substitutes, and a rationing system was adopted in the use of sugar. No person was allowed to use more than two pounds of sugar a month, excepting an additional amount for canning fruits. This rule was cheerfully obeyed by all, but a licensing plan was adopted for the benefit of the unpatriotic, by which the retailers kept strict records of amounts sold and to whom. By these methods the need of the Allies for wheat, meat, fats and sugar was met from America's abundance. The press was put under a censorship that was .«jttv5«S? -•"1 ^ ' -^<^'ll^!% ''^ A Story of the War 83 largely voluntar^^ consisting of advice from the military authorities as to news that was not safe to let the enemy know, such as arrivals and depart- ures of ships and troops. Trading^ with Enemy Interdicted. Trading with the enemy was forbidden under a license system that put any offender out of business and sometimes behind prison bars. By this means, a world-wide embargo was declared against Ger- many. In co-operation with the British empire and the other Allies an interdict was placed on shipping '^^^'^^^y food or anything of possible military use to Ger- 'z^^^- many. Neutral nations were obliged to adhere to this plan, under penalty of being denied any food for themselves. The full effect of this embargo may not be known till long after the war, but it undoubt- edly caused a shortage of fats in the Central empires that helped to bring them to their knees. Sedition laws resulted in sending to detention camps, enemy aliens who showed hostility to the Allies and to prison any citizens who tried to hinder the winning of the war. In this way incipient oppo- sition to the selective service act was speedily crushed. Nowhere throughout the whole country was the authority of the government defied in any serious way. Shipbuilding was rushed in every shipyard in the country to carry men, munitions and food to Europe in spite of the German submarines. Mil- lions of dollars were spent in France in building A Story of the War f docks and warehouses in Bordeaux, Havre and other ports and hundreds of miles of railroads con- structed to carry on military operations. In this manner every citizen had his work cut out for him to help win the war. CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 1917 Campaigns in West. The year 1917, in which the United States en- tered the war, was marked on the part of the Ger- mans by a big retreat in France and by repeated and varied attacks by the Allies, who followed the pugi- lists' tactics of mixing their blows, first at one point and then at another. British and French commanders opened the campaign early, Feb. 7, and carried it on with little cessation till December. From Ypres, the ruined city in Flanders, where Canadian troops played an efficient and glorious part, to Lens, where other Canadians blasted the Hun out of his seemingly un- assailable position, to Arras, to the Somme river region, to the Aisne district and to Verdun the Brit- ish and French were on the offensive at all times. British forces attacked Feb. 7 in the northern Somme river sector. Their immediate objective was I Bapaume, a small place, but a railroad and highway center, and hence a German distributing and assem- f^, bling point. In six weeks the British were in Ba- ' ^ paume. Then ensued the great Hindenburg retreat, ac- ■>.^,^. A Story of the War claimed by the Germans as a masterpiece of strat- egy. The victor over Russian armies had been made chief of all the enemy hosts in the previous July. An area of 1,000 square miles was suddenly evacuated by the Germans on both sides of the Somme as far as the line of forts which the French had built in St. Quentin and Le Fere. The whole country abandoned by the enemy was subjected to devastation intended to be so complete that pursuit would be almost impossible and in any case a haz- ardous undertaking. An effort was made to destroy every tree, especially fruit trees, to lay waste all vegetation, to pollute the wells and in short to make the country uninhabitable. Buildings were dyna- mited in the villages and every scrap of food taken away. Worse yet, every able-bodied man or boy and many of the young women were carried away in captivity as has not been done since the world emerged from semi-barbarism. Death-traps Planted. The greatest ingenuity was exercised by the re- treating enemy in planting death-traps to catch the unwary and terrify pursuers. No French or Brit- ish soldier could touch any little article left lying, with impunity, for it might and often did furnish connection with a plant of high explosive to blow the meddler to pieces. Even the wayside shrines and other objects associated with religion were not immune, for the worshipper could drop on his knees before a sacred image at his own peril. f.l '. lESTROOMl \/4 j --^ mm \ \ , _ 86 A Story of the War J* ^W «ife Proud of their \York, the German's left behind them signs reading, "Don't be angry; just \Yonder." The reason for the German retreat evidentl^^ was to shorten the Hue by making it straight where it had been a great bow and thus be able to hold it with fewer men. Vimy Ridge, a powerful German position near Arras, had been believed impregnable by the enemy, but it fell to the British, April 9, with 6,000 prison- ers. Through the month of April the troops of General Sir Douglas Haig continued to advance. April 12 they pierced the Hindenburg line near Arras. Every sort of obstacle to advancing troops had been planted along the Hindenburg "line" by the Germans. It was 10 miles wide and more than 100 miles long. Barbed wire in dense masses, ditches, machine gun nests, concrete emplacements for ar- tillery, underground refuges, capable of holding large bodies of troops, had been utilized, together with an assemblage of artillery believed sufficient to drive off any attack. Canadians Storm Hill 70. Canadian troops demonstrated once more to the enemy that positions he believed impregnable could be taken when they stormed Hill 70, a bit of high ground from which the Germans were defending Lens. This victorious action took place Aug. 15, and six days later the Canadians again attacked, using the bayonet to drive the enemy from his A Story of the War trenches in front of Lens back into that coal mining city. Thereafter for many months there was stub- born fighting over an old slag heap where the refuse of the mines had been tossed. Till almost the end of the war the opposing lines were little changed in that region. Lieutenant General Byng hit the Hindenburg line Nov. 21 on a 30 mile front from Arras to St. Quentin, penetrating the enemy's defenses for dis- tances from one to five miles, taking 13 villages and gathering 9,000 prisoners in the barbed wire en- closures at the rear. The success of this British blow was largely due to the tanks. These slow, rumbling, crawling land battleships, now familiar to many Americans and Canadians by sight and to all by description or pic- tures, were a terrifying novelty to the enemy. As the monsters walked over barbed wire with ease, flattened trees, crushed buildings in the way, de- scended into shell holes and climbed out on the other side, stood over trenches and peppered the occupants with machine gun bullets, the Germans simply threw up their hands and cried "Kamerad" when they had the chance. The tanks went far to solve the problem of taking by storm fortified positions that before had defied attack. General Byng's victor}^ was marred by a sudden reverse, which lost nearly all the ground gained. His troops had high hopes of capturing Cambrai, one of the four railroad centers on which the Hin- M^>*•»1*u*i•V• V //f ^mkc^ /2f /^-^ A k ^^^S^^^^^''/ 'Xy 'L-'^-; A Story of the War -:^^^/j^; denburg line rested. When they were within two miles of the place, they were forced back six miles by a heavy German attack with fresh troops Nov. 30, in which 4,000 Britons were captured. CHAPTER SIXTEEN. U-Boats Raid U. S. Coast. New York, Philadelphia and other Atlantic coast cities experienced some of the terror that had vis- ited Europe for four years, when two German sub- marines made a raid on coastwise shipping, late in May and early in June, 1918. Twenty small steamers and schooners were sunk in the course of two weeks, most of them at a dis- tance of 40 miles from the shore. The coast cities put out all lights at night for fear of airplane raids or bombardment, for it was thought that aircraft might have been brought by the raiders, but noth- ing of the sort happened. The loss of life was small, only seven being drowned by the capsizing of a lifeboat of the steamer Carohna, the largest vessel sunk. The German intention evidently was to frighten the United States into recalling the American navy from European waters or to torpedo a transport loaded with troops, before it had been taken under the protection of destroyers in the eastern Atlantic. The submarines engaged in this work were of large size and said to be capable of carrying sup- plies for six months. One of them was estimated to be 325 feet long and was armed with five guns. The 331 persons on the CaroHna were put aboard hfeboats, after which the vessel was torpedoed off the New Jersey coast. All the vessels sunk were American except one British and two Norwegian steamers. It was the second such visitation to American waters, but the first was before the United States entered the war. The U-53 sank six ships off the Nantucket coast in October, 1916, four British, one Dutch and one Norwegian, but was seen or heard from no more. The merchant submarine Deutsch- land made two trips to the United States in July and October the same year, bringing over a cargo of German toys and other light articles, and returning with nickel and copper, of which Germany was in great need. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. German Drives in 1918. Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria and Germany went down to defeat in rapid succession in 1918, but not till near the close of a year in which the arms of the quadruple alliance had threatened the world with greater terror than at any previous time in the war. Russia having been put out of the war through , German intrigue, the enemy was able to transfer to -^ the western front probably 2,000,000 soldiers. It ^^ was a process of selecting the best troops and throw- It'i^ yy-^:^~^'. -^s- them against the British, French and afterward * * *^*.-*°''' -^^'i/% "is^^- ■-OsS*^ /^ Story of the War |||i» in, the Americans, while tlie old men, the less fit, were sent into Russia to do the small police work that was necessary and carry out the exploitation of the con- quered nation. Von Hindenburg, the chief of the German gen- eral staff, and Von Ludendorff, the chief quarter- master general, who was declared by many to be Von Hindenburg's master mind and the brains of the organization, selected a portion of the Allied line about 50 miles in length, north and south of St. Quentin, as the section to be smashed, intending to separate the armies of the two nations, roll up the British to the north and push on to Paris in the south. For nine anxious days after the blow fell, March 21, it looked as if the enemy would accomplish his purpose. The British Fifth army was shattered under an overwhelming force of men and guns. The French held more firmly, but were obliged also to retire. The Allies now recognized w^hat had long been manifest, that the only hope of beating the enemy was to place all the Allied troops under the com- mand of one man, who could use them to the best advantage, instead of depending on conferences be- tween various commanders to obtain unity of ac- tion. It was agreed to place the entire power and responsibility on General Ferdinand Foch, who was raised to the rank of marshal. At the same time an inter-Allied war council was created which met HliHi IMi ^ Story of the War in Paris and advised with Foch on the general strat- egy of the war. Pershing Offers American Troops. General J. J. Pershing, the American command- er-in-chief, notified Marshal Foch that the American forces were at his disposal to employ wherever they would be of the most use. At that time there were approximately 400,000 American soldiers in France. Soon after Foch had been made generalissimo, the German drive was stopped. The enemy had advanced on both sides of the Somme river, regain- ing in nine days all the territory which the Allies had wrested from him in a year and a half of fight- ing. Every foot of the ground Hindenburg had been obliged to yield a year before was recovered by him and 200 square miles in addition. The enemy had made a maximum gain of 39 miles on a front of 50 miles and claimed to have taken 150,000 prisoners. The apex of the German drive was a little be- yond Montdidier and Cantigny, the last place being worth noting, for there a brilliant American vic- tory was won two months later. The Germans had hoped to capture the city of Amiens, a railroad center through which the entire British and Belgian armies maintained communica- tion with the French armies and with Paris. If that place had fallen, the Allies would have had to rely on a roundabout method of communication and mutual assistance and probably would have been '14^'^ ¥^ /. 'ii.'X'iy"'''^""^ A'A. 1. ^~"-^l?>?^. '\»>s^ A Story of the War attacked and defeated in detail. But the Germans were halted nine miles east of Amiens. Their baffled rage was vented on the city with the use of long range guns and airplane bombing squadrons. Its beautiful cathedral was an especial object of spite and was severely damaged. New Drive Against British. Balked, but still far from defeated, the Germans tried a new line of attack, against the British alone near Ypres. Canadian troops, among others, had won glory there in the previous three years, first by their invincible defense of the position against great odds and poisonous gas and afterward by vig- orous offensives which had wrested from the enemy 250 square miles of territory and raised hopes of eventually driving the Germans from Belgium. By means of reckless sacrifice of life and lavish expenditure of ammunition, the Germans early in April had regained all the territory east of Ypres which Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig had con- quered in the previous two years. Haig was obliged to order a withdrawal not only east but south of Ypres, permitting the enemy to drive a wedge about 15 miles or nearly a third of the distance to the English channel ports of Calais and Dunkirk. This great German advance was made as the result of a wanton expenditure of men's lives so enormous that the German general staff was obliged after two weeks to abandon the effort as too costly. ■,3 ^•^|{9*<^ ^ ^^Z 1 ^r::>^ A Story of the War Kemmel Hill a Scene of Death. Probably the most hotly contested point in all this fighting was Kemmel hill, near the village of the same name, southwest of Ypres. The Germans sought this high ground in the expectation of dom- inating the region roundabout and forcing a British and French retirement on a large scale. It was de- fended by a French force. Shells of all sizes were rained upon the devoted band of Frenchmen. Ger- man troops gained ground north, south and west and finally surrounded it. But the Frenchmen would not surrender. Taking cover amid the fallen trees and rocks, the defenders hurled back one at- tacking force after another until they were them- selves all killed, wounded or captured in hand to hand combat. It was a useless victory to the Germans. They could make no use of the hill because the British and French poured such a deluge of shells upon it that no one could live on it. Kemmel hill marked the limit of the German drive in that quarter. Ypres was held and the channel ports were not again en- dangered. Without disparaging the gallant defense by the British and French in the Ypres or Flanders fight- ing, it may be said that another reason for abandon- ment of the effort was the enemy's belief that large numbers of American troops had been brigaded with the British to make the sector too strong for further effort. There has been no official statement s\ r<$'^ ^^"cj^j cB' 7^ .■^ '" \J ... •S^i^i^^:, ^ •, ^-^„ -^ ^~ ,^%i^'t"^'^>- ,^^,'*5^^-.,-r«.-_- „_^^e^*^«3^^ ^. ^ ^-^t\ -#^'^^ix!^^aatSfeijg^|^i^ J Story of the War of the number of Americans so employed, though it is known that two divisions, the 27th and 30th, remained with the British command till the close of the war. Third Drive on Aisne Front. Through a great part of the month of May the Germans, twice blocked, made no offensive in force, but busied themselves assembling a force north of the Aisne river for a drive which was launched May 27. This portion of the Allied lines was weakly defended, mainly by French territorials (older troops generally used for garrison duty) and some British divisions that were resting after the stren- uous service elsewhere in March and April. The Germans quietly assembled a great force by moving the troops and guns at night. Outnumber- ing the Allies five to one, the enemy swept forward for three days at the rate of about 10 miles a day. Driving the French and British over the Aisne, the enemy poured over the next river, the Vesle, and to the banks of the Marne, famous for the great French victory of 1914. They reached the river at the little city of Chateau Thierry, wliich was to be- come celebrated in American as well as French his- tory. By June 1 the Germans had captured the city of Soissons, a railroad point of importance on which the French had anchored their lines since 1914, and had beleaguered the city of Rheims, 30 miles east- ward, on three sides. Rheims, though never held V'lilTfnTji ^«^ \ .'^ A Story of the War by the enemy after September, 1914, is one of the French sacrificial cities. For more than four years it was under German bombardment from vantage points immediately north which they held until Oc- tober, 1918. Its cathedral, the place of crowning of French kings for centuries, was laid in ruins. By this May drive the Germans, who were part of the army of the German crown prince, thrust another salient into the Allied lines to a depth of 30 miles and a width of 50 miles at its greatest dimen- sion, rivaling in extent that created by the March drive along the Somme. They pressed to 45 miles from Paris at Chateau Thierry, compared with 73 miles, the nearest their lines approached the French capital before the 1918 drives. Push Directly for Paris. The Teutons next attempted to wipe out the territory separating the two great wedges, that of the Marne and that of the Somme. Between them lay the city of Compiegne, on the road to Paris. Between Compiegne and the Marne is the forest of Villers Cotterets, a great woods admirably adapted to defense. Try as they would, the enemy was unable to pen- etrate the Villers Cotterets forest. A fourth drive was launched to reach Paris b^^ way of the city of Compiegne. Begun June 9, the German attack gained less than three miles of thinly held advance posts and was stopped by the French the next day. A French counter offensive immediately was ^v^=2fJCU:.^f '•'' ~^teti'> r^'i ^ Ml .'M0- im na "WW 10 mfACJk y 4 Story of the War launched, recovering a mile of ground, and after five days the fighting ceased in that region without appreciable benefit to the enemy. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. Americans Enter Fighting. Though there were patrol encounters, gas at- tacks and airplane raids upon the American forces in France as early as the fall of 1917, the first real battle in which United States forces were engaged was at Seicheprey in the Tout sector, east of St, Mihiel, April 20. A German force of 1,500 men at- tacked several times its number and drove them out of the village, but not for long. Reinforcements were brought up and the battle resumed the next day, the enemy being ousted from all his gains. The American loss was more than 200 and that of the Germans much heavier. The first offensive action by American soldiers was the capture of Cantigny, a village near the apex of the German advance in Picardy, May 28. American troops had been brigaded with British and French soon after the German offensive in the Somme. A division of regulars had been sent oppo- site to Cantigny, a town on a hill jutting beyond the remainder of the German lines. Here the enemy could oversee the country for miles in every direc- tion and take refuge in the cellars of the village when shelled. The position was an obstacle to any Allied advance and was an advantageous point from COMIC ''m^ ^ ^s -^O 'v^"" ^a{ y//^!ii/ii|if|f|i|li|!;|ii|:(f^^ ,,h^ ^': ^.WCA. ^%lf ^'^mmmm mm § ^,--' ■ ^ A Story of the War which to plan a German attack. French and American batteries bombarded the place for two hours early May 20, obliterating the German trenches, cutting to pieces the barbed wire entanglements before them and driving the Teu- tons into their cellar refuges. At 6:45 A. M. French tanks led the advance, closely followed by the Americans, walking at a leisurely pace, in the new European method of attack, for every man was bur- dened with a pick or a shovel to dig himself in, be- sides other paraphernalia. Forty-five minutes later headquarters received a telephone message: "This is Cantigny; we're here." The signal corps men had worked with such speed and skill that the lines were up in the cap- tured village almost as soon as the troops had gained possession of it. Liquid Fire Turned on Enemy. Then came the work of mopping up the territory gained, which consisted chiefly of forcing the Ger- mans, hiding in the cellars, to surrender or blowing them with hand grenades or turning streams of liquid fire upon them. Two hundred German prisoners were taken in this battle, but it was only the beginning, for the enemy launched counter attacks for five days in the vain endeavor to regain the lost ground. On the gray-green hosts came, time after time, but not an inch did they obtain. During most of this time the . --=:r:r _--:.:. m, ■ ■ '.f ,im\2^.>' • \K I. I J 1/ V 1/ ' i/l/// {■' / , -7" \\\ /.f'.mk / / // 98 A Story of the War Americans were subjected to the most intense Ger- man slielling, making it impossible to obtain food or ammunition except at desperate risk. The canned rations which the men had brought on their backs when they advanced the first day served to feed them. The enemy effort was all the more determined because it was realizing what the moral effect of this victory would be upon the Allies, showing the qual- ity of the new troops was up to standard. At the same time the Germans were careful that their own people should learn nothing of it. No mention of Americans was made in any German report. This victory occurred on the second day of the Germans' great offensive in another part of the battle front on the Aisne river. In that section the enemy had reached the Marne river 45 miles from Paris, and Marshal Foch deter- mined they should go no further. A battalion of American machine gunners and a body of French colonial troops stopped them in the village of Cha- teau Thierry June 1. Held at Chateau Thierry. Chateau Thierry lies on both sides of the Marne. The Germans attempted to cross a bridge to the south side, but were met by a withering fire from the machine gunners, largely Pennsylvania men, with a sprinkling from New England and elsewhere. Again and again the enemy attempted to rush the bridae till the corpses were piled high upon it. A Story of the War Once more they tried and were upon the center of it when the floor and pier were shattered by a vio- lent explosion. The American engineers had mined the structure. The enemy brought up machine gunners, and then ensued a duel between men armed with those terrible engines of destruction. From the windows of an old mill near the bridge the defenders pep- pered the buildings on the opposite side and suf- fered a fire of the same kind. But the enemy did not cross. West and northwest of Chateau Thierry are the villages of Vaux, Bouresches and Belleau and Bel- leau wood, in which American marines gained lau- rels by fighting their way forward against the sever- est handicaps throughout most of the month of June. At this point there was a gap of more than two miles in the French lines by which the Germans threatened to pour through and turn the Allied re- treat into a rout. Into this gap was hurled a division which in- cluded a brigade of American marines, a regiment of engineers and a battalion of machine gunners. They were brought in taxicabs and motor trucks from their camp 75 miles westward, just as General Gallieni's taxicab army was hurried to the front nearly four years before to attack the German flank and save Paris. P'jk'<' w ,.;^^(/ ' f////- ./A /'\ V, '^^^%,?