The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-06
DEFEAT IN VICTORY
WAITS TEUTONS IN
BATTLE OF VERDUN
Lord NorthcIiffe Sees German
: Stupidity in Big Drive.
s Taking OF TT. DOuaumOnt an
Empty Triumph.
!. FRENCH LOSSES ARE LIGHT
Indictment Weather Oreat
Handicap to Kaiser's Forces
End Not Yet in Sight, Says
English Publisher.
FRENCH LOSSES ARE LIGHT
Indictment Weather a Great
Handicap to Kaiser's Forces
BY LORD NORTHCLFt'E.

b. 49,. x-ord,tn March 6.-What are
= .he secret motives underlying the Gel
man attempt TO break the RE lei I'.;rne.s
= 81 Vardun in which the crown prlLcc
-, 10 incurrfng such appalllhS
f--1assesq Is it financial. in view OF t ne,
coming war loan? Is it dynasuc ~. u
is il Intended to influence oou''i"e
~ neutrals? ,,. doserters
A. il known that the attack orlslilaHy
wac intended to take place d iIloI non ~ ~
two hence. when the GROUND vas 80 -
The premature spring caused tHe ,,S1o,.,
z mans to accelerate their plans neI9
4 we're two final delays owing TO oau
r weather and then came the colossal
onslaught of February Il .,.
- II is not necessary to recapltulae
that the gigantic ettort OF en- ue.i >, ~
was frustrated by the coolness anu
lltenacitv of the French soldiers and the
-ideadIv curtain of fire of their gun
..ners- ,.,,.,4 ,,onsense
Z has been sent out in official dispatches
a.ard dilated upon by the Berlin CORE
o. sDondents as to the taking by storm
e of the long dismantled Fort OF Douau-
- mont. Nothing whatever mas peeh
s4admitted by the Germans as to the
.-sss,naiiinr price in blood they have
paid since February last and are still
paying.
1.-The French losses are ana nave
Figure. 1t has been verified by con
.aversations with members of the BRIT
-sish. French and American Red cross
Societies who obviously are IN posi-
j. Tbe wounded who pass through
.stbeir hands have in many cases come
straight from where they nave seen
dead Germans. as has been described
Inv scores of witnesses, lying as lay the
Prussan guard in the first battle OF
-Ypres.
8. The evidence of one army as to an
other army's losses needs careful cor
Federation and 1 have that in the cyl
dence of many German prisoners m
.-terrogated Independent at trench
saheadquarters.
~ More direct though possibly less
isreiable evidence was secured by ques-
..tioning closely a number of German
-.prisoners
- Taking into account all available
iindications it may be safely assumed
'.that during the fighting of the last 13
days the Germans have lost in killed.
Wounded and prisons at least 1000
men.
What then are the overwhelming
motives that impel the attack on Yer
dun and the chicanery of the German
..reports? Is it for any of the reasons
y have given above, or is it the effect
--of economic pressure which leads to
amy calculation that the possible taking
over of the French line at Verdun is a
slneans of ending the war?
s- Germans Mislcd.
The Germans are wont to mis-
read the minds of other nations that
they are quite foolish enough to make
themselves believe this or any other
sfoolish thing. II cannot be pretend
ed that the attack has in it any mill
tary necessity. 1t was urged forward
at a time Of year when weather con-
-yfftions might prove, as they have
proved a serious handicap in such
matters moving big guns and essen
tial observation by aeroplanes.
The. district of Nerdun lies in one
of the coolest and most misty sectors
in the long line between Newport and
Switzerland. Changes in temperature
too are somewhat more frequent than
elsewhere and so sudden are the
olaenges that not long ago there oc-
etrred on part of the front one of ma
her power to impose her will on the
opposing French and German
trenches. Their parapets, hard froz-
en-. are so close they actually are with
IN hearing of each other. Toward
dawn rapid thaw set in. Parapets
melted and subsidized ard the two long
lines of men stood up naked as il
Mere, before each other face to face
with only two possibilities: Wholesale
inaiirder on one side or the other. OF
temporary unofficial peace for making
fresh parapet projections.
\ Temporary Peace.
The situation was astounding,
unique in the history of trench war
fare. French and German officers
-Mlthout comforting and Unwilling to
negotiate, turned their backs so that