Germany’s definite turn toward peace came in October, 1918, in the form of further and very awkward notes written by Prince Maximilian of Baden, the German Chancellor, and Doctor Solf, German Minister of foreign affairs.  While the first of these notes was coming along, the Leinster was sunk by a German submarine on the Irish coast.  The Leinster was a passenger ship, employed in regular service on a long ferriage.  She had a full passenger list, nearly 400 people, peaceable folk all, just about such as may be found any day aboard a Staten Island ferry boat.  It was not in any sense an act of war, but mere and open piracy, killing for the love of killing.  It was one of the most horrible acts in a long, long list of horrors for which Germany has learned she must account in the long reckoning she has been forced to face.

VIRTUE, VICE AND VIOLENCE

At the same time, strangely contrasting with the virtuous attitude assumed in the notes, towns and cities in France and Belgium were being blown up before evacuation by the Germans, their men were being marched away to slavery in Germany, their women and young girls assigned as “orderlies” in the service of German officers—­such “orderlies” as Turkey buys and sells for its harems.  The contrast between German professions of virtue and German bestiality of act was ghastly.  It is hard to believe that such things could happen between earth and sky, and they who did them still live; yet the things, hypocritical on one side and sickeningly horrible on the other, were actually done.

RESULTS OF A FEW BUSY MONTHS

Between the day when that little group of Americans stopped the hordes of hell at Chateau Thierry, and Germany’s acceptance of the American and allied armistice terms, these other and happier things had come to pass.

Bulgaria had been forced to quit.  Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey sued for peace.  Turkey’s military power was broken in Asia Minor, Germany undertook the greatest retreat in history, and these countries and Austria-Hungary were suffering from serious internal dissensions.

The allies took about half a million prisoners and some 4,000 cannon.  They destroyed more than 300 airplanes and 100 balloons.  They recovered more than 7,000 square miles of territory in France and Belgium, 20, square miles in Serbia, Albania and Montenegro, and 15,000 square miles in Asia Minor.

In France, the cities of Lille, Turcoing, Roubaix, Douai, Lens, Cambrai, St. Quentin, Peronne, Laon, Soissons, Noyon, La Bassee, Bapaume, St. Mihiel, Chateau Thierry, Grand Pre, Soissons, Vouziers, LaFere, LeCateau, Juniville, Craonne, and Machault were reoccupied.  Valenciennes fell to the British.  Reims and Verdun were freed, after four years’ artillery domination.

The St. Mihiel salient was wiped out by Pershing’s American army, the great St. Gobain massif recovered, the Hindenburg line and lesser defensive systems shattered, and the Argonne massif won.