>^ ^':n -J^VV^o/ A story of the War Marines Rush at Foe. i..—' Without waiting for the Germans to attack, the marines and engineers and machine gunners rushed at the foe. It is a heavily wooded country, with numerous hills, small villages and little farms on which the grain had grown high enough to hide a man lying down or crouching. It was a case of charging from one wooded knoll to another, of crawling through the wheat or rye, the grain sway- ing as though fanned by fitful winds and betraying the presence of soldiers. It was like the Indian fighting of the prairies a generation or two ago. It was just the sort of fighting in which Pershing's troops could excel. Vaux, Belleau, Bouresches, and Torcy, villages on that extreme corner, nearest to Paris, of the great wedge which the Germans had thrust from the hills above the Aisne to the Marne, were taken after the bitterest kind of hand to hand fighting. Belleau wood, one of those little forests in which a few men with machine guns could hold back a thousand, has been named Marine Brigade wood by the French in honor of the Americans who captured it after three weeks of stubborn fighting. The Germans always were abundantly provided with machine guns, the German staff having appre- ciated, before the war, the usefulness of those fear- ful weapons, with which one man might mow down an advancing host as one would cut grain with a scythe. In shell holes, behind rocks and fallen W \\\>>-i^^. i-.=ESf«i/-' ; ''OiHii A Story of the War trees the enemy placed these machine guns, which took many hves, but the marines got the wood. Five German divisions, including the crack Fifth Prussian Guard, were thrown against the one American division, but each in turn withdrew, shat- tered and defeated. Crown Prince Tries Last Time. Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia es- sayed the fifth and last German offensive of 1918 in the Marne segment beginning July 15. The Germans had been held in Flanders, on the Somme, in the Compiegne region and on the Marne. The least gain had been made by the enemy in the Compiegne district a month before, when Rudolph, the Bavarian crown prince, had failed to open a way to Paris. The Austrians had suffered a signal defeat in their offensive against the Italians, imme- diately following, so the heir to the German im- perial throne was given a chance to make a military reputation and bolster up the cause of the Hohen- zollern dynasty. Frederick William had failed in the Verdun campaign in 1916, and something must be done to restore the prestige of the imperial house. For three days the Germans attacked southward and eastward of the Marne in the endeavor to cut the railroad from Verdun to Paris and thereby deal a serious blow to the Allied communications as well as to isolate Verdun and render its capture easy, but French, British and American troops barred the \M^fflvr vr 'v, ^ 4 /A ^^^'~"':: >--^ t'/ .^#-^ ^ tm^i^ ^^%_7 P^^^S^^^^^ •i WSii ;\% -^ 102 A Story of the War way. The British were defending Rheims on the right, some American troops east of them on the extreme right. French forces were between Rheims and tlie Marne, Americans on the south bank of the Marne around Chateau Tliierry and French north and northwest of Chateau Thierry as far as the Aisne river west of Soissons. The first day the enemy made some advance, as was to be expected in any attack. Enemy Hurled Over Marne. But the next day the Americans fell upon the German forces that had crossed the Marne east of Chateau Thierry and drove them back in disorder and rout across the stream. The British yielded lit- tle in the Rheims district, defeating all attempts of the enemy to capture that city. The French gave way to the appointed line upon the Marne. The Americans east of Rheims held their ground against fierce attacks, conceding little. By the third day the enemy had been checked, and his offensive assumed the character of another defeat. CHAPTER NINETEEN. Allies Take Offensive. In the Villers Cotterets forest, east of Com- piegne and the Gise river and bordering on the west side of the great wedge which the enemy had thrust toward the Marne, masses of French and American A Story of the War artillery and infantry were assembled on the night of July 17. At daybreak the guns belched forth shrapnel and high explosive upon the foe in an un- expected quarter. The artillery preparation was brief but terrific. It caught the Germans unpre- pared. It threw them into confusion and dismay. The infantry surged forward and swept the enemy ^ on a 20 mile front for a depth of four to five miles, capturing many villages, great quantities of ammu- nition and thousands of prisoners. The celebrated 42nd or Rainbow division of the American arm^^ so called because it was made up of national guard troops from states, was in the front of the attack of July 18. This division was destined to take part in every offensive movement of the Americans till the end of the war and to cover /Z itself with glory. In the July counter offensive the Rainbow divi- sion captured Fere en Tardenois, a large ammuni- tion and supply depot of the enemy, besides win- ning on numerous other hotly contested fields. French, British and other American divisions took valorous parts in the Allied sweep upon the enemy in the Marne Pocket. From the beginning the Germans fell back, sometimes faster and some- times more slowly, but never seeking more than to delay the Allied advance. In two weeks the salient had been wiped out, the foe forced back to a straight line from Soissons, which was recaptured, along the Vesle river to Rheims. The Vesle was in flood at this time and swampy on both sides, but the Ger- oOo )^ If'''' $ X ' k ' H, I ' -r lMC> / 5|! i ii^ m ' % ^JF- ^ '' ^ '^''^^^""'^^^'^'^ mmmmMm A Story of the War into the Britsh lines on both sides of the Lys river, south of Ypres. This withdrawal was continued at intervals for the next four weeks until every foot of the territory gained by the great German rush in April had been surrendered. Aug. 10 saw a signal French success in the cap- ture of Montdidier, a town which had been at the apex of the Somme salient. On that day the French extended their offensive for 16 miles eastward of their previous drive. Coming up on all sides of Montdidier, they surrounded it, but took few pris- oners, most of the enemy having fled. The German retreat continued. The heavens were made red at night by the blowing up of Ger- man ammunition dumps, though in some cases the enemy did not have time enough to destroy his own shells and cannon and tried to explode the supplies by bombardment afterward. Often the roads were found mined so as to explode when troops passed over and in other cases such plants were left un- finished in the haste of flight. The whippets, or British two-man tanks, did splendid service in interrupting such enterprises of the enemy. These swift armored little automobiles, scattered with machine gun fire many little parties of Germans in such work. Dominion Troops Make Big Gains. Canadians and Australians did yeoman service in this successful drive, the towns taken by them in- cluding Folies, Beaufort, Warvillers, Vrely, Ro- • 'ij:tLLi>!::^=^f=fi77rf //I / \ llMiViill . i , iUil u^ A Story of the War sieres, Meharicoiirt, Rouvroy, Lihons near Chaiil- nes and Bouchoir near Roye. The Allied losses near Roye were hardly a tenth of those suffered by the enemy. In the first three days of the drive it was announced that 55,000 Germans had been cap- tured, with 400 guns, while the Allied killed and wounded numbered only 6,000. The cannon taken included guns of 8 inch aperture and even larger. The German retreat did not stop until nearly half of the territory overrun by the enemy in March had been abandoned. On a line just west of the important railroad centers of Bapaume, Peronne, Chaulnes, R03 e and Lassigny, which ranged from north to south, the Germans attempted to make a stand and held their ground for nearly three weeks. Late in August the Germans were in gradual retreat on a front of 150 miles from Ypres to the Aisne river. Canadian troops had the honor of making the first breach in the famous Hindenburg line, the sup- posed impregnable barrier to Allied advance, as heretofore described. Southeast of Arras the sol- diers of the dominion forced their way into terri- tory that had been held for four years by the enemy, the first such instance in 1918. Early in September they continued this success by cracking the Dro- court-Queant switch line further east. The Dro- court-Queant, also known as the Wotan, line con- sisted of five series of trenches, studded with ma- chine guns and heavy artillery and manned by 87,500 soldiers on a front of five miles. Through ,-^?*^5S5> m/i'/Jlim A Story of the War this formidable barrier the Canadians smashed, crushing German hopes of being able to stay in France or Belgium. Immediately afterwards, Sept. 3, other Canadian forces took Lens, the coal mine center of northern France, which the Germans also had held for four years. This victory crowned the Canadian triumph of August, 1917, when they took by storm Hill 70, the chief defense of Lens. New Zealanders Take Bapaume. Bapaume was captured by New^ Zealanders, Pe- ronne by Australians, Chaulnes by Canadians, Roye and Lassigny by the French and the German line of defense in the west crumbled. All these towns were important railroad centers and points of con- centration and supply to the enemy. Four times they changed hands during the war, first in the German sweep towards Paris in 1914, secondly when the Allies forced the Hindenburg retreat in 1917, a third time when the German offensive of March 21, 1918, threatened to spht the AUied ar- mies in two, and lastly when the Allies took them in the fall of 1918. After the loss of Roye the German retreat con- tinued apace to the center of the Hindenburg line, the next stopping place. So rapid was the Allied advance that 50 villages were liberated in two days, but they were only the shadows of towns. In every one the enemy had wreaked his spiteful wrath upon the homes of the poor and the rich alike with fire and high explosive. The German retreat in Flanders, which had been under way since Aug. 9, released in three weeks all the Lys salient, making the battle line run almost due north and south from Ypres to Arras. At the beginning of September it was announced that 128,000 Germans had been taken prisoners since July 15, together with 2,000 guns and 15,000 ma- chine guns. Mount Kemmel, the hill on which thousands of Germans died before it was captured by them, was abandoned without a fight. Juvigny Taken by Americans. About the same time American troops gained a significant victory in the capture of Juvigny north of Soissons. The taking of this place in two hours' fighting exposed the German positions eastward be- tween the fortress of Laon and the Aisne river to flank attack. Juvigny was captured after an ad- vance of three miles over difficult country. A thou- sand Germans were taken prisoners, along with 100 machine guns, two cannon of four inch and two of six inch size. American machine gunners thwarted an attempt of the enemy to drag away the cannon by shooting down the gunners and the horses at a distance. After seven weeks of the offensive, the Allies were practically back to their lines as occupied March 21, when the first enemy offensive of 1918 was begun. Above Cambrai the Canadians were east of that line. Before them was the Canal du r^ ^.-^ § .0-,' V/ ''^ '-^^:-^ ^^'ui4( 1?^^ Nord, a deep dry ditch with precipitous sides. It was an unfinished waterway-, but presented a ser- ious obstacle. It took time to overcome this bar- '^'^Mfj ri^r, but it was left behind eventually. CHAPTER TWENTY. St. Mihiel Salient Conquered. Two hundred and seventj^ thousand American troops had participated in the second battle of the Marne, but 600,000 participated in the first offensive under American command, that in which the St. Mihiel salient was wiped out Sept. 12 and 13, 1918. The St. Mihiel salient had been described b^^ Marshal Joffre as a dagger pointed at the heart of France. It was a wedge thrust between the Meuse and Moselle rivers, southeast of Verdun. It was the result of German attempts in September, 1914, to cut off Verdun and drive to Paris. It was about 20 miles w^ide at the base, toward Germany, and about 13 miles deep, narrowing to a point at the village of St. Mihiel. The American First army, commanded by Gen- eral J. J. Pershing, captured this salient in two days, liberating 100 villages and taking 20,000 prisoners. With the Americans were some French divisions, under General Pershing's general directions. The preliminary bombardment, intense in char- acter, lasted four hours, after which a dense smoke was laid and 100 tanks, manned by United States soldiers, tore through the remnants of the German ^'l^li^f' u; --^-^^^^A^^ ^^•^\^S^ ::-?'^h ''Mh^-41 ^^», ^^ - V ii>/ A Story of the War 111 trenches and concrete fortifications. Resistance by the enemy was useless and generally it was not great, the Germans realizing from the first their dangerous position and beating a retreat, after blow- ing up what they could of their ammunition and other supplies. The Germans claimed afterwards that they had intended all the time to evacuate the territory on the day of the battle and that the Amer- icans simply walked in. Nevertheless the four hour bombardment, the 100 tanks and the bayonets of the doughboA^s helped tliem along. The attack was in three directions. The French captured St. Mihiel at the point of the wedge, while the Americans struck both sides of the salient, con- verging and meeting at Vigneulles. East of St. Mihiel was a formidable mountain fortress, known as Montsec, in the hands of the en- emy for four years. From its summit the Germans were able to look down into the American trenches opposite. This stronghold it would have been sui- cidal to assault from the front, so tlie Americans simply surrounded it with little loss, together with all the guns upon it. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE. Argonne Drive Hastens End. The last six weeks of the war were marked by incessant smashing of the enemy lines in France and Belgium that soon developed over a battle front 300 miles long and did not end until the enemy had 7^W^ I ]mM^ I ^H^/^ r?"^ ,\|:~~==^ /i J Story of the War h<> ''^' If^ Sn ^ /'/ ■'/ ^ been driven practically out of France and from the extreme western part of King Albert's country. French and Americans led Sept. 26 in the great Argonn^ drive that was the beginning of the end. French troops attacked west of that great forest, while the Americans struck east. The Argonne is a wooded region 50 miles long and 20 miles wide which lies west of Verdun. For the previous four years the French had made no effort to drive the Germans out of this rocky fastness, which was almost a jungle in the denseness of the trees. To attack the Argonne frontally would have been sui- ( idal, but Marshal Foch and General Pershing con- ceived the idea of going around it by attacking on two sides at once. In the American First army, which was com- manded by Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett, were the First and Second divisions of the regular army, the rest being National Guard troops. The Twent^'^-sixth division was composed of New Eng- land men, the Thirty-second of troops from Michi- gan and Wisconsin. The boys of the Forty-first came from Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The Forty-second was the well known Rainbow division composed of troops from 26 states. For five hours the guns of the American and French armies pounded the enemy with a bom- bardment of intensity, greater even than that be- fore the St. Mihiel offensive. Then the tanks went ///^'\/ forward, hundreds of them, watched by the Amer- ican secretary of war, Newton D. Baker, who was visiting the front at the time on a tour of inspection. Over the top and seven miles into the enemy's Une went the doughboys on sl 20 mile front, capturing a dozen villages and 8,000 prisoners in one day. Hammer Enemy Six Weeks. Till Nov. 11 the Americans kept hammering the enemy on this line, advancing one day, then waiting a day or two, until the heavy artillery could be brought up and roads made passable, then advanc- ing again. The Germans had built two formidable defence lines in this section, calling one the Kriem- hilde and the other, four miles further north, the Freja. The enemy believed these defenses of barbed wire, concrete, trenches, dugouts, machine gun nests and "pillboxes" impregnable. They mere- ly delayed the Americans awhile. Then the Germans brought up more troops, thin- ning their defenses elsewhere to prevent the Amer- icans breaking through. The reinforcements did not stop the advance and the German maneuver was just what Marshal Foch wanted and what he had counted upon. He forthwith strengthened the at- tack where the enemy had weakened himself. In the first three days of the Allied advance in the Argonne region 50,000 Germans were taken prisoners. Then followed a British drive in the Flanders sector east and north of Ypres, another ''/Mf^;!!^?;?'! "^^^*C ■r//\'^ it. \ ■-"^i^V 114 J Story of the War British offensive toward St. Qiientin and another French push northward from the Aisne river. Each of these drives was kept up henceforth with little cessation till the truce was signed. General German Retreat Began. By Oct. 1 the battlefront was aflame for a dis- tance of 300 miles, and aviators reported that the Germans had begun a general retreat toward Ger- many. Long lines of transports were seen moving toward the rear. It was a problem for the Germans to extricate their troops from the region north and east of Laon before the British on the west and the Americans on the east could push in the sides and bag a huge number of prisoners and war supplies. The German plan was made up and put into operation as soon as the Hindenburg line gave way, Oct. 3, before the drives of the British troops, which included large bodies of Canadians and Australians. It was to fight a defensive battle with desperation at one point while a retreat was made at another. Hence the day by day story of the battle involved a withdrawal of the Germans, first at one place and then at another, closely followed by the Allied ar- mies. Another device of the enem3% intended to check pursuit, was to burn cities and villages in sheer wan- ton love of destruction, accompanied with the inti- mation that the devastation would be more com- plete as the Germans were forced to give way. In this way Cambrai, St. Quentin, Laon, La Fere and 1^- A Story of the War Douai, which had been beautiful towns before the war, suffered great and needless damage. It soon become apparent that the Germans would leave nothing but ruin in their wake if the practice were not stopped. A French official declaration that a town in Germany would be burned, for every French town needlessly destroyed, made the enemy change his tactics. This warning undoubtedly saved the cities of Lille and Valenciennes, which fell into the hands of the British practically unharmed. Supply Line Threatened. As the Americans in the Argonne region drew nearer to the railroad running from Sedan to Metz, by which the enemy troops further west were large- ly provided with supplies, the Germans began to shorten their line. Early in October they com- menced moving everything they could take away from the Belgian seaports of Ostend and Zeebrugge. This preparation for withdrawal was hastened by a Belgian and British offensive. King Albert took personal charge, Sept. 30, of a drive toward Bruges and Ghent, cities of about 50,000 population, with long and honorable histories. This move threat- ened to pocket any Germans that remained in Os- tend and Zeebrugge. In little more than three weeks the enemy decamped from that part of Bel- gium and British naval forces entered Ostend and Zeebrugge, Oct. 17, without encountering resist- ance. This withdrawal from Belgium followed closely /' 116 A Story of the War after two great retreats in the center of the war front. A 50 mile gap was made in the Cambrai-St. Quentin sector by the British, and further south and east the enemy evacuated a tract of land 75 miles long and more than 6 miles wide, including the cities of Laon and La Fere. Throughout the whole battle area the Allies took full advantage of their superiority in airplanes. In the Argonne country alone, where the Americans were operating, more than 350 planes were in the air at one time, 200 of them being bombing ma- chines which dropped high explosive charges in the enemy's ammunition dumps, transports and bat- teries, 100 were combat planes, which warded off interference with the bombers, and 50 were pursuit machines that hunted down hostile aircraft. Grandpre Taken by Fording River. Grandpre stands out as a town which was cap- tured by American resourcefulness as well as sheer bravery. The Germans occupying it had destroyed all the bridges over the Aire river and had mounted cannon and machine guns to prevent the building of any. The Americans waded the stream. At four places above and below^ Grandpre the men plunged into the water, waist deep and sometimes higher, clambered up the muddy banks and charged the machine gunners. The taking of Grandpre brought the whole Argonne forest into Allied hands, it be- ing necessary only to "mop up" the Germans left in the woods. A smaller forest, known as the Bour- A Story of the War 117 gogne wood, immediately northward, next fell into the possession of the French and Americans. The doom of the Hun was sounded when Amer- ican long range cannon dropped shells Oct. 28 on Longuyon, a station on the Sedan-Metz railroad. Three days later other points on the railroad were brought within easy artillery range and the Ger- mans began retreating at all points in the west at once. When American and French troops reached Sedan, Nov. 7, the end of the war was only a mat- ter of days. The Germans were going back as fast as 20 miles a day in places and the German armis- tice delegates were begging Marshal Foch to sus- pend hostilities. It was most appropriate that one of the last vic- tories of the war should be at Sedan. The Germans had been celebrating "Sedan day," Sept. 2, every year since 1870, when a French army of 150,000 men and a French emperor in that city surrendered to a German army. In less than four months from July 18 to Nov. 11, the Germans lost 500,000 taken prisoners and 1,500,000 killed or wounded. The German army surrendered when more than half of it had been put out of action. :^l w/ E' iff If j£~ !