America's War for Humanity

by Thomas Herbert Russell

GERMAN PLOT IN MEXICO.

Intense feeling was aroused throughout the United States when it was learned on February 28 that Germany had suggested to Mexico an alliance by which war was to be made on the United States if it did not remain neutral. Mexico was to have German aid to regain the southwestern territory acquired from it, and to have a share in the ultimate peace conference. It was to induce Japan to leave the Allies and join in making war on America. Documentary proof of such plots was said to be in the hands of the President, but a few days later the German foreign secretary admitted the scheme as his own and sought to justify it as a necessary precaution against war. The discovery of the plot did more than anything else to arouse the American people to a sense of the danger impending from Germany.

GERMANS RETREAT ON THE WEST.

After numerous minor successes by the British and French on the Western front, the Germans effected a retreat late in February, which was the greatest retirement in two years, as they yielded on a front of several miles on the Ancre to the Allies, including important towns. The growing superiority of the Allies in artillery had begun to count, and the retirement, while announced from Berlin as strategic, was undoubtedly forced by the development of Allied strength. The capture of Bapaume soon followed. By March 2 the Germans had retreated on a front of miles to a depth of from two to three miles, and the British were still pushing forward.

Another extended German retreat began on the West front March 17, the British and French advancing without resistance for from two to four miles on a front of 35 miles. Peronne was captured next day and it became evident that the Germans were falling back to a so-called Hindenburg line, 25 miles to the rear of their former positions. The Allied advance continued until more than 300 towns and villages were reoccupied and some 1,500 square miles of French territory regained by March 21. The German armies in their retreat devastated the country in the most wanton manner, even going so far as to destroy fruit trees, wells, churches, and buildings of every kind. They also drove before them many of the inhabitants, including women and girls, leaving only a remnant of the former populations, mostly old and feeble folk and children, these being left destitute and without food even for a day. The story of this devastating retreat aroused horror throughout the world.

On March 25 the French pressed an attack against the whole front between St. Quentin and Soissons and made progress everywhere. From this time on the French offensive was active for three weeks, culminating in a great victory on the Soissons front April 16, in which the German losses were placed at 100,000.

A GREAT BRITISH OFFENSIVE.

In the week of April 9 the British made great gains in the Arras sector, capturing German positions to a great depth and taking a total of some 15,000 prisoners and 190 guns of all calibers, some of which were turned against the Germans as they sought to stem the tide of British successes by desperate rearguard actions. Notable victories were won by the Canadian troops in the capture of the hotly contested Vimy Ridge and other positions during the battle of Arras, as this series of important engagements was called, even before it was concluded with all the honors in Allied hands.

For several days after the first dash on Monday morning, April 9, the British tore through the German defenses on an extended front north and south of Arras, from the north bank of the River Scarpe to the German trench system just south of Loos, and straddled the iron line of Hindenburg by April 13 as far as a point seven miles southeast of Arras.

But success did not stop here. To the south the British progressed on a front of about nine miles, between Metz-en-Coutre and a point to the north of Hargicourt The French columns joining the British in this sector swept forward along with their allies. They attacked with tremendous vigor German positions south of St. Quentin and carried several lines of trenches between the Somme and the St. Quentin railway. These positions were held despite every effort of the Germans to retake them.