A^Esumz of THF Wattld Wm Mr

• * I f 0 The story of tne activities of the people of "Racine County in the World War" has been thoroughly told, in the six hundred page volume published in 1920, toy Walter L. Halght, entitled 15 as above. It well told also, and is sure to toe of increasing interest and value as the years go toy* In common with other occurrencesiilh the religious, social,* agricultural, industrial, commercial and political life of tne people of this vicinity.since the last decade of the nine teenth century, the story of the World War is, of course, no part of the "Early History of Racine County", which is the ti tle of this publication. However, our home city and county in the World War period was the setting of a series of events of such compelling Interest, and tremendous import, that a brief £ outline of a few of the more interesting items of historical tJvt <7 rtjubw A***v value will toe submitted In this chapter, mm® of which will be quotations from Mr. Halght1s book, credit being given in each instance. A^Esumz OF THF wAttLD Wm Mr. Halght begins his book with a resume^ of the War-- four years of it - in less than three pages of print, which could hardly have been better done by any one, any where. It is reproduced verbatim with the single comment that fepteaaajp ••.£wm the first sentence of tne last paragraph of the chapter would have provided a better caption than the one used, which is not fully descriptive. It was likely the contribution of another than the author. #*' * "TA/E Dt/TmEA* Of T/tE W%&, HEN an assassin's bullet slew Arch ors and began the long and terrible fight for duke Francis Ferdinand of Austria at her very existence. Great Britain hesitated W Serajevo on June 28, 1914, it is doubt but three days, and then her navy sallied forth ful whether anyone in the whole world antici to check the marauding German ships of war, pated that the act would precipitate a conflict and her first regiments joined the French on involving all the great powers. the continent. The Balkan nations armed Austria sent her insolent ultimatum to Ser themselves and prepared to take sides as their bia on July 23, and the statesmen of Europe best judgment dictated. Italy, for years in the grew grave. Even then but few foresaw more Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria, de than another "Balkan storm cloud" such as had clined to take part with them in the assault frequently threatened European peace, but upon the peace of the world, and became an which usually had been banished by a wave of armed camp, albeit neutral. a diplomatic wand. As the days passed, the In the brief span of a week, there was hard very stupendousness of the conflict which was ly a city in all Europe unaffected by the con threatened made it appear impossible that flict. And before many months had passed civilized governments could permit its begin Belgium, eastern France, Poland and Serbia ning-. With Germany upholding Austria's were drenched with the blood of their defend stand; Russia declaring herself bound to sup ers and of the invading hosts. port Serbia; France assuring Russia that the Neutral nations, aghast at the holocaust, republic would lend every aid to the autocracy sent words of horror-stricken appeal to all (Z in case of war; Great Britain insistent that warring peoples, and silence was the answer. Germany should not attack France by sea or The Central Powers, by their mighty blows, through Belgium, the consequences of the first hammered their way almost to the gates of offensive step were certain to be of tragic im Paris in September and were checked and port. It did not seem that the Central Powers driven back across the Marne, Belgium was a would dare assume the responsibility of un ruin, held by the invading forces of the Kaiser. leashing the whirlwind of war. Russian armies penetrated into Germany and Through these fateful days, America watch then were hurled back in a rout far inside their ed from across the seas—at first with an air frontier. Serbia was overrun. Montenegro of amused tolerance at "much ado about noth took arms in behalf of Serbia and then Turkey ing," later with surprise at the growing crisis joined her fate with that of Germany and and finally with the startled, shocked expres Austria. Italy was finally forced into the sion of one who for the first time recognizes Allied camp in 1915. Japan early had put her that what he deemed a clever bit of stage play navy to the task of avenging a hatred felt is, instead, a gory tragedy of real life. against Germany ever since the Chino-Japanese Then, on August 1, 1914, the storm broke. war, and entered the Alliance against the Cen Germany declared war on Russia. The Aus tral Powers. trian army advanced toward Serbia an'd man