&«sa9.cF' A Story of the War Ali CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO. German Peace Drives. Austria made the first real move for peace on ?loV\/W the part of the Central Powers, Sept. 15, but with the full concurrence of Germany. The offensive by Foch had been under way in the west for two months, and it was plain to the German masters that they were defeated. Austria sent a note asking all the belligerent na- tions "to enter into non-binding discussions of peace at some neutral meeting place — an exchange of views which would show whether peace negotia- tions are promising." President Wilson made answer two days later that there was only one reply which the United States can make: "It has repeatedly and with en- tire candor stated the terms upon which it would consider peace and can and will entertain no pro- posal for a conference." Ten days later Chancellor Von Hertling proved the truth of a charge made by the British and Amer- ican newspapers that Austria was acting merely as Germany's catspaw, when he told the reichstag that "Germany is ready for peace based on President Wilson's 14 points." The 14 points were the conditions of peace which the president had stated in an address to congress, the principal one being the evacuation of Belgium and all other conquered territory. hU ^ xr^^'i ^i^.- . '^t" A Story of the War 119 In the same speech to the reichstag Von Hertling mentioned "the deep discontent which has seized wide circles of the population." The principal rea- son, he said, was the four years of war, with de- privations, sufferings and sacrifices. "The situa- tion is grave," he said, "but we have no cause to be faint-hearted." Germany had good cause to be faint-hearted, as Von Hertling well knew, for the war was lost. The rapid advance of the British and French in the Holy Land had made clear the impending collapse of Tur- key, while Bulgaria was being defeated in Mesapo- tamia so thoroughly that a great Allied triumph in the Balkans was near at hand. Bulgaria Makes Peace. Bulgaria made peace on the Allies' terms Sept. 30, agreeing to demobilize her army and give the Allied forces free access to Bulgarian territory in fighting Austria and Turkey. King Ferdinand fled from Sofia to Vienna and was succeeded by his son Boris. Boris was deposed six weeks later and Bulgaria became a republic. Peace demonstrations were made in Berlin Oct. 1 before the Bulgarian legation. Some statues in public squares were overthrown, for the truth was beginning to filter into Germany that the war was lost. Emperor William attempted to bolster up the failing spirits of his people. "I have the confident hope that the whole German people in these most ■■■■■«' Vsas's ^f-'^^j ?>>^ Q^O // Lt Itl ft '"■== ^^ 120 ^^ ^ Story of the War -^^ serious times will resolutely gather around me," he said, "and give their blood and wealth until the last breath for the defense of the fatherland against the shameful enemy plans." Panic struck the German government. In the endeavor to appease the people. Chancellor Von Hertling and other officials were forced out of office. Prince Maximilian of Baden was appointed his suc- cessor. Emperor William made another speech Oct. 6. ''My troops are defending the fatherland," he de- clared. "Ma^ navj^ is holding its own. I have re- solved once more to offer an honorable peace to the enemy." Maximilian immediately made the offer in a peace note to President Wilson. Then ensued a diplomatic warfare in which communications were exchanged by cable and wireless, four from each side, leading to the complete surrender of the Ger- mans a little more than a month later. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE. Armistice Signed. The American people became highly impatient ^^^^H^ toward the close of the peace correspondence with Germany, suspecting some German trap, but the event justified what was done. The Germans were "^ at the end of their resources and were fighting for the best terms they could get. In that they failed. Thev took the terms that the Allies offered without <./.<'/ -"^j^^v*-*:— — — ^ y// €A^£* Z^y^^ iSB Ci:i the slightest change. Maximilian's first note asked the president to invite the Allies to send plenipotentiaries (ambas- sadors with full powers) to negotiate on the basis of Wilson's message to congress of Jan. 8 and later pronouncements, especially his speech of Sept. 27 for an immediate armistice on land and sea and in the air. A similar note from Austria was received the same day. President Wilson replied that he could not pro- pose an armistice to the associated governments while the armies of the Central Powers were on their soil. Further he asked: "Does the chancellor speak only for the constituted authorities of Ger- many who have so far conducted the war? The president deems the answer to this question vital." Maximilian answered by the great German wire- less station in Nauen Oct. 12. The German govern- ment, he said, was ready to comply with the de- mand for evacuation of Belgium and other terri- tory. He declared he spoke "in the name of the government of the German people." President Wilson replied Oct. 14 at some length with further demands. The evacuation and condi- tions of the armistice, he said, must be left to the military advisers of the United States and the Al- lies. Such terms must guarantee the maintenance of the existing military supremacy of the Allies in the field. By this time the German armies were retreating, ^^. "• ^>^. ^^. - -5 y^ Story of the War fighting their way back to German^^ and the Amer- ican armies had made great progress in the cam- paign in the Argonne region, threatening Sedan. The Germans were destrojdng cities as they left ^^ them and spreading desolation in their wake. German Barbarism Rebuked. "No armistice will be considered," the president continued in his note, "while German armed forces continue their illegal and inhuman practices." Fur- ther he demanded cessation of submarine piracy and the wanton destruction of towns, even strip- ping them of their inhabitants. He specified a par- ticular demand upon Germany, recalling a speech he had made July 4, 1918, when he said one of the conditions of peace was "the destruction of every arbitrary power everywhere that can separately, secretly and of its single choice, disturb the peace of the world." The German government was meant by that de- scription, the president declared, and it was within the power of the German nation to alter it. Germany's desire for peace was so great it was ready to concede everything. Prince Maximilian answered Oct. 22 that Germany agrees to the terms, but "trusts the president will agree to no demand irreconcilable wath the honor of the German peo- ple." The note stated that the torpedoing of mer- chant ships would be stopped and declared that any violations of international law in the warfare on II miulmiiiimK'' ' -' A Story of the War land were contrary?' to orders and that the guilty would be punished. "The new government represents the people, and the chancellor is responsible to the reichstag," the note concluded. President Wilson answered two days later that he could not decline to take up the armistice ques- tion, but that any armistice must leave the Allies in position to enforce the arrangements made and make the renewal of hostilities by Germany impos- \\> ^ sible. But the responsibility of the new govern- ^\ men to the people had not been fully worked out. Cannot Trust War Lords. "The power of the king of Prussia is unim- paired," the president wrote. "We cannot trust the word of those who have been hitherto the masters of German policy. If the United States must deal with the military masters and monarchical auto- crats of Germany, it must demand not peace nego- tiations but surrender." This last note left Germany no choice but overthrowing its autocratic government or surrend- ering unconditionally. The German government had to take peace on any terms, so another note ar- rived Oct. 28, signed by Dr. W. S. Solf, German foreign minister. "Germany is now awaiting the proposals for an armistice," he wired. "The nego- tiations are being conducted by the people's govern- ment." Count Andrassy, the Austrian foreign minister, i,\M ) S ■p«f^' ///. ^^s-^M m mimH!:!F^ ^^f^'fp: / r7^^^/;i ,y0^ £•»- "i^sS'-V ".^\ 'Vfe. '^^r^^^mjMSM:^ A Story of the War sent an appeal the same day to Robert Lansing, United States secretary of state, urging him to pray Wilson to intervene "in the interest of humanity for an immediate armistice, without regard to other negotiations." Austria was ready to quit, without regard to Germany, for the Austrian armies in Italy were in utter rout, trying to escape to their own country. The breakup of the enemy powers was complete and overwhelming. Turkey made a separate peace Oct. 31 and Austria, Nov. 4. Germany was left alone Nov. 5, when the last peace note from Washington was sent to Berlin, answering Solf's message. It referred the Ger- mans to Marshal Foch, the Allied commander-in- chief for the terms of the armistice. Conditions of Armistice. The armistice caused the fighting to cease at 11 a. m., Nov. 11 — the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the fifth year of the war. The principal terms were that the Germans should evacuate within 30 days not only all of France and Belgium that they still occupied but should yield to France Alsace and Lorraine, the two provinces that France was forced to give up in 1871, and also should withdraw their armies to a line from 20 to 25 miles east of the Rhine. The Allied armies, under the armistice, occupied all of Germany west of the Rhine, pending the sign- "*^"*" '" "'"' '^^"^'"^ -'^fry A Story of the War 125 ;~Ir- 'W ; -ir. /I ing of peace. The American army, under General (77^"m/mm Pershing, marched through Luxemburg and occu- ^ 1^ pied Treves, Cologne and many smaller German /; , cities. This force was the American Third army, about 900,000 strong. The British army occupied Cologne, a city of ^ ^v,}^^ 500,000, on the Rhine. The Belgians took posses- ^^J^^^ sion of Aix la Chapelle and Dusseldorf . The French .^^„^- h%,' . occupied Mainz, Mannheim and many other places ;f ""^^ -"?'/<- in Alsace and Lorraine became permanently French - cities. ''-k/'^-'^ -'^ All the modern and serviceable German war- y'V^'' ''''"/'>.. ships were surrendered to the British grand fleet. 0'J^> Nov. 21 the German fleet met in the North sea the * '".■ ^"'- If fleet commanded bv Admiral Beatty and was con- < '*/'<--^^ ducted to a harbor in the Firth of Forth, where the y^^^;;^ German flags were hauled down. In the Allied fleet was an American squadron of five battleships ^v and a number of destroyers, under command of ^^ Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman. f The Germans surrendered six battlecruisers, 10 i'{^it-t''^ battleships, eight light cruisers and 50 modern de- stroyers. It was practically the whole German navy, other vessels being unseaworthy or obsolete. Every German submarine was required to be sur- ^^~ rendered, including 122 that were afloat and 170 cfotrrss: under construction. '^--^ War Equipment Surrendered. The Germans also were required to deliver 5,000 guns, 30,000 machine guns, 2,000 airplanes. J '■■v:-;;:^ "■"i f iO,. ■4r< ^/^j fn ^/ / •^^w ^ 126 i\ai)\ -c- y^ Story of the War 5,000 locomotives, 150,000 railroad cars, 10,000 motor lorries, and to return all prisoners of war, but German prisoners of war were to remain in the hands of the Allies till the final peace. It was further provided that the Germans should withdraw all troops from Russia and Rumania and renounce the peace treaties made with those coun- tries. All German merchant ships were to be handed over to the Allies, including even river vessels, while the Allied blockade of Germany was to con- tinue till peace was made. Reparation for damage done by German armies was left to the peace conference, which met in Paris in January, 1919. The delegates of the Allied pow- ers first prepared the final terms for admission to the Gereman delegates. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR. Italy's Share in War. Italy was in the war from May, 1915, till the Austrian army was driven back over the border, utterly destroyed, in November, 1918, but that won- derful victory was not achieved till after many dark days and months of discouragement and seemingly imminent total disaster. Italy repudiated the obligations of the Triple Al- liance at the beginning of the war, having been forced into that bargain of mutual defense with her natural enemy, Austria. The Italians entered the f^i 1^6 i-i«^tt>^.#VMfe'W»''^' A Story of the War war on the side of the Allies for two reasons — to protect themselves against the inevitable spoliation by the Central Powers in case of their winning the war and to recover wide stretches of territory in- habited by Italian speaking people, which had been seized hy Austria before Italy had become a united nation. The war may be divided into a series of cam- paigns, with alternate victories and defeats for each side, as follows: An Italian offensive into the Trentino at the beginning. An Austrian counter offensive May, 1916. ^ An Italian offensive to repel the Austrians in June, 1916. A third Italian offensive toward Triest from June, 1916, to October, 1917. An Austro- German offensive for the pur- pose of capturing Venice in October and No- vember, 1917. A fourth Austrian offensive in June, 1918. ^ A fourth and final Italian offensive in Octo- ber and November, 1918. General Cadorna, the Italian commander, opened the war by the invasion of the Trentino, the former Austrian district projecting into Italy along the Adige river valley and neighboring high pla- teaus. The Italians overran a goodly portion of this mountainous country in spite of physical obstacles unparalleled elsewhere in Europe. Austria was un- able, because of the Russian campaigns in 1915, to ^m 'Mm'M WM.C.M '/fA 'X X W^^^ make adequate resistance, which prevented any help to her from German^^ but in May, 1916, the enemy liurled 300,000 men into the Trentino, not only driv- ing out the Italians but forcing them to retreat into the Piedmont plain in their own country. This Aus- trian triumph was shortlived. Within a few weeks Cadorna launched a counter offensive which threw the Austrians back over their own border in the west and into the mountain strongholds north of Venice. Cadorna Drives Toward Triest. Cadorna then began his great drive toward Gor- izia and the Triest, The first named city was cap- tured in spite of natural defenses in the shape of steep sided mountains, which bristled with artillery. Triest appeared almost within grasp when Germany came to the relief of her ally late in October, 1917. The Austro- German drive was dual in character. Not only was an immense mass of men and guns arrayed against the Italians; but the chief method of warfare was inspiring treachery and weakness on the other side. For months a campaign of in- sidious fraternizing with the Italians and preaching a doctrine of peace, such as undermined Russia, was carried on. The result was that the Second Italian army in the upper Isonzo valley collapsed, compelling a retreat of the entire Italian army and the loss of all the hard won gains of more than a year of fighting. The Italians continued to give way for three weeks, arousing fears that Venice would i^-t- iiJi COM ;c m m%^ Ifc % \^vv:c.A. ^ Story of the War be captured and Italy put out of the war as Russia, Serbia and Rumania had been. Rritish and French artillery was hurried to the rescue. The cannon of the western Allies gave new heart to the Italians. They stood their ground on the west bank of the Piave river, a little stream east of Venice. Austrians Fail Utterly. The next enemy offensive was begun by Austria alone June 15, 1918. From the start it was a total failure. In spite of the advantage of the initiative, no gain was made at some places and only a mile or two at others. British infantry, as well as gunners, had been sent to the assistance of the Italians and valiantly held the mountain passes. The Italians counter attacked and were aided by nature in gaining a magnificent victory. The enemy was driven back across the Piave river, which sud- denly rose as the result of one of those spring fresh- ets common in mountainous countries. Tens of thousands of Austrians were slaughtered in at- tempting to cross the swollen waters or were mired in the swamps. The final drive in October was made all along the line from the Trentino to the Adriatic sea. The Austrians seemed incapable of effective resistance. They were pursued into the mountains, compelled to abandon vast stores of ammunition and food and utterly routed. Prisoners were captured in thou- sands, till it was estimated Nov. 4, when an armis- 4k A Story of the War tice was signed, that 500,000 Austrians had been captured and the rest of the enemy forces was in headlong flight, every man for himself, having ceased to be an armv. .4/--^ CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE. Bulgaria First to Surrender. Less than two weeks was required to put Bul- garia out of the war and redeem Serbia from alien domination after the Allied push into Macedonia was commenced Sept. 16, 1918. The Serbian army, which had escaped from its own country after de- feat by the armies of Germany, Austria and Bul- garia in 1915, had been reorganized and outfitted with British and French help. A British, French and Greek army of 600,000 men had been assem- bled in and around Saloniki, and a foothold had been obtained in Serbian territory by the recapture of Monastir. The conquest of Macedonia presented difficul- ties comparable only to those in the Italian moun- tain campaigns. Railroads were few. Even wagon roads through the wooded and rugged region were scarce in number and of little value. But the thrust by the Allies pushed the Bulgarians back into their own country, and they were glad to sur- render Sept. 29. This compact, like those with Austria and Tur- key later, was an unconditional surrender by Bul- garia, including the use of Bulgarian territory for M A Story of the War 131 military operations against the other enemies. It was the first collapse of one of the four hostile na- tions and foreshadowed the early end of the war. Greeks took part in this offensive as the result of the deposition of the Greek King Constantine, which was forced by the AKies June 12, 1917. Constantine had been pro-German with little dis- guise from the beginning of the war, being influ- enced by his wife, a sister of the German emperor. He was succeeded by his second son, Alexander. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. The War with Turkey. Turkey was known to be in league with Ger- many from the outset of the war, but was not offi- cially declared an enemy b^^ Great Britain and France till Nov. 5, 1914, as the result of numerous acts in aid of the Central Powers. The Germans had built a railroad to Bagdad and another in Syria in pursuance of a policy of Germanizing all Asiatic Turkey and reaching out toward Egypt and India. In an attempt to win over the Mohammedan sub- jects of Britain the Turks proclaimed a holy war against all Christians, but it failed miserably to in- cite any rebellions as was intended. The Turkish menace to the Suez canal and Eng- land's possession of Egypt was serious at the begin- ning, but Turkish attacks in that direction were thoroughly defeated and the attention of the Turks was diverted nearer home when British and French A Story of the War fleets bombarded and destroyed four of the forts guarding the Dardanelles strait Feb. 25, 1915. Two months later an army of Australian and New Zea- land troops, known as the Anzacs, from the initials of the name Australia-New Zealand army corps, was landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, in the attempt to capture the Dardanelles and Constantinople. This expedition waged a heroic and desperate battle against fortifications of prodigious strength for eight months, when it was withdrawn and the troops transported to Saloniki, Greece. In the winter of 1915-16 General Townsend was sent up the Tigris river with a mixed force of East Indian and Arab troops to take Bagdad. Success seemed near, until the Arabs turned traitor, joining the Turks. The British retreated to Kut el Amara, 250 miles from their base in the Persian gulf, where they were surrounded and compelled to surrender April 28, 1916. With British doggedness, the expedition against Bagdad was renewed, as soon as the heated term of 1916 was over. Sir Stanley Maude had a larger force which crushed the Turkish opposition and entered Bagdad March 11, 1917. At the same time Russian armies were pressing back the Turks from Armenia and Persia and co-operation with the Brit- ish to drive the Turk back to Constantinople was generally expected. The collapse of Russia after ^^^^^^ the revolution spoiled that plan, but meantime the i^-^^^ .S j3j.j|^jg]^ jj^fj another expedition under way. A Story of the War Ninth Crusade Wins Jerusalem. General Maude had hardly taken Bagdad when he died of cholera, as the result of partaking of food and drink with the Arabs in celebration of the victory over the Turks, in order not to offend them by discourtesy. Sir Edmund Allenby was given command in June, 1917, of a British, French, Indian and Egypt- ian expedition which attacked the Turks in posses- sion of the Holy Land. Through mountain and desert the Allied Army pushed forward, taking such historic cities as Gaza, Beersheba, Hebron, Bethle- hem and Joppa, made memorable in Holy Writ, and retaking Jerusalem from the infidel shortly before Christmas, 1917. For more than 500 years the land of the Bible and the birthplace of Christendom had been in uninterrupted possession of the Turks. The name of the ninth crusade was bestowed upon this expedition, in allusion to the eight previous attempts to take from the Mohammedan the holy places of Christian and Jew alike. Heat again caused a suspension of activities, but in September, 1918, the British and French ad- vance began from Jerusalem to Aleppo. Four Turkish armies were destroyed by a brilliant at- tack in which cavalry figured largely. Nazareth, Beirut and Damascus quickly fell within two weeks. When Aleppo was seized by Arab Allies late in October, the way was clear for General Allenby 's forces to join those of General Marshall, who had ; 1 !■ Soar ' A\^\\ A Story of the War M\' succeeded General Maude and the Turkish power of resistance was ended. Turkey signed terms of armistice Oct. 31, 1918, which amounted to unconditional surrender, be- ing the second of the enemy powers to confess total defeat. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN. Cost in Lives and Money. More than 10,000,000 dead and 3,000,000 crip- pled for life is the fearful product of the world war, though exact figures will never be known because of the inaccuracy of the records in Russia, Turkey and the Balkan countries and the absence of rec- ords of those killed in riots, revolutions, massacres and as the indirect results of the strife. Estimates made by various authorities vary widely. Russia, beyond question, was the heaviest sufferer, with Germany undoubtedly next. The casualties of Canada and the United States were nearly equal in number, the difference in the size of the two countries being balanced by the longer time that Canada was in the war. The following table gives approximate figures: Captured or Wounded Missing Allies United States. . Canada. . . Dead 65,000 50,334 150,000 152,779 20,792 8,245 Total 235,792 211,358 A Story of the War British Empire. 600,000 1,200,000 150,000 France. . . 1,327,000 3,000,000 500,000 Russia. . .2,800,000 3,600,000 2,500,000 Italy . . . . Belgium. . Serbia. . . Rumania Japan . . . 460,000 70,000 85,000 105,000 5,000 870,000 150,000 200,000 195,000 15,000 250,000 30,000 110,000 25,000 Total, 5,567,334 9,632,779 3,584,037 18,784,150 Central Powers 5,400,000 600,000 8,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 4,200,000 370,000 120,000 700,000 1,950,000 4,827,000 8,900,000 1,680,000 250,000 395,000 325,000 20,000 Germ'y 2,000,000 Austria 1,200,000 Turkey . 