Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-02-29
Immense Forces Locked in Death Grip on Front
 of 100 Miles.
TEUTON ATTACKS
 APPEAR CHECKED
french Claim DOuaumOnt Still i'm Their Hands Thousands of WOund. ed Lying on SnOW-COyered Field.
 Suffering Terribly.

London, Feb. 2S---The battle of Yer dun, entering it's ninth day, has ex- tended into fearful struggle on q front of almost 100 miles.
 The Germans. on the offensive at. all points, are launching attacks upon the great fortress in great encirc,- ing movement, while 40 miles to the west, but as a part of the same gen. erai action, they have opened new drive on Champagne.
 On both sides of the road from Somme-Py to Souain, over the blooc- drenche1 field, where last autumn the French made their great slash, the
 Teutons have blasted theiy way for- ward for a gain Of l,600 yards. They l report the re-capture of Navrin's farm. the scene of much bitter figh-- ing. They had taken more than 1000 French prisoners and nine machine suns.
 Some critics believe that the nets attacks in Champagne herald tre-. mendous push on the entire front Of more than 200 miles, from the sea to Alsace
 About Verdun,. the Germans are launching attacks from the St. Mihial salient on the south as far as the eastern bank of the Mouse north of the great fortress. West of the IMeuse, extending to the region os Malincourt. terrific artillery duei is, raging. ,,;t. 5.t r. <71 F,- . ,,r The fiercest struggle is being waged around Fort D0uaumont.s f1rat of the defenses to fall.,,s,ijnr s,iy. ss.f Premier Rriand, .,ina the, FTs4oh l, chamber of deputies, ,o annpuIcel Saturday, according stofa delayed dis patch from Paris, that pouaumont is : again in the hands of the French, He said the fighting was going over with, tremendpus violence.iB s4F l6l sv.fifsr
 The last French, warr pt4ile ,stata- ments including that issued at mih-f have never officially admitted the loss of Douamont. The nearest the, war office has come to- this was in ]. this afternoons statement, which said that 'Fort oDouaulEont is closely { surrounded" s3g sa. iss &h,adS aaiagf1
 German Attacks Repulsed. Say 'e]
 5,A4 1t q" French. .51 2Ft &ef Ss
 The midnight report merely says:
 "ln the course of the day, the Ger-s mans attempted several attacks. but were driven back by our fire and counter attacks. Notably to the wess of Fort Douaumont, Our troops en- gagged in hand to hand combats with their adversaries. throwing them out Of a small redoubt in which they had succeeded in installing themselves.
 The Berlin official report claims satisfactory progress is being made in the general sweep by which the Teutons, led by their emperor ami crown prince. are seeking to crush on ell sides upon Verdun. . The German war office announces that the loop of the Mouse, that stretch of territory ex- tending from the western bank of the liver past Champneuville and the Palou heights and as far south as Pepper ridge, has been completely cleared of French troops.
 The Germans are continuing their desperate frontal attacks north of Verdun, accompanied by a terrific hom bardm ent, which has leveled lOIcSt dnu swept away kSAC EtSANH CAT tanglements. Especially violent Tight ing is going on in front of t5e Cote Gu-Poivre, and to the north of the village of Faux, which has changed hands several times.
 French Claim to Held DouaumOnt.
 The French claim that the village of Douaumont is still in their hands. as we'll as Daux. To the east of Yer dun, the Germans are hurling attack after attack against Fresnes and Manhuelles, short distance to tho north and on the plain of the Woevre. Further German attempts to debouch from Moranville and Blanzee have been repulsed, according to the French.
 Semi-official French estimates Of the German losses set the figures in the vicinity of 100000. Red Cross physicians estimate that 30,0oJ wounded soldiers of both armies are lying on the snow clothed ridges and plains. suffering terrible agonies while their comrades dare not at tempt to rescue them, For miles around, the battlefield is coverei with human carrion, while hundreds of bodies carried down the streams which cross the terrein are beinS swept to the Mouse and down the fr,oNTINUHD AN RAAB an