On land the movements of armies soon nearly ned her own eastern borders. Russian troops ceased and trench warfare was ushered in. assembled all along the Teutonic frontier. The opposing forces faced each other across Germany's green and gray clad hordes, gather mined areas and barbed wire entanglements, ed together almost over night by means of her the warriors in systems of earthworks which marvelous mobilization methods, dashed toward reached across Belgium and France from the France over the ravished fields of neutral Bel English Channel to Switzerland, from the Tyro gium. France called her manhood to the col lean Alps along the northern Italian border^ * From "Racine County in the World War", by falter L. Haight. through the Balkans, and from the Carpathians of the dawn, when Nature clothed the troops to the Baltic sea. in a mantel of partial invisibility. On the seas, the German merchant marine Finally, terrified by the blockade which was. rushed to friendly or neutral ports to be in threatening her existance, Germany launched terned. Teutonic raiders, bold and desperate, her trump card—the submarine. Creeping out darted across the sea lanes destroying Allied of her naval bases, the U-boats issued forth to shipping and spreading terror to distant colo sea hidden under the waters. They passed the nies until they were finally sunk or driven into blockading fleets and invaded the sea lanes permanent hiding. The German and Austrian along which ships brought food and other ne fleets were bottled in their fortified harbors, cessities of life to Great Britain. From their from where they continued to threaten their safe position beneath the waves, the command foes. ers of the submersibles searched the seas with periscopes, located the merchant vessels, In the air, great fleets of aeroplanes crossed and launched the torpedoes which sent them to and re-crossed the firing lines to spy out ene the bottom. Hundreds and hundreds of Brit my movements and spread death along the ain's finest ships were thus destroyed with highways and railroads. As the struggle pro heavy loss of life. Frequently no attempt was gressed, bombing planes were developed which made by the assailing U-boat to save passen dropped explosives upon towns and forts and gers or crews of their victims. railroads. Dirigible balloons were sent from Germany to strike terror and carry destruc Driven to desperation by her own domestic tion to English cities. London was bombed re troubles, Germany threw caution to the winds, peatedly and many innocent non-combatants and sank every craft which could be success were victims of the ruthless campaign of hor fully attacked, regardless of its nature, provid ror. Paris was also an occasional victim of ed that it was being used to help feed and. aerial attacks. clothe the hated British. Passengers from neutral countries were num Effort after effort to win a decision on land bered among the victims. Ships of neutral na failed. The battle lines remained almost sta tions engaged in trade with the Allies were- tionary for two and a half years. New de sunk. Protest after protest was made. The vices of warfare appeared. The German chem German government explained, apologized, ex ists reverted to an ancient and discarded cused her actions by various subterfuges—but method of killing, and developed poison gases the disregard for international law and for that could be released from tanks, or convey the rights of humanity continued with a few ed into the enemy lines in shells and bombs. intermissions. When the Cunard liner Lusi- They suffocated, burned and in other ways tania, bearing hundreds of Americans to Eng slew and tortured thousands. The Allies re land was sunk off the coast of Ireland with a ciprocated in kind, and soon all soldiers at the loss of nearly 1,500 lives of men, women and' front were provided with grotesque looking children, in May 1915, the United States gov masks containing chemicals to rob the gases ernment finally spoke. President Wilson, af of their power to kill. ter a year of patient efforts to keep this coun Clumsy gasoline tractors were armored and try from becoming entangled in the awful con armed, and rechristened "tanks." They ground flict, sent to Germany a note which demanded their way across trenches and wire entangle that her disregard for law and decency cease.. ments to deal death among the foe. Machine For nearly a year the German navy indicated guns and automatic rifles of great ingenuity an effort to respect the rights of neutrals while- were perfected, and on battle-fields in time of still carrying on a successful submarine cam action a veritable typhoon of bullets swept paign against British and French shipping- from side to side'' from concealed positions.

Load more