210,000 Bulgaria 20,000 V/WWTU. m 39,000 25,000 84,000 ^#1^'^% Totols ..3.430.000 7.809.900 1.745,000 12,984.000 I Grand totals 8,997,334 YIA^X.!!"^ 5,329,037 31,768,150 From beginning to end of the war the British empire mobilized 8,500,000 men, of which Canada contributed 700,000 and sent 500,000 across the seas. The United States raised an army of men, of whom 2,053,347 were in France when the armistice was signed, 1,338,169 being combatant troops. The total costs of the war to the governments involved were approximately $300,000,000,000. The greatest amounts expended w^ere by the British Empire and Germany, though the German figures ^^/m /} .0 A Story of the War are estimated, as no reliance can be placed on any statements from that source, owing to the peculiar German methods of bookkeeping for the purpose of hiding the truth from the people. The totals probably were about as follows: Allies — United States $24,500,000,000 Great Britain 40,000,000,000 France 30,000,000,000 Russia 21,500,000,000 Italy 9,000,000,000 Belgium, Serbia, Rumania and Portugal 7,000,000,000 Japan 100,000,000 Total $132,100,000,000 Central Powders — Germany $40,000,000,000 Austria, Turkey and Bulgaria. . . . 25,000,000,000 Total $65,000,000,000 g^ Grand totals. $197,100,000,000 These figures, of course, take no account of in- demnities to be paid by the defeated powers, which will be fixed at the peace conference. The United States floated four great Liberty loans during the w^ar, bringing into the treasury $16,974,329,850 at interest rates varying from ^Vo to 414 per cent. A Fifth Liberty loan is planned for A Story of the War the spring of 1919, probably at a higher rate of interest. These loans made an annual interest charge of $680,000,000. Between 20,000,000 and 25,000,000 persons own these bonds, including practically every family in the land. And so the sixth war in which America has en- gaged since its birth as a nation concluded, as it was expected, in triumphant and glorious victory for American arms. Never has this nation of a free people known defeat in war. Forever shall our beautiful emblem of human liberty and happiness, the Star Spangled Banner, wave aloft over land and sea as the everlasting, fearless emblem of freedom and liberty, the hope and inspiration of all liberty- loving people of all the nations of the earth. 138 l&mUh BtnttB Atmg ^txttitt IBiHurh Name Residence Time and place of birth Name, place and date of entering and leaving schools Name, place and date of entering and leaving colleges Courses pursued in college Degrees received 139 mtutBh ^MtB Army ^tmxcB V^tovh ^ Business experience prior to entering service Age on entering service Date of entering service Place of entering service Branch of service Identification number Name of organization General of Brigade Major-General Lieutenant General Colonel of Regiment Lieutenant Colonel of Regiment Major of Regiment Captain of Company Names of Lieutenants Sergeant Major Names of Sergeants 140 ^ Itttteti S-tatf H Ktmg ^trxncs Swnrii ^ ^ Names of Corporals ^ ^ ^ H ^ Names and addresses of comrades or intimates ^^ ^ [ ^ ^. Training before service ^ ^ , '^ ^ ■ ^ ^ ^ ^^ Training during service ^^ 141 r^ HnxUh ^UUb Army Bnmtt Srrnrb ^ Promotions and commissions Record of transportation and travel P Encampment, places and dates m f 142 Mmt^Ji g>tatp0 Armg Bttr^m S^rotb Battle engagements and dates Hospital record, — and wounds Honorary record, — and medals. Total period of service Rank when entered service Rank when mustered out When and where mustered out 143 Wxxtth S^tnttB Armg S^trxnt^ Sworb Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen : m ^ 144 \^ ^ F^ ^ l^nxUh MnttB Armg ^nxtm S^rorb r*^ !^ m m m ^f=5^ f=^ ir*6i 145 l^nxtth S>tat^a Armg ^nmc^ iS^rorh 'r^ P^ 146 tSSi \s^ ?^& f^ ^ ^ l&mUh i>tatf fi Armjj ^nmtt ^Horh v^a, 147 148 lUmtth States Nauij ^ttnm Sworb Name Residence Date and place of birth Ancestry of parents Names, place and dates of entering and leaving schools Names, place and dates of entering and leaving colleges Courses pursued in college Degrees received Business experience prior to entering service 149 Mmtth ^tnttB Natig ^nmtt ISinorh Age on entering service Date of enlistment or enrollment, with length of time for which enlisted or enrolled Place of enlistment or enrollment Rank or rating received when entering service Branch of service — U. S. Navy, Naval Reserve force or National Naval Volunteer Place of first assignment to duty or training Names of Commanding, Executive Officers and immediate Superior Officer, together with their respective ranks Number of months on training station and rank or rating ivhen transferred to active duty 150 ^ ^ ¥ ^4 Date of transfer to active duty with name of ship or station to which assigned ^. // assigned to a ship, cruises taken thereon and ports of entry together with ^^ dates Fleet to ivhich attached Names of Flag Officers and Staff Officers, together with their ranks. Names and rank of Commanding, Executive and Division Officers Force, Squadron or Division of Fleet to ivhich your ship was assigned ^ ^ ^ f 151 \^% ^^ ^^ F% ^% \=^ llnit?^ §>UUb Hang ^tvnm Enavh Names ami addresses of naval service friends Dates of advancement in rank or rating, together with ranks or ratings to which advanced. ¥^ Ships or stations to which attached and dates of duty m If on convoy duty, names of ships on which served and dates of trips across the Atlantic Ocean. Also names of Commanding Officers on these trips 152 \^ ^^ '^ v^ Unttfli BtuUB Naug i'Frutc? l^noth Submarines sighted and approximate dales Were any submarines sunk by your vessel? if so. how many. and when Naval eng agements partaken in Service number assigned to me Condition of health during period in service Nature of illness, if any Habio i>tationa ^^ Radio Station, term of service Commanding Officers ^% ^% \-^ ^^ c-^ 153 ^ f MnxUh BuUb Naug ^ttrntt Srrorb Names of ships and branches of athletics indulged in. Also positions played on various athletic teams Athletic cups held by ships to which attached Notable college and other athletics with whom you served. Rank or rating held when mustered out of service Ship or station and date ami place where mustered out of service Total period of service F% F% ^ ^ \m 154 Inttpb #tatP0 Naug S^tvxtm Srrnrb Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: 155 ^ f l&mUh BUttB Nauy ^ttmtt ^Hnrh 156 Y^ ^ "P^ ^^ '^ '^i r^ 'P^ f^ -5= Httttpb BtuUB Natt^ Bttnm Srrorb 157 f-=^ . M . Place Photograph here \m m 158 v^^ lAmtth States iiartofi ^nnm ^twth Name Residence Time and place of birth Name, place and date of entering and leaving schools Name, place and date of entering and leaving colleges Courses pursued in college ¥% Degrees received. Business experience prior to entering service ^^ ^^ (SSSi ^g, *g ^1 ^ \f=^ ^ "f 159 ^ \^ \--% V^ V^*^ Initeb i>tat?s iHartos i>crmcp ^twth Age of entering service Date of entering service Place of entering service Branch of service Identification number Name and numcber of official division or unit Brigadier General Major General Lieutenant General Colonel of Regiment Lieutenant Colonel of Regiment Major m Captain of Company First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Sergeant Major First Sergeants m m P \^ '^ ^fS^ ^2^5, fi^ ^^ 160 3Inttch ^tatcH MnvmtB Btxmtt Sccorb Corporals Names and addresses of comrades or intimates. Training before service Training duruig service 161 '^SlSi Mnxtth BtnttB MunntB Btrmtt Setorh i Promotions and commissions and dates Record of transportation and travel Dates and places of encampment 162 f^ lUmtth ^tuUB M^t\m& Bnrxit^ W^tmth Hospital record, — wounds Honorary record, — medals Total period of service Rank when mustered out When and where mustered out Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: 163 llntt^b ^tatf MvitxmB S^nnm Kprnrb ^A 164 ^ Uniteii Btntts Haritwa S'ertriw ®worJ> ^ ^ '^ ^ H ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ "^ H "^ 165 '^ ^ v= ^ ^ ^ ^ f Unttfh ^tatra iHartes S^nnm Srrorb 166 ^ HnitpJi &latPH Mwcitws iifriiirf SernrJi ^ ^ H ^ H H : ^ ^ — -^ H ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 167 Place Photograph here 168 lUmtBh i>tatf0 Air ^txmtt EHnxh Name Residence Date and place of birth Name and location of schools and dates of entering and leaving same Names and location of colleges and dates of entering and leaving same Courses pursued in college Degrees received Business experience prior to entering service. 169 f*'^ ^ '^mtth BMtB Air ^ttrnts IS^rnrb Age on entering service Date of enlistment Place of enlistment Branch of air service, military or naval aviation Previous military training or service Identification number Name and number of official division or unit Squadron number Commanding officer First place and date of duty How long on duty there Promotions and Commissions 170 ■f-*^ Mttttf h g>tatP0 Air Btmxct S^rorJi Names and addresses of comrades or intimates Air engagements and dates Hospital record Honorary record Transfers 171 Inttcb BtnttB Air Btmm S^rnrb When and where mustered out Rank when enlisted Rank when mustered out Total period of service Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: 172 ^ lUmUii g'latra Air ^protrf Srrnrb ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ -^ ^ -^ ^ -^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 'P^ ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ — ^ ^ '^ ^ ^ 173 mmtth Statf B Air Bnnm ^nnrh ^ F% m f%. 174 Uttttfb S^MtB Air ^ttxtm S^rnrb f«^ f=^ 175 f^ l&nxUh S>tat?0 Air Bnnm W^Hoth 176 f War Service Scenes 05 cjq" <^ CD 1-^ o) 3 O » CD ^ ° ?? 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F^ '^ J= ^5 'Si CO CO [« m I-M rr> o g H^ ,^ ^ 0) ^3 5 ■^^ c >- .^ o >h' 03 Z Ci Cfl f^ > W 3 o CD 3 O 9^ § o S-i in CQ ^j • ^H ^ W >^ H Z O CJ o o \o O w o War Service Scenes 190 ^ ^ v= ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ ^ War Service Scenes ^% CJ ^^ CC I— H Q W cd < H O W Z z CJ ch Q < O o ^ -^ ^^ ip \^ \^ \^ 189 ^^ ^ ^^ ^ "^ '^i War Service Scenes 3 CJq o O 95 3 CD 93 a- ^ ^ ^ m '^ ^ m F ^^ ^^ ^^ \r 191 ^^ War Service Scenes \^ ^» vm m m m m m m f 192 The American Red Cross. The Red Cross had its inspiration on the battle- field of Solferino in 1859, when Henri Duvant, a French-Swiss traveler in Italy, with burning eyes and bleeding heart, standing apart from the scene of that conflict watching the Italians from Sardinia under Victor Emanuel, and the French under Na- poleon III., throwing off the Austrian yoke from Northern Italy, first saw the Red Cross vision. Du- vant saw^ not only the struggle between the armies, but he saw the struggle for life made by more than forty thousand men who fell on that bloody field, and as the battle raged on, surging back and forth over their wounded and agonized bodies, with gaping wounds and blistering lips and parched throats, were left to die without friend or love or nurse or doctor. As Duvant went on to the field, ministering to friend and foe alike, there was born in his consciousness a great vision of mercy, which should know no bounds until it claimed every man, woman and child on the earth for its friend. There was no world treaty at that time for the protection of the medical service of conflicting ar- mies, and Duvant, determined upon his purpose, came from this battlefield mission of loving service, to give to the world his inspired manuscript "Le Souvenir de Solferino." In this "Souvenir de Sol- ferino" he asks the question, "Why have we thought well to recall these scenes of grief and desolation, to recount such lamentable and gruesome details ''ti I r nil' fi^i.ti ^ .1 1 I , ^ 194 American Red Cross ^/ « and to draw such vivid pictures of despair," and then lie answers with another question, "Would it not be possible to found and organize in all civil- ized countries permanent societies and volunteers, which in times of war would render succor to the wounded without distinction of nationality?" Du- vant's "Souvenir de Solferino" aroused all Europe, resulting in a conference called in Geneva in 1863, and a convention in 1864, which gave to the world this great organization of mercy, taking the Swiss flag with the colors reversed for its insignia, and for its name "The Red Cross" from the insignia chosen. The purpose of the organization was to render relief to unfortunate victims of war and similar relief to victims of great national disasters and calamities. Upon the ratification of the reso- lutions in the International Conference at Geneva in 1864 bonfires were lighted in all the principal cities of Europe to celebrate this step toward great- er love and greater humanity, and this was the first warm glow of the Red Cross. In America, just at this time, our Civil War was drawing to a close, and Clara Barton, who had done much for the wounded soldiers of both the North and the South, was made the representative of the Red Cross in America, and through her love and efforts, her patience and loyalty, carried the Red Cross through the first 16 years of slow growth and limited activity. In 1881, the American Associa- tion of the Red Cross was endorsed by action of the Senate and proclaimed to the people by President American Red Cross 195 Garfield. The first disaster in America to test the spirit of the Red Cross was when word came, in 1882, that half of the State of Michigan was on fire. The Red Cross had only a few members; there was no organization and no money, but the spirit of the Red Cross w^ent abroad through the efforts of Miss Barton, and in a few hours there w^as money, per- sonnel, organization and relief supplies for many thousands of people. In the spring of 1883 came the rise of the Ohio River, with similar conditions and response w^hen the call was made for help. A little later a cyclone cut a swath from New Orleans to Mobile, leaving a trail of widespread disaster and desolation; then on through the years came the Johnstown flood, the St. Louis flood, the Baltimore fire, the San Francisco earthquake, the Spanish- American war. All these disasters at home, with many others throughout the world added thereto, tested and proved the value of the Red Cross. On January 13, 1898, during the Spanish-American war, the first Red Cross commission to leave Amer- ica sailed out of New York harbor on its way to Cuba. The commission established bureaus of supplies, hospitals and asylums, appointed distrib- utors, physicians and other agents in the different cities of Cuba, and during the term of the Spanish- American war the American Red Cross received and expended more than $4,000,000 in relief sup- plies. During this period the organization w^as very much enlarged; many thousands of interested men and women became members of the American Red /> American Red Cross Cross, and the organization became well established in the minds and hearts of the American people. During the term of this war the American Red Cross acted as distributing agents for the Red Cross of England, France, Holland, Relgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Mexico, which or- ganizations also sent relief supplies to Cuba. The American Red Cross continued the relief activities whenever and wherever there was any cause or call, without increasing its organization to any considerable extent, until the time when America entered the World War for democracy, at which time the National Committee asked for a definite organization in ewery city, town and coun- ty in the United States. The United States conse- quently was divided into 13 divisions, each com- posed of several states. The states organized the cities and counties, and the cities and counties or- ganized sub-chapters and auxiliaries within their borders. Today one can find almost no village so small, in the United States that does not have its little group of organized Red Cross workers. Each chapter has many different departments, including the departments of Civilian Relief, First Aid, Sur- gical Dressings, Hospital Supplies, Home Nursing, Hygiene, Emergency Relief, Knitting, Training in Vocation, Reconstruction, Education and many others. When the United States began to raise an army to send 3,000 miles away from home to do its part in the great World War, it also had to establish American Red Cross 197 relief organizations to take care of this army, and it is the purpose of this article to outline some of the activities of the American Red Cross, the larg- est of these organizations. When the first military commission of the Amer- ican Army under General Pershing went to France, there went also the first commission of 18 men under Major Grayson M. P. Murphy, the advance herald of the American Red Cross. It was these two commissions which went before our army and pre- pared a place for its coming. The overseas organ- ization of the American Red Cross established itself with all the departments of the home organization, and added besides the Bureau of Tuberculosis, Bu- reau for Refugees, Children's Bureau, Canteen Service, Hospital Hut Service, Hospitals, Convales- cent Homes, Free Dispensaries and Dental Clinics, and manj^ others. The personnel of the Overseas Organization numbered upwards of 7,000 in France alone, and acted as agents, distributing the supplies through the various departments, and from the de- partments to the suffering victims. The greatest test of the Red Cross Overseas was its ability to meet all kinds of emergencies during the period of the war. One of the greatest of these was to help take care of the more than 400,000 refugees who came pouring into Paris from the north and east during the offensive of March, 1918. Every road leading out of Paris for miles and miles was covered with the personnel and paraphernalia of war. Ammunition trains, supply trains, ambu- ---../; \\)\\^A\. v\.. '>']) i^■ ^^n? American Red Cross i|^i^ lance, convoys, truck convoys and thousands of troops, all moving toward the front, and ambulance convoys of wounded soldiers, hundreds and hun- dreds of troops exhausted and weary, with the ac- tivities on the fighting line, and countless thousands of refugees fleeing before the German hordes. While they were still on their way, the Red Cross sent out to meet them truck loads of food and hot drinks and First Aid Relief for the wounded and sick. These refugees came on trains, in automo- biles and taxicabs, trucks and ambulances and thou- sands of them walked all or part of the way. As an illustration of the canteen service of the American Red Cross, ministering to these refugees, attention may be called to one particular train of 1,208 passengers; it had been on the road a little more than 24 hours, during which time there had been no opportunity to get either food or water on the train. Ten hours of the twenty-four the train had been under shell fire, and had been struck three times. There were cases of diphtheria and scarlet fever, tuberculosis and typhoid, and many minor physical ills, feeble-minded and insane, wounded and convalescent soldiers; men, women and chil- dren died, and babies were born on the train. These people were received in the American Red Cross canteen, which had been established in one corner of the freight depot. Here they received food clothing and medical attention, after which they were taken to another place for temporary care until special trains could be provided, which took \\^ VOrX %t>% American Red Cross them out of Paris into the south and west of France, where homes had been estabhshed for these refu- gees. They were given a few supplies, every effort was made to find remunerative employment for them, and as the days and weeks went by, all were cared for in a substantial manner by the American Red Cross. The canteen which has just been mentioned is what is called a metropolitan canteen; another kind of canteen is called the line of communication can- teen. These canteens were located all over France, leading from the Atlantic coast, along the lines of communication up to the western front. Groups of American women in these canteens served meals and provided comfort to the soldiers of the Amer- ican army. The canteens of the American Red Cross in Europe are established in any kind of a building which will serve the purpose, and these buildings vary from small dugouts on the fighting line to beautiful old country chateaux along the great rivers of France. One morning in one of these lines of communi- cation canteens, eight American women served breakfast to two thousand American soldiers in one hour and fifty minutes. As the train pulled into the station, the boys began jumping off and filing into the canteen in two lines, making their way to the counter, carrying their breakfasts away on trays, returning the trays to a side window when they had finished. The boys who had finished first began moving about the club room of the canteen, which fit ^^ ^ Will ^l mm, mtmA ::^ ^■.^ \ nm s€£ic was equipped with tables, stationery, books, papers, magazines, a Victrola and a piano, also a shower bath, which accommodated fifty men at one time. One of the men sat down at the piano, \vhere there went up from the throats of two thousand men one of the most wonderful and inspiring concerts ever given. The first number was "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," and the last one was "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag," and in between were "Dixie Land" and "Keep the Home Fires Burning," "Gooby Broadway" and "Hello France," "Over There" and many other songs which have meant so much to us in our patriotic education. When this train was loaded and ready to leave the station, the last the men saw was the eight American women lined up on the platform, and the last they heard was these same eight women waving "Good-by" with shouts of good luck and victory, and a safe return. When the train had departed, hundreds of letters, addressed to the loved ones in America, were found on the tables in the writing room of the canteen. This train was only w^ell on its way when a tele- gram was received stating that another train, bear- ing seven hundred and forty wounded soldiers would arrive at four o'clock that afternoon to take dinner at the canteen. It was a very different matter to feed seven hun- dred and fortj^ w^ounded men, but w^hen the train arrived at four o'clock, the eight American women were again lined up on the patform in their blue ■:-'/:r^^// American Red Cross aprons and white coifs, waiting to receive it. All the food for these men had to be carried on to the train, while the sixty doctors, nurses and officers in charge of the train were served in the canteen. These canteens were wonderful institutions for the men who were making their way to the firing lines, as well as for the wounded men who were going back from the firing lines to the base hos- pitals and for the women who served in them. It was a source of comfort and consolation for the loved ones of our boys at home to know that there were these places in France where our boys were so well received and so well served. The American Red Cross has, during the term of the World War, supplied hospital equipment of some kind to more than six thousand hospitals. Two thousand of these hospitals have received from the American Red Cross everything they needed, from pins to physicians. More than four thousand other hospitals have called upon the American Red Cross whenever they needed anything in the way of equipment and supplies. The Bureau of Requi- sitions which handled this branch of the service, filled thousands of orders every month, but there was never any shortage of supplies. During the offensive in March, 1918, the Amer- ican Red Cross established a two thousand bed hos- pital, forty-six miles away from Paris, in twenty- four hours, and at another time, a permanent base hospital with complete equipment and personnel having a capacity of five thousand beds, was estab- »w0m p//'p-.-- -_... 202 American Red Cross lished, and was receiving patients in twenty-five days after the order was given. The American Red Cross established many school canteens in various metropolitan school dis- tricts of Paris and other large cities of France, where thousands of children came every day to get rations to supplement the food they had at home. Free dispensaries and dental clinics co-operated with these canteens, giving medical and dental at- tention to thousands of French and Belgian chil- dren every da^^ The Bureau of Tuberculosis established homes in the mountains, on the plans and at the seashore, where women and children with symptoms of tuber- culosis were placed under sanitary living condi- tions and with proper food and medical attention were restored to normal health. The children's bureau probably accomplished more for the future than any other Red Cross Bu- reau for Civilian Relief. This department estab- lished hospitals and homes for children, orphans, and refugees. Its work was distinctive in feeding the children of France; in administering home medical care; establishing a campaign for hygiene and doing everything for the moral, physical and spiritual benefit to the children of France. The American Red Cross had a sj^stem of ware- houses throughout France, which like those of the army, were filled with all kinds of Red Cross sup- plies for use at any time in any emergency, for the relief of suffering humanity. These warehouses American Red Cross were fed by a merchant marine, provided for the emergency need of the United States, and this was such an adequate shipping program that during the period of the war, a freight boat loaded with sup- plies, left some port on the Atlantic seaboard every six minutes of every day. The membership of the American Red Cross, which was comparatively small in April, 1917, num- bering something over 40,000, now numbers more than 32,000,000, and it was this membership in ^;|^ America, taking time from all of the various activi- ^!|^I^ ties of life, which has faithfully and loyally made and given the supplies for the tremendous relief work over-seas. And this work was so well done that the production standard of the usuable material of the American Red Cross was almost one hundred per cent. A tremendous and commendable task was done in Europe. The little commission of eighteen men which started out in June, 1917, grew into an or- ganization with more than ten thousand men and women workers, and in twenty months permeated all of France, Italy and England, penetrated to the very heart of Russia, crossed the mountains of Al- bania into Serbia, then south into Greece, and wound its way through the length of the Mediter- ranean, back to the land of the Great Master and his teaching of "Love one another" and "Do good to them that despitefully use you," and in all of these countries, there was a working organization for the relief of the suffering. ' ^^Mm^ American Red Cross While the American Red Cross accomplished wonders in Europe, the most important part of the work of that great organization was done in Amer- ica, and great credit for the work of the Overseas Organization belongs to the people who stayed at home. It would not have been possible for the American Red Cross in France to establish a hos- pital of two thousand beds forty-six miles away from Paris in twentj^-four hours, nor to establish a hospital of five thousand beds in twenty-five days, were it not for the unstinted partriotic efforts of the people who remained at home. It would have been impossible to take care of five hundred thousand refugees at one time and four hundred thousand at another, and to send supplies to more than six thousand hospitals, to establish and maintain a great canteen service, or any other of the many helpful services for soldiers and civilians in the war- torn sections of Central Europe, were it not for the people at home. This was the manifestation of the great love and loyalty and spirit of the Red Cross at home, and without it, the Red Cross in France would have had to close its doors. Had it not been for the faithful army of more than 110,000,000 loyal Americans, who were solidly standing back of the two organizations overseas, the army, too, might have had to march toward New York, in- stead of Rerlin. The American Red Cross is the largest organiza- tion of its kind in the world, and during the last two years it has collected and expended several hun- dred million dollars and has so greatly expanded and increased its activities and operations that the sun no longer sets upon its emblem. It would be in- teresting to know just how much money was re- ceived into the treasury of the Red Cross in Amer- ica since America entered the World War, but reli- able statistics upon the subject are not available at this time. Reviewing all that the Red Cross has done, we may with clear vision and steady gaze look forward and see through the years of reconstruction which faces the world, the American Red Cross going on blazing the trail in every line of progressive human- itarian relief work in every part of the world from which a call may come. Throughout all of Europe, everything that love, money and labor could do was done by the Amer- ican Red Cross to relieve and comfort and heal the millions of suffering men, women and children dur- ing this time when the whole world has been shaken with the tragedies of the war. But to tell all of this in detail would be an interminable task, and so we need only remember that whether it be a flood in China, an earthquake in Italy, a famine in India, typhus in Serbia, cholera in Tripoli, forest fires in Minnesota or Michigan, a revolution in Rus- sia, a massacre in Armenia, or a great world war, whatever or wherever the disaster, it is the Red Cross to the rescue, and while upon the records of the American Red Cross are ^^Titten, in terms of V, \\iifv ,mi^'' -sS^ •^\ ■*>_ Hip- |kA L M A 'U./A American Red Cross loving service, the names of many millions of loyal men and women and children, the Spirit of the Red Cross is written in the hearts of all the people of the world in one name only — the name of Mercy. Henri Duvant's inspiration of loving service to humanity has justified itself to all people for all time. .Q 207 ^ ¥ ^i ^ 'i^ F^ ^ l=- /ill i-fp^i'f i / f .' j^*' \v\\ 1 J I ilk ./ • P. I ASi I '• 3 \\ 1 1 ft^Vj ~ST-^ Y. M. C. A. ■■^saciggj nitude which, in j^ears gone by, would have seemed absolutely impossible to an organization financed through the gifts of a people, it was in France that the most colossal piece of work was done. For the American Expeditionary Forces alone there were 1,900 points of service maintained by the Y. M. C. A. (which served the soldiers), with 7,000 men and women consecrating their lives to the service for them for the period of the war. This number includes those who served on troop ships, however. These 7,000 people were stationed in charge of huts, hotels, dugouts and tents including the rest hotel at Aix-Les-Bains and other points where sol- diers spent their furlough periods. At these points an intensive program was carried out, particularly along recreational and entertainment lines. Throughout France the plans for the "Y" in- cluded a comfortable hut wherever possible. Close to the lines the dugouts were the only headquarters which were permitted. In many places, portions of buildings which had been demolished by shell fire, were salvaged and restored sufficiently to serve as "Y" centers. These were always equipped for writing and reading supplies which were fur- nished free. A corner was always given up to a ^%^ canteen which the association had been asked by General Pershing and his associates, to conduct for the benefit of the men. Whenever the building was large enough a full entertainment program was put on for the soldiers. This included movies, music, often by the greatest artists of the world, plays, f re- --" ^ ^' *^6 Y. M. C. A. '^'.'/^i'/.'M>^ ''^v^/; qiiently some of the greatest stars performing, re- ligious talks and addresses by some of the best talk- ers of the day and age. Wherever a "Y" center was set up, there, always, the full athletic program was carried out if the mil- itary authorities permitted it. This was invariably encouraged by the military authorities for men in the rest billets. This athletic program meant box- ing, wrestling, quoits, baseball, football and innu- merable games invented by "Y" men to be played without equipment and in small spaces. The full association program, developed through 70 years of service to the young men and boys of the world, was amplified and expanded to meet the needs of Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. It grew through every day of the service during hostilities and is still growing to meet the needs of the men through demobilization and readjustment to civil life. It has been, and is, a tremendous responsibil- ity and a colossal task, but added to that, the associ- ation, at the suggestion of the Government, through General Pershing and his associates, took over the canteen for the whole army in France. This, in other wars, had always been maintained by the Gov- ernment. But when the Allies urged the United States to rush troops to France, the "Y" took over the canteen and thus released thousands of men for military service. The number so released has been variously estimated, but many put the figure at the strength of a whole army division, 28,000 men. Records show that the business of the canteen 11 m ^^^^ Y. M. C. A. branch of the organization during tlie past year multiphed over five times, receipts amounting to over $5,000,000 a month. At these post exchanges, milhons of dollars of remittances to home folks have been handled without charge. From an overseas personnel of less than 1,500 *'Y" men and women in January, 1917, the total grew, according to the records, to 6,048 men and 1,395 women up to the time of the signing of the armistice. This record also shows that an average of 6,000 motion picture shows were given each month to a turnstile count of 5,983,000 soldiers. Ninety the- atrical companies were recruited and sent overseas, and the men were encouraged to develop amateur entertainments among themselves. To assist with this, twenty-five professional coaches were pro- vided, hundreds of one-act plays w^ere loaned to the soldiers and thousands of costumes supplied. Near- ly one million dollars worth of sports equipment were loaned during the year. It has always been the boast of the Y. M. C. A. that the red triangle went everywhere with the army except over the top. In many instances the "Y" men have also gone over the top. Four hundred men and women in "Y" service were at Chateau Thierry, and many of these actually went over the top. Some 700 men and women were all through the danger zone of the Argonne Forest, persisting in remaining in the most dangerous section. Some of them were under shell fire during the entire offensive. Although Lhe records are not complete, it is believed that at least nine Y. M. C. A. workers were killed by shell fire, 29 seriously gassed and wounded and 31 died in the service. At least ten were cited for bravery and decoration. In addition to the work in France for the Amer- icans, there were the activities for French soldiers, with a full Red Triangle program in 2000 Foyers du Soldat. There were hundreds of huts manned by American men and women with the Italian and Russian armies; there were "Y" men and equip- ment with the troops in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Syria. This work will go on, just as the work in France will go on, until the last American soldier has walked down the gang plank in a home port. And what in the history of the association shows how the trail was blazed for this tremendous service to humanity? The war work of the Y. M. C. A. began in the Civil War. The association was then onl}^ a few years old in America, having been or- ganized in 1851. With the call to arms, its member- ship was depleted, but a new field of engrossing effort was opened. Within a month after the war began, the association of New York City appointed an army committee which began to labor at once among the soldiers, stationed temporarily on their way to the front, in numerous camps near the me- tropolis. News of the first battles drew men to the scene of suffering. It was then that an urgent need was felt of co-operation on the largest possible scale bv the association with the Christian }'. M. C. A. this end a convention was called and an executive agent appointed to act for and with, not only the associations, but the Christian churches as v\^ell. This was named the United States Christian Com- mission, and instructed to enlist as far as possible the entire Christian public in a wide and varied service to the soldiers of the North. This Commis- sion proved to be one of the most beneficent agen- cies ever}^ devised to alleviate the miseries of the w^ar. During the war the Commission received and distributed voluntar}^ contributions in the shape of stores, worth nearly three million dollars. Two million and a half dollars in money was also re- ceived and expended. During the years of the war, some of the associ- ations of the South, notably the one at Richmond, were individually active in Christian work among the soldiers of the Confederate Army. While no general organization of this religious work was at- tempted, a number of useful regimental associa- tions were formed. It was thus that the needs of soldiers came to be part of the consciousness of Y. M. C. A. workers, and when the Spanish War broke out, the Association was ready with a fairly well formulated program to serve the soldiers who were called to arms. This work began in the Spanish-American War just as it began in the late war, in the training camps for soldiers. And just as the secretaries in the pres- ent war went with the soldiers they had served in the American training camps, to foreign service in France, so Spanish war secretaries went with their units to the Philippines and to Cuba. The work begun in this way is still maintained by the associa- tion in the Philippines. It was largely evangelical, with Dwight L. Moody as an outstanding feature in this aggressive campaign. There were 176 secre- taries serving the soldiers in large tents in the army camps. The total expenditures for this work, through the few months of the struggle, was $135,000. At the close of this war, officers and men urged that the Young Men's Christian Association should organize a permanent program of Christian Social Service for soldiers and sailors, adapted to their environment, in times of peace and war. In re- sponse to this request the international committee established its Army and Navy department in the fall of 1898, with W. B. Millar as its secretary. This army and navy work, up to the breaking out of the recent war, was organized in twenty-six army posts and had ten navy branches extending to Alaska, the Canal zone and the Philippine Islands. The work of the Army and Navy department soon become indispensable to the welfare of the American soldier in the opinion of leading officers of the army and navy. The work received official endorsement from Presidents McKinley, Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson. William Howard Taft became one of its warmest advocates while in the Philip- pines through his observation of the Association work there. .^' ^,^5»5i: /;,'// '^'' /,'■■ ■^^'' W^^^S^\ r/^'/- Ji^ /4» ,>£:>?"* o 222 The "Y" also had its part in the Russian-Japan- ese war. American secretaries went with the Japan- ese forces, served them in the practical ways with a program which, in other wars, liad proved effec- tive The Emperor of Japan made the first contribu- tion to a fund to support this work, giving $10,000. It was with the breaking out of the trouble on the Mexican border that the modern, efficient, prac- tical program of the Red Triangle began to be de- veloped. The first buildings to be erected at Llano (irande were Y. M. C. A. buildings. Prominent people interested in Y. M. C. A. work volunteered to provide these huts. And it was here that the effectiveness of the plan for a "hut to serve every 5,000 men" was proved. It was here also that auto- mobile service to men doing outpost duty was de- veloped, and a score of secretaries were kept busy driving cars loaded with writing paper, magazines, books, sweets and cigarettes to serve the men iso- lated for sentry duty. The work in the recent war began when E. C. Carter, now head of all the overseas work, came from India with the Indian troops. Then Canada sent her Red Triangle men with her soldiers to France. Australia and New Zealand did the same. Chinese secretaries also came with the Chinese coolies wlio came as laborers. It was about this time that the American secretaries, through their great leader, Dr. John R. Mott, began negotiations with the kings and emperors of Europe for the privilege of serving the prisoners of war. He was //Mi is.. >^.^^ '^y^y/ y. M. C. A. 223 finally successful in obtaining permission to place a secretary in each prison camp. And the service which the Red Triangle has rendered in this way alone can only be counted in terms of human grat- itude. The suffering these prisoners-of -war-secre- taries were able to alleviate, the heart-aches of the home folks, which the news that they were able to send, helped to mitigate, the comfort and cheer which they were able to bring to these half-starved, half-naked, wholly disconsolate men is in itself a story which would fill volumes With all that has been done, the greatest work of the Red Triangle is at hand. Soldiers in the rest area with little to do now, when peace is practically at hand, are giving the association its greatest op- portunity for a constructive program in every de- partment. These opportunities for service will not be lessened as the months go on. There is a re- sponsibility resting upon the Y. M. C. A. for the welfare, the morale, the efficiency of the American soldier when he returns to civil life. This responsi- bility does not end when the war work is no longer necessary. The program for demobilization and the readjustment of the soldier to civilian life has already been formulated. The Khaki College, which has sprung up in France to provide opportunity for the soldier to make use of his waiting time for his own educational advancement, is but the forerun- ner of a greater movement which is being devel- oped at home for the vocational guidance, the intel- lectual, moral and spiritual inspiration of the young '7v<, ; 'Lf/nt ,;^i 'i/P:/,'- Sh, vC< -^ men who have for the first time found themselves in their service to their country. There is no question but that the people of the United States, who have come to understand the real service which the Red Triangle has rendered through the war, join with General Pershing in the congratulatory message which he recently sent to Mr. Carter, head of the Y. M. C. A. work overseas, which read: "With a deep feeling of gratitude for the enormous contribution which the Y. M. C. A. has made to the moral and physical welfare of the American army, all ranks join me in sending you Christmas greetings and cordial best wishes for the New Year." .'->/. 4t%" /^ ^ I fr Q Place Photograph here 225 What I did as a member of this organization Name Residence Place of birth Date of birth Home organization, — department or division in which I served Overseas organization, — department or division in which I served In what countries served Particular work or class of service in which I was engaged When and where rendered Under whose supervision Names and addresses of friends associated with me in home organization 226 f. M. (H. A. ^trmt^ l&natli Names and addresses of friends associated with me in overseas organiza- tion Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen : 227 ^ : ^ ■* ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 228 ft ^ I 229 # -^^^t:^^ 7 /f5:-*3^^^ ^^^1 Y. W. C. A. THE YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. From the first war nurse, going out from a home in Fitzroy Square, London, to a Red Cross nurse on the battle front of Flanders, catching a moment be- tween tragedies to rest in the Httle Blue Triangle hut cuddled close beside the base hospital — is the first cycle of the Young Women's Christian Asso- ciation. In that half century it has served women and girls in all walks of life and in all vocations, coming back at last to give its most strenuous service to the nurses for whom it first was organized. The home in Fitzroy Square which a little group of women opened that the nurses going out to the Crimea with Florence Nightingale might have a place to board and prepare for sailing, suggested to these same women, the desirability of a perma- nent place of the sort for women and girls coming up to London from the provinces, as well as the necessity of keeping it open for the use of the nurses when they would be coming back war-weary and perhaps homeless. From this and a Prayer Union organized in the fifties, the Young Women's Christian Association grew, through slow years, into a world organization. "Ladies did not do much with making and sec- onding motions," some one explained. "They had a cup of tea together, talked about things, prayed v^'NV. 1fn/\l Iff kill! Y. W. over them, and then did what seemed best, could hardly say when it was organized." During the first year of the first Young Women's Christian Association boarding home, which was known then as the "North London Home, Late Nurses' Home, or General Female Home and Train- ing Institution," thirty-nine women made their home, some for a short time and others for longer, at the Fitzroy square house. According to the re- cords there were twenty-one governesses and matrons, two school mistresses, three matrons of emigrant ships, nine nurses from the East two for- eigners, one young person in training for a school mistress, and one Lady in Distress. A classified list of residents in a Y. W. C. A. boarding home of to- day reads very differently. Besides the boarding home there was an em- ployment bureau for "Matrons, Protestant Bonnes, etc.," and a lending library; tea was served after the Sunday afternoon Bible class, an afternoon mis- sionary meeting was held once a month, and the "lady superintendent" was at home every Tuesday and Friday evening to young women from any part of London. The first Young Women's Christian Association in the United States was organized in Boston on March 3, 1866, when thirty women met at the home of Mrs. Henry F. Durant in Mt. Vernon Street and adopted a constitution under the name of the Bos- ton Young Women's Christian Association. Honor of priority is denied the New York asso- s^b ^^'^ES^^J-^^s^:?^;: f n> *<«^^ y. j:-w-v Y. W. C. A. elation which opened a boarding home in Smith Place in June, 1860, because it spent the first years of its life under the name, "The Ladies' Christian Association," and did not change until after the Boston Association was organized. In the Pioneer association, which was lodged first in two rooms, there was a reading room and light luncheons were served. The general secre- tary found work and homes for the girls who came to her. In February, 1868, the Association built a home of its own, and among the subscribers to the necessary $40,000 w^as the name of Henry Wads- worth Longfellow. In those early associations there were classes in astronomy, botany, cooking, physiology and sew- ing. Gymnasium work came in later. Slowly but carefully the Y. W. C. A., beginning with the unpre- tentious little city associations of London, Boston, and New York, were reaching out to "meet the next need of girls." When the great world war came, the Y. W. C. A. had an organization adequate and ready to meet all the new immediate and insistent girl problems. In the United States there were between fifteen hun- dred and two thousand associations — city, count^^ and student. It had a staff of secretaries, who knew girls and their needs — even the new war-time needs. The first official acknowledgment of the war girl problem was the request from the commanding offi- cer at the Plattsburg training camp in April, 1917, that something be done for the women and girls at camp — the wives and mothers who came to visit their husbands and sons, and the scores of girls attracted by the glamour of the uniform. The call for help came into national headquarters at New York one Saturda3% and two weeks from that day the first of the Hostess Houses was opened at Platts- burg — "the official recognition," as one army officer called them, "of a woman's right to love a man." When the armistice was signed in November and all war work stopped, there were more than one hundred of these hostesses houses either in opera- tion or authorized and in process of building. Thir- teen of these were at posts where colored troops were stationed and were in charge of colored women. They are large, roomy houses with screened verandas, spacious living rooms with open fire places and charming furnishings. They have bright chintz hangings, piles of gay sofa pillows, rockers and easy chairs, pianos and victrolas. Many of them had cafeterias, and all had sleeping accom- modations, except one or two that were located in cities where rooms and board easily could be found for the women who come from a distance. These homes that followed the bugle call and the flag made it possible in many instances for mothers and wives to visit men before they left for over- seas, when without them it would have been impos- sible. Many weddings have taken place in the host- ess' houses, and many a baby has taken its first journey with its mother to see its father for the first time before he went overseas. Another need that grew to greater proportions M^M 234 Y. W. C. A. because of the war was that of the foreign-born woman who spoke no English and had no under- standing of the draft or of what the government would do for her and her family. Many women who went to training camps to see their husbands and sons could not make known their mission, and had difficulty in finding their men. The Y. W. C. A.'s staff of foreign-speaking women did much to lessen the bewilderment. At one camp the secretary found the captain "distraught with his problem." There were one hundred and thirty non-English speaking men, var^ang from a university graduate from Persia, who objected to being a cook, to Poles and Hun- garians from the heart of Chicago's foreign district. At Fort Riley, an Irish lieutenant had demanded the school room for his non-English speaking sol- diers. These included Armenians, Poles, Bo- hemians, Serbians, Greeks, Syrians, Hungarians, Russians, Belgians and Italians. At one school in a Y. W. C. A. hut at Camp Dodge was a thriving class of volunteers, who were Greeks, Swedes, Poles and a group of men not classified, but obviously Slavs. Practically all of these men had wives and mothers, and they all wanted to visit them before they went overseas. The difficulty of their not speaking Eng- lish was a serious obstacle which was overcome by the Y. W. C. A. secretaries in the department of Vi^ork among foreign born women. It was because of the Young Women's Christian Associations' experience in housing women and girls that the United States Government turned to it for help and counsel when the question of taking care of the army of girl workers coming into cities and towns entirely unprepared for them, began to be serious. The association, at the request of the Gov- ernment, put up model lodging houses for employed girls and made suggestions in regard to their hous- ing. It rented, purchased, or hurriedly erected buildings to accommodate the workers and opened room-renting bureaus. It had been doing exactly that thing ever since those first days in London and in Boston half a century ago. The industrial girl has been the special care of the Young Women's Christian Association ever since the mother of the Prayer Union of the middle fifties first asked for the prayers of women for "factory girls, shop women, dressmakers, milliners, and seamstresses," among others. Some of the oth- ers being "Our Princess and all who are in the glit- ter of fashionable life." She was largely represent- ed in the Beach Street house in Boston, the First Y. W. C. A. boarding home in the United States where, according to the records there were 114 seamstresses, 27 clerks in stores, seven compositors, seven machine w orkers, ten milliners, six book-fold- ers, five vest makers, four bookkeepers, two tailor- esses, two copyists, two cap makers, and one tele- graph operator, together with a handful of teach- ers, artists and students. But when the draft called men from peace pursuits to war and armies of girls came out from homes and lighter occupa- i/i/flhi T5=E^>.^,^- //I i ; i \\ I \ N ^ V Y. W. C. A. tions to take their places, the question of taking care of the girl in industry became an entirely new problem. The War Work Council of the Y. W. C. A. as- sumed the responsibility and opened the war serv- ice clubs in the big munitions centers. These clubs were housed in buildings near the plants where the girls worked. They had rest rooms for reading, writing, and receiving friends, and large halls for recreation, entertainment, and physical drills. Where no restaurant was provided by the manage- ment of the factory, a cafeteria was made a part of the equipment. At Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, where blocks upon blocks of great concrete build- ings formed the very crux of Government work and distribution, fifteen thousand girls did practic- ally all the office work, taking entire charge of in- spection and tool departments, running machines, turning lathes, polishing metal, making gas masks and uniforms and helping with medical supplies, and most of them went back to furnished rooms and boarding houses at night. The War Department asked the War Work Council of the National Y. W. C. A. to provide rec- reation for out of work hours for these girls and women working on Government supplies in the various cantonments opened by the War Depart- ment. Wliat was done at Bush Terminal was re- peated at all munitions centers where the need was similar. In many places special recreation build- ings were erected with large assembly rooms, gym- nasiums, and swimming pools. Y. W. C. A. After the armistice was signed, the War Coun- cil machinery at Bush Terminal was converted into a school for war brides where the young women who had been making munitions while their hus- bands fought, are being taught cooking and all other housekeeping branches by the Y. W. C. A. The first Y. W. C. A. industrial War Service Club which was organized in temporary quarters in one of the buildings, had an immediate enrollment of several hundred girls. They had wig-wag drills led by soldiers, talks by experts on patriotic subjects, entertaiments, classes in first aid, home nursing, current events, and French, and Red Cross auxiliary work two evenings a week. Often tennis courts in a city park only a few blocks away, provided out- door sports. Before the work for the girl at home was fairly under way, the imperative call came from over- seas. From France, in the summer, there came ^ message, "recommending that the Y. W. C. A. be represented by able secretaries who should be au- thorized to secure on behalf of the Y. W. C. A. a house in Paris for a nurses' club and hotel; that recreational clubs be formed at all the principal American bases, and that a suitable club for a hol- iday center for American nurses on leave should be established." A secretary of the women's work of the World's Student Christian Federation wrote: "To my mind there is no doubt whatever that ^^ ¥'-^^> n ■'/4 iw :S^ ^^Ss=^f's_ — ■^-^ 7^ ^m i €/> 241 242 ^1^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ I. ffl. A. ^rrnlrp Srrnrb ^ ^ ^ What I did as a member of this organization Namt Residence Place of birth Date of birth Home organization, — department or division in which I served Overseas organization, — department or division in which I served In what countries served Particular work or class of service in which I was engaged When and where rendered Under whose supervision Names and addresses of friends associated with me in home organization ;^4 243 ^ 1. W. C|. A. drnrtcf SrtorJi ^ ^ . . '^ ^ Names and addresses of friends associated with me in overseas organiza- ^^ tion ^_ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ >^ >^ ^ ^ Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- ^^ ^ tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ — ^ ^ H H H ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ 1^ 244 ^ ■ '•^ ^ ^ H ^ ^ 1^ ^ '?^ ^ ^ ^ "^ ^ "^ ^ "^ H ^ ^ ^ ;^ ^ '^ k ^ 245 ^ . ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ — ^ ^ — - ^ ^ ^ 246 Knights of Columbus KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. A fraternity of men in good standing in the Catholic Church, originally having only an insur- ance membership, was founded at New Haven, Conn., in February, 1882. Since 1893, associate members, or those not caring for the insurance feature, are admitted. The order promotes the practice of religion, charity and education. The insurance department is of course for the financial benefit of the surviv- ing families of deceased members. The members of the order are not oath-bound; there is no Knights of Columbus oath used in the exemplification of any of its four degrees. In civil life the work of the organization is nota- ble. Hospitals, homes and colleges are among its principal beneficiaries. It establishes libraries, endows scholarships, maintains hospitals, hospital beds and employment bureaus. Largely through its efforts, October 12 (Columbus, or Discovery, Day) has become a legal holiday in many of the states, and will undoubtedly soon be made a national holiday. The order is well established, not only in the United States, but in Canada, Newfoundland, Phil- ippine Islands, Mexico, Cuba and Panama, and be- fore long will be world-wide. The membership in the United States at the end of 1918 was approximately six hundred thousand. The purpose of this article, because of its brev- jfii -;, -J «',» A \ \. k Wm% Knights of Columbus ■&k ity, is to give no more than a sketch of the war work of the Knights of Cokimbus. Here in America every cantonment has had its ckib-liouse or hut, with its invitation: "EVERYBODY WELCOME." From the beginning of mobiUzation convenient opportunity has been furnished to Catholic soldiers and sailors for the practice of their religion, while comforts and luxuries not supplied by Government have been provided b}^ the Knights of Columbus to all with- out regard to religious af!iliation. Neither at home nor abroad has any agency been more potent in keeping up the morale and decency of "our boys" than this Catholic fraternity. Since American troops were first sent to Europe, the sec- retaries and chaplains of the Knights of Columbus have been with and among them. In November, 1918, there were, overseas, eight hundred secretar- ies and three hundred chaplains. These secretaries were not selected with any lack of care. General fitness, from moral and physical standpoints, the confidence of their fellows and pastors in their own communities, their special fitness for this class of work, were all carefully inquired into, both by the Order and by the Government. Their work has received the enthusiastic praise of Field Marshal Foch and General Pershing. While the American troops were being given preliminary and intensive training in France and England, the work of the chaplains and secretaries was confined to comparatively peaceful territory. A large number of club buildings w^ere set up. By an December, 1918, there were nearly a hundred of them. As the troops were moved towards the front line, the chaplains and secretaries went with or fol- lowed them, ministering to their spiritual and phy- sical welfare. As \he club-houses couldn't go with the advanc- ing troops the Knights instituted a motor truck or lorry service, by means of which they carried their comforts to the fighters in the front lines. The secretaries back of the fighting zones organ- ized theatrical, athletic and other entertainments for the troops others worked in the field and base hospitals, and acted as stretcher-bearers. The or- der equipped and operated near and sometimes in the first lines, about a half hundred field kitchens, serving hot drinks and meals to all comers. The following editorial appeared in "The Co- lumbian" — the official organ of the Order — for Jan- uary, 1919: "The world is turning from the hideous horrors of war to the glories of triumphal peace. In the fore-rank of the returning legions of victors tread the best manhood of the western world. And be- side them and their scarred battle standards floats the unsullied shield of the Knights of Columbus, a shield bathed in a new lustre and triumphant in a new sphere of Christian helpfulness. Knighthood has been afield in thought and in action from the very moment the big heart of Amer- ica was turned in compelling sympathy toward the task of saving civilization and enthroning anew in ffl Knights of Columbus the breast of man the principles that dawned with the coming of Christ. America has stood in Europe as the redeemer of civilization, a worldly savior worthy of the name. In her ranks has marched the spirit of the Knights of Columbus, sharing every trial, every wound and every anguish of war. The Order's power for right and for justice and for the privilege of mercy has been proved in the trying days that are gone. It intends now in the awakening era of peace this power for good shall be increased a thousand fold and driven forward with an irresistibility comparable only to the un- questionably honorable record achieved by the Or- der upon the field of battle, in the hospitals back of the lines, aboard the transports that have carried the war-winning troops of America to the fight, and in the training camps and contonments at home." The chaplains of the Order earned a most en- viable record in the war. Many were decorated by the different allied governments for extraordinary^ heroism. Nothing daunted or deterred them. On foot, by motor, tank or airplane, they traveled, often under heavy fire, to take to our fighting sol- diers the consolation of religion. Primarily, they ministered to their own, but many outside their church were recipients of the ministrations of these brave and holy men. One of the significant results of the war is seen in the co-operation and blending of the war work of the different societies and organizations. Pre- liliAftiillliJi/iw ^^Mm Knights of Columbus quently did one call for and promptly receive aid from another. There was no discrimination on ac- count of creed when need for service arose. The Jewish Welfare Board was offered, and accepted, the use of the buildings of the Knights of Columbus. Any like organization could have had the same priv- ilege. On the other hand, the resources and help of the other organizations were always graciously placed at the disposal of the Knights. Catholic, Protestant and Jew worked side by side and hand in hand. "* * * there is neither east nor west. Border, nor breed, nor birth, When two strong men starid face to face. Though they come from the ends of the earth." — Kipling. lijW iwm ■ -cr^^^gssisgi^ ^^^^<,v\,0 ; lim 252 ^^^^^H Kni^lftH 0f ©olumbua ^ttmct ^mth What I did as a member of this organization Name Residence Place of birth Date of birth Home organization, — department or division in which I served Overseas organization, — department or division in which I served In what countries served Particular work or class of service in which I was engaged When and where rendered Under whose supervision Names and addresses of friends associated with me in home organization 253 SCmglitfi of fflolmttbua ^ttxntt Secorh Names and addresses of friends associated with me in overseas organiza- tion Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: 254 KmgljtH of fflolumbua Btrrntt l&ttavh \^ 255 ^ ICnigljtB of (Ealtmbixs #nnii» Srrorb ^ ^ ¥^ ^ ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ . '^ ^ "^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^1 ^ ^i ^ "^i K "^i 256 i mmmm. Salvation Army 257 THE SALVATION ARMY. The Salvation Army was founded in England in about 1865 by William Booth, who was originally' a Methodist minister. The name of "Christian Mis- sion" was first assumed by the organization, but in 1878 the name "Salvation Army" was adopted. The organization is military in form and system. The members wear uniforms and the system of govern- ment is military. Men and women serve alike, and ability and piety are the chief qualifications required of the officers. The army is supported by voluntary contributions. It is divided into two departments in America, the East and the West, the headquarters of the eastern department being in New York and the western department in Chicago. Miss Evange- line Booth is the head of the organization and in command of its activities throughout the entire country. In close association with its evangelical work, the Salvation Army has established employment bureaus, industrial homes, rescue homes, boarding- houses, slum settlements, farm colonies and camps, bureaus for free distribution of fuel and ice, open air camps, day nurseries, shelters for men, missing friends bureau and many other kindred and help- ful agencies. When the Salvation Army began its work of bringing succor to the needy and redeeming others who had lost their anchorages of faith and were drifting to moral and phj^sical ruin, it was subjected .>f''////i mMi .^' i'/ r.% / f/ 1- ,.'■/ ' -v: ;/ 258 Salvation Army lo persecution on all sides. The educated, as well as the ignorant scoffed at its outdoor meetings, its noisy drums and tinkling tambourines. In every city it entered, its appearance on the streets brought riots and arrests. The fight it waged against prejudice and puri- tanic influences was so bitter in its intensity that the members of the young organization signed their letters: "Yours through blood and fire." But the Salvation Army has won the battle, and ilie victory has proved to be more than a triumph for religious tolerance, for it has given a training that thoroughh^ equipped its men and women to take up relief work in France, when German^^'s "big Berthas" bellowed out their challenge of war. Their early struggles welded them into a fight- ing militant body with all its members experienced and ready to sacrifice the last drop of their blood at the call of duty. The Salvation Army consists of soldiers who follow military routine. It is mo- l)ile, under orders day and night, used to discipline, hardships and privations; actuated by the highest principles and ready to turn its full strength into any movement, anywhere in the near or far away lands at a moment's notice. The rapidity of its action amazed every one when it was discovered that ten days after the Kaiser started his march through Belgium the Sal- vation Army had a small force of workers with the advance guard of the British troops. ^; True, there were only fourteen men and women in the squad, but they landed in France on August 14, 1914, just as the big Krupp guns were pounding at the forts of Liege. Even the Tommies did not know they were on the ground, until one afternoon a column of retreating regulars, tired, hungry and thirsty, were marching on a road in France near the coast. Some were limping, others with ban- daged heads and crippled arms. They had reached a little deserted village, when to their surprise and astonishment, a lassie in blue uniform hurried to the roadside and called: "Sergeant, Sergeant, we have hot tea and biscuits and fresh bandages for you. Bring in your men." "Bly'me," shouted the Sergeant, "here's the Salvation Army on the job and some 'ot tea. Fall out." And in this simple but effective fashion began the great and loving work of the Salvation Army in the British department of its work in the war. The American branch moved just as quickly and soon the Salvation Army was at the front in great force. That they served well is now universally known. They immediately became a part of the army, and intuitively found the one weak spot in military life — the absence of the influences of home and mother. The doughboys also realized this weakness and demanded that the Salvation Army work in or near the trenches. The homesick lads pined for the pres- ence and cheering words of a pure, sweet-minded, wholesome woman who understood them. Thev 5iir f/ •/^%^/ Salvation Army / ■\\ found her in the lassies of the Salvation Army, and that these girls lived up to their duty is evidenced by the almost pathetic love and admiration they awakened. The Salvation Army girls wielded a most power- ful influence for good, with their doughnuts and coffee, needles and thread, fresh bandages, words of cheer and above all else that elevating power given to those who are close to the Great Comforter of Mankind. The boys recognized the unselfishness that dominated the Salvationists. They honored the women who were willing to go into the trenches, braving spitting machine guns and bursting shells, and each day the lassies became more popular, and each day their work became more efficient. Most of the Salvation Army work was done in improvised huts within range of the German guns, but back of the lines it maintained well-built, com- fortable hutments. In each was a restaurant or canteen, where cooking was done by the lassies and the food carried to the trenches. In each was a club- room for the doughboys, where they found good cheer, welcome, friendship, instrumental music and Ringing, magazines, newspapers and stationery. In each hut short, bright religious meetings were held. Attendance was voluntary, and all creeds and na- tionalities were welcomed. Spiritual advice was given by officers, each of whom was experienced in meeting the moral and religious needs of the men. There were rousing songs and instrumental music, for the trained work- ' ' M I i ill Wi^^^i^ W i i? Salvation Army 261 ers recognized these potent factors in strengtlien- ing faith and building hope. The meetings were well attended and did great good. While hutment work and the cooking of dough- nuts and coffee will remain always as the popular idea of the field of endeavor of the Salvation Army in France, in reality it did very much more. Its workers cashed the soldiers' pay checks without question and sent home over $300,000 without charge. They took care of the lads' keepsakes when the orders came to go over the top, and in every hut there were barrels or boxes of these intimate treasures that in many cases were forwarded to "mother" when her boy made the great sacrifice and "went west." The lassies went from hospital to hospital and from ward to ward, talking to the wounded, always carrying them fruit and candy and filling every re- quest, no matter how extraordinary it seemed. Hours were spent in trying to buy a particular kind of tooth paste for a lad whose nerves were torn to shreds by shell shock. In fact, they sought to give the same wondrous service that the mothers of the boys would have performed had they been over in France. If a soldier's uniform became tattered and torn, if his socks were full of holes and he couldn't get a new pair immediately, if his shirt was ripped and his trousers torn, he could always get first class tailoring done at a Salvation Army hut. This was ''^(I'TM 'X ^>>^^ \ \\\ \ \\\\\\\\\\\?/m' 4^^1\ ii^^ Salvation Army emergency work, but the boys certainly did appre- ciate it. While these were the lassies' jobs, the men of the Salvation Army also did effective w^ork. The activities of the Salvation Army during the war may be summarized as follows: "Fiftj^-seven motor ambulances manned by Sal- vationists; 77 hostels or hotels for use of soldiers and sailors; 210 huts at soldiers' camps on European battlefields for social and religious gatherings and for dispensing comforts to soldiers and sailors. Be- sides these huts many dug-outs close to the front line trenches for serving soldiers under fire. Three hundred rest rooms equipped with papers, books, magazines, etc., 866 Salvation Army officers devoted their entire time to social and religious work among the soldiers; 4,000 beds in hotels near railway sta- tions and landing places for soldiers and sailors, 100,000 Salvation Army members fought with Al- lied armies. Many of the largest buildings of the Salvation Army w^re used for hospitals and shel- ters for refugees. Salvation Army huts were in operation at the following camps in U. S. A.: Bowie, Cody, Devans, Funston, Grant, Logan, Lewis, Mead, Sherman, Taylor, Travis, Kearney, Dix." The handling of these activities required rare ex- ecutive skill, for it was most efficiently done, yet remarkable as it may seem, the business routine did not take from the organization any of its humanity, but on the contrary accentuated it. It was a matter of chance that brought the 14 Salvation Army 263 t ^^>i/" LV t;^ 5, I doughnut to France, although the incident shows the keen knowledge the Salvation Army lassies had of the true nature of the soldiers. Shortly after the United States was drawn into the war, Adju- tant Raymond Starbard found great difficulty in getting sufficient supplies to the huts. He was dis- cussing the matter one day with Ensign Margaret Sheldon of Chicago and regretting that the con- fectionery he had brought to her little hut, close under the shadows of cannon smoke, was all seized by the Yanks within a few hours. She suggested that if he would bring her flour, lard, sugar and some shortening, she would cook home-made pies, cakes, crullers, biscuits and doughnuts. All she had was a diminutive French stove. ., i m.r/y/i y^v^ Adjutant Starbard drove his car to the nearest ^l*!?^*^"^ *^'^^ quartermaster's office, but found it difficult to get supplies. He succeeded after requisitioning what he wanted in the name of the Salvation Army and loading his little car he hurried back to the hut. News of his return spread up and down the line, and Ensign Sheldon spent day and night over the little stove, bringing a real touch of home to that shell-torn regiment. Within three days the sup- plies were gone, and the Adjutant, like Jacob of old, had to return to Egypt for more corn. Good news travels fast, and within a few weeks cooking became one of the most important features of the work at the front. The staple food became doughnuts, and the doughnuts came to stay. The Salvation Army men, particularly the auto- ^^'^m ?^^g?r^i2^ f ^./.^^^^^/-'^^^^^^^^-r^ >^--^^___ (§_M :(i(mrW^^':^:^^. 'i'^' iSiixf-^1%' f^f^V iJi^V^'i- Salvation Army mobile ambulance drivers, were among the most lionored of tlie workers abroad. The Salvation x\rmy truck drivers were on duty night and day throughout the big drive. It was a terrible experience for the chauU'eurs, who had to resort to harsh measures to keep themselves awake during the long nights. They thrust their trucks over shell-torn highways, and in the face of death, delivered supplies here and there or removed the wounded to the hospitals. Although the sector was bombed almost every night, the lassie workers never flinched. As the drive progressed, the lassies followed in the wake of the victorious American troops for a distance of many kilometers. Here they made hundreds of gallons of lemonade and orangeade for the wound- ed, gave thousands of oranges to men going into battle, and prepared an almost limitless supply of hot chocolate and coffee for the hosts of troops who returned from the battle during the night. The men carried food to the soldiers at the front, who advanced so rapidly that they frequently outdis- tanced their own soup-kitchens by many kilometers. Miss Irene Mclntyre, one of the best known of the lassies in France, gives an intimate picture of the Salavation Army trench work in one of her let- ters to her mother. She wrote : "Our canteen is practically closed, for we're out of all supplies but shaving cream. However, we took the day to make a huge supply of doughnuts — about 2,300, and Lieut. Mayhew took a batch to \ - £ ,^' /\ ' Salvation Army the boys in the trenches in the ration wai^on The big doughnut and coffee Hue formed at three o'clock and lasted until eight o'clock. It was a long ser pentine line extending a long way from the hut. The boys had a good time. Afterward, while Mr. Ferguson was helping me unpack some boxes and arrange the store room, some Boche shells dropped very near us, and he insisted that we go into the dug- out. Things quieted a little later, and then we re- turned to find the store room in an awful state. A shell had burst just outside of my window, cutting down an apple tree and depositing portions of it with mud, shrapnel and parts of the window on my bed. Considerable of the ceiling also had fallen. After cleaning it up as best we could, we girls planned to retire, but another volley let loose, burst- ing in the garden near by. On entering the kitchen of the General's house, down by the brook, the con- cussion gave me a headache. Myrtle put on her helmet and got under the table. Gladys dressed as fast as she could, and I squeezed into the corner, for I was standing in front of the shattered win- dow. Then the Sergeant-Ma jor came over and took us to the General's dug-out in the next quiet inter- val. The boys moved out of their rooms, so we could have their bunks. Mine was of slats without a mattress and was uncomfortable. My cough grew worse on account of the dampness. The shell- ing continued at one-hour intervals until seven in the morning. The next morning the General came in at breakfast time to find out how^ we were after i |r r^y^ 'j^^-^^-r Salvation Army our exciting night and thanked us for what we were doing for his men. He was very nice, and we sent him some doughnuts this afternoon. My, but I am tired for lack of sleep! The girls went back to their hut the next day, for the Huns stopped shell- ing during the daylight." * "It was a record day for pies and doughnuts — 100 pies, 1,500 doughnuts," writes Miss Mclntyre. "We slept here in our huts, for really we were too tired to go to the quarters the Colonel had arranged for us. My favorite rat made my night joyous again by his presence. At four o'clock in the morning we were suddenly awakened by the claxon and church bells ringing a gas alarm: I lit a candle so the girls could get into their respirators as quicklj^ as pos- sible. I got a little of the gas — chlorine — and it caused a tickling sensation in my throat and nose, and I sneezed and sneezed. "After breakfast the shelling grew so heavy that Mr. Ferguson hurried out of the dug-out. Colonel Lock thought the situation so serious that he ar- ranged transportation for us, and we left our break- fast dishes unwashed, and the day's pastry in the pans, hurriedly packed our things and left in the Colonel's buckboard full speed ahead. After luncheon we went to the field hospital to visit our men in the gas wards. Many of them knew us, for they were our own boys who did the hard fighting this morning. I got cigarettes for them and ar- ranged for hot cofTee to be served to the workers during the night, as they would get neither rest nor j^r^^ rw^.-^ nourishment with the ambulances while bringing in the wounded. Last night Myrtle and I slept on the tables in the hut. "I am used to the singing of the shells as they fly through the air and know when to duck, so you need not worry. I can tell when they are com- ing and when they are going out. Night before last the most violent battle our boys have had was launched. The Boches attacked our town pretty ^ heavily. We had to wear our gas masks from four K^ until eight o'clock. For the next ten nights we will ' " have to sleep in a gas-proof dug-out. We get very tired of the closeness and the mice." This story is but one of thousands that the Yanks love to tell about the lassies, with what un- selfish courage, devotion and love they did their work. The Salvation Army went over to France and obeyed the orders of Commander Evangeline Booth who, when war was declared, announced the prin- ciples upon which the Salvation Army labored and the motives that moved its hands. She said: "(1) We seek to become universally helpful to the soldier, especially in the homelike way, bring- ing the pure, elevating atmosphere of home and mother to the boys in the army and navy. "(2) We are profoundly concerned with the morals of the boys. We are determined to leave no stone unturned that will help to bring them back to their loved ones at least as strong and untar- nished as when they sailed away. " (3) But greater than all of these is the primary iV^/fid «s» jsKi^j^^r^j^^^^^ \^MS:s^^M Salvation Army impulse of the Salvation Army — that quenchless thirst for the redemption of men. Our manifold ministries are all directed toward one goal — the bringing of our brave men into saving contact with the World's Great Redeemer, so that living or dying for the principles of international integrity, the source of their courage may be found w ithin. For this object my people are prepared to give the ulti- mate drop of their blood." 26y *^- S>altiatuin Armji S'prtiir? S? rorb What I did as a member of this organization Ni Residence Place of birth Date of birth Home organization, — department or division in which I served Overseas organization, — department or division in which I served In what countries served Particular ivork or class of service in which I was engaged When and where rendered Uruler whose supervision Names and addresses of friends associated with me in home organization 270 ^^- ?-£^ g>aluation Armji Bnmtt ^nnxb Names and addresses of friends associated with me in overseas organiza- tion Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: 271 ^ Valuation 3^rmg S'wotrr Sptori ^ ^ 1 >^ ^ ■ ] *k . ' 272 ^ S'aluation Armg ^rtuto Srtorb ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ '^ ^ ^ -^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 273 Jewish Welfare Board '^£3 THE JEWISH WELFARE BOARD. Chaos over the whole world began with Amer- ica's entrance into the war. A tremendous process of readjustment simultaneously moved every man, woman and child. The daily customs and routines were upset. Mental and physical habits were changed. Mothers accustomed to having their boys near them suddenly found them far from home. They craved to see them, more than anything else, to know that no harm would come to them. The boy in camp was troubled by the conditions at home. The Jewish Welfare Board, through the Jewish people all over the world, raised millions of dollars to make it easier for the boy in camp and thereby lessen the grief of those at home. Clubs and homes, recreation fields, baths, read- ing rooms, entertainments of all kinds were pro- vided to create a spirit of contentment and happi- ness among the soldiers regardless of creed. The Jewish Walfare Board entered the United War Work Campaign as one of the great auxiliary or- ganizations of war. The club rooms served as Jewish homes to all who would take advantage of the opportunities offered. Everybody was welcome, all creeds and nationalities. Tea and coffee were generally served at these clubs and entertainments were given daily. The Jewish Welfare Board was in full co-ordination with the militar\ authorities and received the whole- hearted commendation of the war department. Jewish Welfare Board 275 The Jewish Welfare Board was organized for the purpose of reUef created to amalgamate and co- ordinate all the Jewish agencies that could prop- erly work with the troops within and without the camps, and there were three great branches of faith represented with the troops of the American army in this morale work — the Y. M. C. A., the National Catholic War Council and the Jewish Welfare Board — co-operating as three great agencies in the welfare of the army. Sectarian lines were entirely eliminated, and the work was fundamentally an American effort for the welfare of all the troops in the camps with- out regard to faith. Two hundred twenty thousand Prayer Books, one hundred eighty-five thousand Bibles, twelve million letter-heads, six million envelopes, larger Bibles by the hundreds and other supplies for reli- gious observance were furnished by the Jewdsh Welfare Board. To aid every Jewish community to mobilize its sentiment and material strength, there were insti- tuted community branches. One hundred sixty- five branches, including practically every commun- ity of considerable Jewish population were organ- ized to aid and supplement the national organiza- tion. The work of the Community Branches divided itself into two departments, the work for men in the town and work for the community's own sons wherever they may be. The dual program neces- "^^^^ ^ii^iS^sf- 'M'^'^hfr// '/^i^^!^0&Sv^ Jewish Welfare Board sitated arrangement for entertainment in Jewish homes of men on leave for amusement to which groups of many were invited, for suitable and abun- dant reading matter, for the visitation of Rabbis and public speakers, for supplementary religious services in town and in camps on holy days, for special hospitality and entertainment on holy day furloughs, for care of the dependents of the boys who marched away, for social service of various kinds among the boys in hospitals and guard houses. During the high holy days they were enter- tained in countless numbers by community branch- es. Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur experiences will long be remembered by the men among the most moving and striking in their careers as sol- diers and sailors. Every branch had a committee on entertainment and hospitality. The committee co-operated large- ly with the War Camp Community Service, and it is said represented the Jewish contribution towards the soldiers. The Jewish Welfare Board conducted seventy-five clubs or community centers for sol- diers and sailors in sixty-four different towns. The B'nai Brith and the Y. M. H. A. placed many build- ings at the service of uniformed men. The Jewish ^^§^1^^ women played a most important role in welcoming ^ iH^-— -^i j^^j^ jj^ uniform and helped to lend a homelike at- mosphere. Jewish sentiment was mobilized and capitalized. Jewish enthusism entered largely into the program of winning the war. "•««»(^'s iri. 'ts - Jewish Welfare Board 111 Representatives of the Jewish Welfare Board were everywhere; in the shipyards, in the arsenals and war plants and factories, and many of the com- munity branches cared for men employed in such industries. Early in July, 1918, the Jewish Welfare Board sent a commission to France for the purpose of study and survey. In a brief period of time the committee secured from General Pershing official recognition of the work of the Jewish Welfare Board. The committee made important contracts with the military and civil authorities of America and France, established Overseas Headquarters in Paris, made extensive observations and carried a message of service to American Jews and Gentiles in the trenches and rest camps behind the trenches. The Commission left in charge of the Paris office its able secretary, under whose direction provision was made for all Jewish men with the American Expeditionary Forces on the high holy days. For the most part the overseas work was accomplished through the instrumentality of the Jewish Chap- lains, appointed by the authorities at Washington. Out of thirty-four Chaplains recommended by the Jewish Welfare Board thirty were appointed. The War department substituted an insignia for all Chap- lains ojf Jewish faith, a design representative of the tablets of the law, surmounted by a shield of David for the customary device of the cross. The most eminent authority. Dr. John R. Mott, president of the Y. M. C. A., has said: "The Jewish A \ \ \\\ t<. iirv: ' m^ mJM ) ■■ -4^'i*r -i ^i- ^^ik^-S^f£ ;>r?^>?v. . ^^"^. Jewish Welfare Board people are entitled to a profound appreciation for the wonderful way in which they have thrown them- selves into the preparation for the United War Work Campaign. These are most gratifying evi- dences of whole-hearted and efficient co-opera- tion." The United War Work Campaign comprising the various faiths materially lessened the differences of creeds and created a unity of citizenship where all prejudices were banished and loyalty and devotion to national ideals alone were the supreme test. The achievements of the Jewish Welfare Board are not to be measured alone in terms of millions of dollars, but in terms of increased respect for the religious convictions of the Jewish people. Even now after the war has closed, it is planned to recruit two hundred men and women for service in France, England and other foreign lands where American soldiers of Jewish faith are found. With these civilian workers and chaplains the founda- tion will be laid for a service of the first magnitude. The Jewish War Board has been very busy dur- ing the difficult period of demobilization with the development of the finer character of young Amer- ican manhood and the fine spirit of co-operation has come largely to the success of the Jewish Wel- fare Board — the moral support of the government, the readiness with which the Jewish people of every group have abated their differences in. support of the Welfare idea has been a salient feature of the work. Almost every Jewish organization has con- > r v.;^ Jewish Welfare Board tribiited to some extent to the work of the Jewish W^r^^^'£'^/f% Welfare Board. Tliey have all co-operated and co- W0^m/^^ ordinated with it. WpW^ The motto of the Jewish people for God and i mJ\<^^ our country has been ever foremost. 280 3lcuit0i| Welfare IcarJi Bnmtt IS? rnrb What I did as a member of this organization Name Residence Place of birth Date of birth Home organization, — department or division in which I served Overseas organization, — department or division in which I served In what countries served Particular ivork or class of service in ivhich I ivas engaged When and where rendered Under whose supervision Names and addresses of friends associated with me in home organization 281 ^% ^ ^ F^ ^ "^^ 3letutBi| 5if Ifarr Inari ^trnm ^novh Names arid addresses of friends associated with me in overseas organiza- tion Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: mi 282 ^ SptotHlj Wflfarp Soarb Sjntirr SptDrJi ^ ^ ■ "^ ^ ^ ^ '^ ^ [ ^ ^ . -^ ^ '?^ 283 ^ 3lcMJial| Wtifzin loarh S>?rutrf ^narh ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^' ^ : ^ ^ _ ^ 284 War Camp Community Service THE WAR CAMP COMMUNITY SERVICE. The War Camp Community Service, as the name clearly indicates, is the service of the Community to the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, organized un- der the auspices of the government of the United States through Secretary of War Baker, who ap- pointed a commission to establish the service in April, 1917. Clubs, hospitals, lodging houses, information booths, community hospitality, cafeteria and can- teens, parties and dances, community houses, com- munity organizations, every means of recreation were established for the physical, moral and social betterment of the soldier, sailor and marine in every large camp. Secretary Baker, at the beginning of the war, concluded that the spirit with which these soldiers should leave America, and the efficiency on the bat- tlefields of Europe were vitally affected by the char- acter of the environments surrounding the military camps, and it was for that purpose that he set out to organize the War Camp Community Service where the environment under which the soldier was placed should contribute its full share to the morale of the American soldier. Practically every citizen of the United States has been engaged in war work of some kind, but a rela- tively small proportion of the population has been engaged in war materials or war conduct. The great masses have been engaged in the work of f//<§7 ^/,.^/^f- i^355l ...fr:=s= 286 War Camp Community Service building morale and serving the soldiers. The War Camp Community Service has been the one war agency built around the War Department Commis- sion on training camp activities and the Navy De- partment on training camp activities, that has dwelt M^ with the community direct in the organization of the ..^y morale campaign. The resources built up in the form of public sentiment and experience were carried over into community service for the sake of the community itself. The W^ar Camp Community Service has been operated in over six hundred centers. The War Camp Community Service was a na- tion-wide movement of hospitality to harmonize with the training camp programs of the War and Navy Departments. The work was largely that of the Play Ground and Recreation Association of America, which through years of experience was well prepared for such service. It sent its own workers into War Camp Communities and within a month had the United States covered with a net- work of local communities, each within the vicinity of a Navy or Military Training Station, and at the end of May, 1917, the service was a great and vital organism. Although it is not generally known, yet the plan chosen was one for making the civilian pop- ulation of America responsive and responsible to the great opportunities to provide for the social and moral welfare of the soldiers. Relaxation from the rigors of military routine has been recognized as a necessity. It is consid- er, 1 i \ ( m> ' ^ fVar Camp Community Service ered wise that friends and relatives should visit the men in camp when adequate facilities were avail- able for their accommodation in Camp Communi- ties. On leave of absence, the fighting man nat- urally seeks contact with the human side of life. Whether his visits to town were made an asset or liability in his training depended largely on what he did while off duty, and what he did quite nat- urally was limited to what there was to do, and the War Camp Service saw to it that there was plenty of healthful recreation and amusement. That was its purpose. How well it did it is shown by the ex- cellent morale of soldiers and sailors at all times. Clubs for soldiers, sailors, and marines were available ever3^where to men of the military forces. All privileges were free. Writing rooms, libraries, lounging rooms, check rooms, assembly rooms and regularly provided entertainments made the leisure hours of the fighting men wholesome pleasures. The War Camp Community Service included the agencies for placing transients in clean, comfort- able quarters at reasonable prices to prevent the organization of extortionate prices and graft in communities where the necessity for lodging ac- commodations had so largely outgrown the com- munity. This provided the soldier an opportunity to go to town at a nominal cost and have his friends and relatives visit him without being subjected to extortions due to a rapid influx of population. Through the efforts of the War Camp Commun- ity Service the doors of American homes were V,, ^uT^f. mmmB^A. S3' ^-?^-;-^ ^^x^ 288 War Camp Community Service swung wide open to men clad in the khaki and blue. It was the purpose of the War Camp Community Service to make certain that there was no place in this nation where a soldier, sailor or marine should y Jjfc>-x be a stranger. Dances and parties given under its IlilhW:^^ aiisnires wprp the soldiers' key to the social life of auspices were the community. These functions were held in the soldiers' clubs and in the camps, lodge rooms, churches, social rooms or neighborhood clubs. By a comprehensive organization and educa- tional program, and by a strict enforcement of vice laws, the Commission succeeded in surrounding the men in service with an environment which was not only clean and wholesome, but uplifting and inspir- ing. It was the kind of environment which a de- mocracy owes to those who fight in its behalf. In each of the large army camps there was de- veloped a comprehensive organization to induce all soldiers to partake regularly in athletic activities. As a result athletics largely supplemented the mili- tary training, besides serving as a means of recrea- tion. Baseball, boxing, cross country running and other competitive games were carried on with much success. Boxing and hand to hand fighting were organized under skilled instructors. In many cases boxing was compulsory because it develops quali- ties fundamental for success in bayonet fighting. Theaters were built by the government which cost $750,000, and the best attractions were booked upon the Community circuit so that the soldier of the American army had as much as a citizen of \;W.C.A. War Camp Community Service New York could get in the way of theatrical enter- tainment. All the religious and civic organizations were in full co-operation and harmony with the work of the War Camp Community Service. Over six hun- dred service buildings and a score of auditoriums were erected near camp and naval stations, and out- fitted with motion picture machines, pianos, phono- graphs, libraries, numerous games, and ample desk room where pens, ink and paper were furnished. Some of these auditoriums seat three thousand per- sons. Lectures, concerts and other entertainment were given daily. A complete library service was furnished to the soldiers, sailors and marines through these agen- cies for relaxation. Millions of books were circu- lated. Hostess houses, hospitals, barracks, post ex- fchanges and mess halls were provided. The out- standing features of each community service were a large room with a huge fire-place, a wide veranda, heated and glassed in for use the year around, the cafeteria, and rest room with a matron in charge. The Service provided an information bureau for soldiers and sailors and their civilian friends, so that they were quickly brought together. The War Camp Community Service provided the time, the place and the girl for dancing and social, musical and educational training; the place in the cities, in the club house, the lodge room or social room, camp house or neighborhood club; and the girl, the very flower of every community town. 290 War Camp Community Service It was the purpose of the Service to have the soldier feel always that he was welcome everywhere, and that the whole community was glad to greet him, to meet him, and entertain him, to give him an auto- mobile ride, to take him to public functions and to private homes. The War Camp Community Service has not been operated overseas. Its function has been confined entirely to needs existing in this country, and be- cause of this fact it looks forward to a period of use- fulness in the trying period of readjustment, which we now face in the employment problem confront- ing the nation at the close of the war. Men who have been in service have become familiar with War Camp Community Service Clubs and naturally, upon their return, and in their rear- rangement into the communities these army and na\^ clubs are the channels through which the men are likely, in a large degree, to re-establish contact with the community. Bureaus of advice and information are being placed in these army and navy clubs to assist the returned soldier in the matter of employment and, in fact, to give him the service adapted to the needs of present conditions, similar to that which was rendered him when he was preparing to leave for France. The War Camp Community Service, operated under the direction of the government, is the ex- pression of individual and community patriotism, and the love and friendship of the whole nation for War Camp Community Service its fighting forces who offered their services and their lives that the principles of freedom and liberty shall endure. ':^'5<«K. ^^^2^ ^ Place Photograph here 292 fflJar Olamp (ttnmmmtttg Bnnm S^rorb What I did as a member of this organization Name Residence Place of birth Date of birth Organization and where located Particular work or class of service in which I was engaged When and where rendered Under whose supervision Names and addresses of friends associated with me in home organization 293 ^ Wwc (Hump Community Btrxntt l&twth Names and addresses of friends associated with me in overseas organiza- tion Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: 294 ^ War damp Olommuttttg ^nnm ^ttoth ^ i ^ ^ ^ ^ 295 ^ War (Bump (HommmtUg ^fruire iS; torii ^ ^ ., ^ 1^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ H ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^^^^^^1^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 296 Home, or State Guards HOME OR STATE GUARDS. On June 3, 1916, Congress passed an act pro- viding that: "When Congress shall have authorized the use of the armed land forces of the United States, for any purpose requiring the use of troops in excess of those of the regular arm^^ the President ma3% under such regulations, including such physi- cal examination, as he maj^ prescribe, draft into the military service of the United States, to serve there- in for the period of the war unless sooner dis- charged, any or all members of the National Guard and of the National Guard Reserve. All persons so drafted shall, from the date of their draft, stand discharged from the militia, and shall from said date be subject to such laws and regulations for the government of the Army of the United States as may be applicable to members of the Volunteer Army, and shall be embodied in organizations cor- responding as far as practicable to those of the Reg- ular Army or shall be otherwise assigned as the President may direct. The commissioned officers of said organization shall be appointed from among the members thereof, officers with rank not above that of colonel to be appointed by the President alone, and all other officers to be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Officers and enlisted men in the service of the United States under the terms of this section shall have the same pay and allow^ances as officers 298 Home, or State Guards m\\ and enlisted men of the Regular Army and of the same grades and the same prior service." Thereafter, and on July 1, 1916, under the title, "Joint resolution to authorize the President to draft members of the National Guard and of the Organ- ized Militia of the several states, territories, and the District of Columbia and members of the National Guard and Militia Reserve into the military service of the United States under certain conditions, and for other purposes," Congress by joint resolution provided: "That in the opinion of the Congress of the United States an emergency now exists which demands the use of troops in addition to the Regular Army of the United States, and that the President be, and he is hereby authorized to draft into the military service of the United States, under the pro- visions of section one hundred and eleven of the national defense Act, approved June third, nineteen hundred and sixteen, so far as the provisions of said section may be applicable and not inconsistent with the terms hereof, anj^ or all members of the National Guard and of the Organized Militia of the several States, Territories, and the District of Co- lumbia and any and all members of the National Guard and Organized Militia Reserves, to serve for the period of the emergency, not exceeding three years, unless sooner discharged; PROVIDED, That all persons so drafted shall, from the date of their draft, stand discharged from the militia during the period of their service under said draft." On June 14, 1917, Congress authorized, — "The " ■ — „ .si-— 7 . • I. : ! ;, i 1 i i I i f i n .' W A ■■ ■• • ; ; // /• ■ — ■:-—rrn—Tii\\,-\i-lt\i.\U ! ■ , , Hh Mi I f-il-fri/^ yf'fl Home, or State Guards Secretary of War to issue from time to time to the several states and territories and the District of Columbia, for the equipment of such home guards having the character of state police or constabular3^ as may be organized by the several states and terri- tories and District of Columbia and such other home guards as may be organized under the direction of the governors of the several states and territories, and the commissioners of the District of Columbia or other state troops or militia, such rifles and am- munition therefor, cartridge belts, haversacks, can- teens in limited amounts as available supplies will permit," — and provided that all such equipment should remain the property of the United States, to be returned to the United States on demand. The effect of this legislation was to make the National Guard and National Guard Reserve and organized militia of the several states, territories and the District of Columbia, a reserve for the Reg- ular Army and to leave the states without any effi- cient organization of man power, armed or un- armed, for the protection of persons and property, and the maintenance of order throughout the na- tion. Of necessity there sprang into existence to meet this emergencj^ throughout the country in the different states, civil or citizen organizations or auxiliar^^ bodies out of which grew, under prompt and appropriate legislation in the various states, home guards or state guards, provisions being made by the various state legislatures for the enlistment, organization and maintenance of such guards ~~^^(^fy&^^^ HoTue, or State Guards through pubhc safety commissions or commission- ers or other designated officials. The personnel or membership of these home or state organizations, was made up principally of business and profes- sional men throughout the country and the various states, all of whom were volunteers. Their pur- pose was to protect and safeguard human life and property within the states of their respective or- ganization in the absence of the National Guard or organized militia, which were called or about to be called into active military service of the United States. In some of the states the guards had the battalion form of military organization, while in others regi- mental formations were prescribed and followed. The training varied in different states from infantry drill regulations prescribed by the United States army up to field service regulations of the army. In many of the states these guard organizations went into camp where they were given practical and technical military instruction and training. The guards were called out in the various states in cases of riots, public calamities and other occasions requiring organized man power, either armed or unarmed, and on these and many similar bccasions performed most efficient and patriotic service in their respective states. As an illustration of the service of the Home Guards and the fearless and unselfish manner in which they responded to the calls of duty during the war, attention is called to the great forest fire Home, or State Guards which started in northern Minnesota on Oct. 12th, 1918, and spread with great rapidity over a vast area, destroying timber on an area of about 1,500 square miles and affecting upward of 4,800 square miles of territory in all. Between 300 and 350 lives were lost, and upwards of 10,000 persons rendered homeless. Property estimated at $20,000,000 to $25,000,000 in value was destroyed. Calls for help soon began to pour in to the larger cities of the state on behalf of the fire sufferers in the burned and burning district, as a large number of families had lost their homes and were suffering from cold, exposure, hunger and sickness. The Home Guard of the state very promptly responded to these calls and rushed between 1,200 and 1,500 guards to the scene of the disaster, and immediately ^^^fp^^ organized squads which set about putting out the ''^^-* fires throughout the district, brought settlers and other sufferers in the district into convenient camps and centers, provided nurses, medicines and med- ical care and attention for the sick and injured, gathered up the bodies of the dead and gave them burial after identifying them whenever possible, furnished food, clothing, blankets and other sup- phes, rounded up and cared for abandoned live stock and other personal property of the refugees and fire sufferers and brought into the devastated district large quantities of lumber and erected houses, barns and other buildings for the shelter and protection of persons and property. In the execution of this great and commendable sr3 302 Home, or State Guards work of mercy, the Guards of Minnesota displayed a high order of personal courage and patriotic de- votion to dut3% which will be long cherished by the people of the state with gratitude and pride. f//\ . -a5 a Place Photograph here 303 Homt or &tale duarh ^trrntt Srrnrb Name Residence Time and place of birth Name, place and date of entering and leaving schools Name, place and dale of entering and leaving colleges Courses pursued in college Degrees received Business experience prior to entering service ^ ^crmcE Sccorb Age on entering service Date of entering service Place of entering service Branch of service Name and number of official division or unit Commanding officer of organization, company, troop or battery Previous military training ^ 304 ^ Training, if any, during service ^j^ ^ Promotions and commissions ^^ H : ^ ^ H ^^ Record of transportation and travel ^^ Encampment, places and dates ^ ^ ^ ^^ When and where mustered out ^^ ^^ Rank when entered service ^^ Rank when mustered out ^^ ^ , '^ ^ Complete story of my service and personal experiences in guard service w ^ during the World War. ^ 1^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 305 2 ^ Homr or S'tatt (&nwch ^fntire Srrnrb ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 306 ^ Itamp nr ^tatc ®uarJi S'trvxte Swnrii ^ ^ 'P^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 307 Boy Scouts of America BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. The Boy Scouts movement in the United States is not the outgrowth of the original idea of any one man, but is rather a composite representation of the ideas, stud}^ and training of many pubHc-spirit- ed men working with and among boys along social and moral lines, among whom may be mentioned Ernest Thompson Seton, the naturalist; Dan Beard, the illustrator and author of boys' books; Byron W. Forbush, Ph. D.; Edgar M. Robinson, Thomas Chew and many others. In England, in 1907, Lieutenant- General Sir Robert S. S. Baden-Powell, K. C. B., or- ganized the Boy Scouts of England, although he graciously gives credit to Mr. Beard, Mr. Thompson Seton and others in America, as having been the origin and inspiration of his work. The Bo3^ Scouts of America was incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia in Feb- ruary, 1910, and in 1916 was incorporated under an Act of Congress in which the objects and pur- poses of the Association are stated to be: *To promote through organization and co-opera- tion with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in scout-craft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred virtues, using the methods which are now in common use by boy scouts." The organization has grown from a few thou- and, in 1910, to upwards of 400,000 active mem- in 1918, in the United States, and the move- Boy Scouts of America 309 ment has extended not only to England, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Australia, Japan, and China, but to nearly every civilized country in the world, and now numbers a total membership of consider- ably upwards of one million boys. Every boy scout, before becoming a member, must take the Scout oath, and solemnly declare: "On my honor I will do my best — "1st. To do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout law; "2nd: To help other people at all times; "3rd : To keep myself physically strong, mental- ly awake and morally straight The Scout law mentioned in this oath embraces substantially all of the principles and teachings of the organization which may be briefly summarized as follows: The practice of patriotism and loyalty to coun- try, reverence to God and duty, cleanliness in thought and person, cheerfulness in disposition, obedience to parents and authority, courtesy to every one, helpfulness, friendliness and kindness to persons and animals, courageousness and trust- worthiness in all things. Scouts are divided into different classes, and a boy must submit himself to examination after training, study and careful preparation, in order to be eligible to each class, these classes being known as "Tenderfoot, Second-Class and First Class Scouts." When a boy first becomes a member, he is registered as a "Tenderfoot Scout" and entitled to ri Boy Scouts of America m V' 1a wear the official Scout uniform and Tenderfoot badge. After serving at least one month as a Ten- derfoot Scout and passing the required examination by proper Scout authorities or officers, he may then be advanced to Second-Class Scout. After service as a Second-Class Scout and acquiring proficiency in certain subjects, such as signalling, fire-building, cooking, first-aid and bandaging, use of the com- pass and other specified requirements, he may then be accepted as a First-Class Scout upon satisfac- torily passing certain tests much more rigid and extensive than the requirements for admission to the Second-Class Scouts. Provisions are also made in the laws of the or- ganization for certain advanced merit badges to be acquired on obtaining proficiency in certain select- ed subjects of practical and technical training and requirements, thus offering a desirable stimulus to ^^ earnest application, research and study in a large 4^ field of highly useful information. This organization is in form semi-military. The original or primary unit is the patrol, consisting of eight boys, having a patrol leader; three or four patrols forming a troop, which has for its leader a Scout Master, an adult. The organization is in fact non-military and non-sectarian, and troops are quite largely organized in connection with schools, churches, neighborhood associations, clubs and similar bodies. Drilling with rifles, or the use of guns or fire-arms, is absolutely prohibited. The boys are given frequent outings and taken ///'-v. "ff'^A'i 4 y rl k- fi H y '# rf F I #^ Boy Scouts of America on trips through the country or city, as the case may be, on hikes, in charge of a scout master, and are given every opportunity for observation, recrea- tion and instruction in outdoor exercises, entertain- ments and sports, — and are taught all manner of athletic exercises, how to build tents for places of shelter in the woods, how to build fires without matches, to cook, to use the compass, first-aid to the injured, how to swim and rescue the drowning, boating, etc., etc. They are also taught and in- structed to observe the various species of wild animals and birds, their habits and characteristics, how they live and raise their young — the various kinds of fruits and flowers, and the different trees, their growth and uses, besides many kindred sub- jects of common and useful knowledge. Any boy between 12 and 18 years of age, wish- ing to become a Boy Scout, may apply to the Scout- master in his town, or to the Scout Commissioner, if in a large city, or he may write direct to the Na- tional Headquarters, Boy Scouts of America, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City, for a copy of the Handbook for Boys, or perhaps procure a copy from the local book dealer, when he will get full information on the subject, as well as how to or- ganize a patrol or troop. War Activities . The Boy Scouts throughout the United States took a very active interest in the World War and performed valuable and patriotic services in many 4> -t ill ^inL^fti^ ! ^^ ^ Boy Scouts of Atnerica wa3^s, chief among which was the sohcitation and sale of War Savings Stamps, and Liberty Loan Bonds, aggregating in the neighborhood of $250,- 000,000. They served as messengers for the Red Cross organization of the country, and in this way not only proved themselves alert, prompt and de- pendable, but thereby conserved a vast amount of man power which could be turned to other war work and industry. They were also extensively em- ployed through the country in the distribution and circulation of literature for the government in its publicity campaigns, and in the various depart- ments of that service. The^^ frequently acted as escorts or guards of honor for departing troops and aided in the serving of refreshments on troop trains, as well as taking part in patriotic parades and pub- lic demonstrations. The Boy Scouts also planted and cared for thousands of war gardens through- out the country and were extremely useful in doing work on the farms and orchards during this period. It may be safely said that the Boy Scouts of America is unsurpassed as a juvenile, non-sectarian organization for the instruction and training of boys in real usefulness and true patriotism, en- couraging, as it does, these youths by clean think- ing, manly conduct and healthy rivalry to develop all those qualities which tend to make strong, vigor- ous men and patriotic citizens. In 1918 Colin H. Livingstone, Washington, D. C, was President, and James E. West, New York City, N. Y., Secretary and Chief Scout Executive. Boy Scouts of America 313 if ^' ^': Honorary President: Woodrow Wilson. Honorary Vice-President: William H. Taft. f/ h>s^._ Honorary Vice-President: Theodore Roosevelt. |' f|||J pT Honorary Vice-President. Daniel Carter Beard. 'C*-.y '' ' 314 log BtovdB af Ammra S>prtitcf ISitturh What I did as a member of this organization Name Residence Place of birth Date of birth Name of platoon and scoutmaster Class of Scout When and where I served Names of Boy Scouts who served with me 315 ^ Bog BtavtB nf Amt rtta &pnrtrf Sworh ^ ^ . . ^ '^ Story of my service and personal experiences in the World War, also dis- '^^ tinguished persons and famous edifices and places I have seen: ^^ ^ '^ ^ ' '^ ^ '^ ^ ^ ^ '^ 1^ ' ■ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ H ^ ■ ^ 316 ' 1^ %og krauts of AmccUa Sirntirr V^ttath % ^ ^ ^ . ^ ^ : ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ > ^ i^ ^ ^ '^ 317 ^ Sng StnutB of Amerita Sfrutcp Sftorh ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "ft ^ ^ 318 ? Ind ex Air Service Record _ _ _ American Red Cross Army Service Record Boy Scouts of America Civilized World against Germany Home or State Guards Introduction _ _ _ - Jewish Welfare Board Knights of Columbus - - - Marine Service Record Navy Service Record - - - President's War Message Salvation Army _ _ _ Service Records : Air Service - - - - Army _ _ _ _ Boy Scouts - - - - Home Guards - - - Jewish Welfare Board Knights of Columbus Marines _ _ _ _ Navy - - _ _ Red Cross - - _ _ Salvation Army War Camp Community Service Y. M. C. A. Y.W. C.A. - - - - War, A Story of the - - - War Camp Community Service War Service Scenes _ _ _ Y. M. C. A. Y.W. C.A. 168-176 193-212 138-147 308-318 8 297-307 1 274-284 247-256 158-167 148-157 2- 7 257-273 168-176 138-147 314-318 303-307 280-284 252-256 158-167 148-157 207-212 269-273 292-296 225-229 242-246 9-137 285-296 177-192 213-229 230-246 319 Index for Photographs 138 148 158 168 207 ^ ^ ^ 225 242 252 269 280 292 303 314 ^ ^ ^ It is suggested that photographs be indexed as soon as they are pasted into the book. Clippings can also be indexed on this page on the blank lines. 320 ^^J 5^'i ^ ^ Ml ]1S«3^^ n^^ 1^ w iiii^y " ^ ^ i C^ "v \f»]