The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-26
HISTORY BCLlPSBD
BY VERDUN BATTLE
Men Fighting and Dying as
Never Before. Declares
Observer.
CUT OFF FROM WORLD

TURIN. June 75.-"Oh, u the women
ana children and civilians OF France
knew how gigantic Is the struggle which
10 being fought here az Verdun. upon
their knees they would await the end Of
this battle IN which soldiers fight and
die as never before in tho history Of the
world soldiers have fought and died."
In a description OF the Verdun hght-
Ing. Ferri Peasant. special correspondent
OF the Turin Stdmpa, thus speaks Of the
fury OF the struggle and the heroism OF
the French soldiers He writes. In part
1T is the right OF tho soldiers to ave
their suferings described. 10 ave their
many dead comrades honored and to
have their heroic deeds told In all details.
Avocourt, Melancourt. Dead Man Hill,
Crows Wood. Naux, Douaumont-only
Tho name changes; the hell is the same
everywhere.
The first arduous task II that Of the
detachments who are 10 replace the sur
vivors IN the foremost trenches. 70 get
there Is an almost supcrhuman task.
The positions OF the reserves lie fve kilo-
meters 1875 miles, behind the front,
sometimes six or seven. And this whole
Zone In bathed by the constant terrific
fire Of the German artillery. The Ave.
six. seven kilometers must he covered In
half shattered communication trenches.
on roads n paths that are swept con-
tinually by shells, on fields dotted with
deep holes. under trees that are no pro-
lection but merely form 20 many more
targets for the German shells.
ITO cover these Ave, six or eve k!lo-
meters often takes more than four hours
and always costs 10 per cent. OF the re-
serve detachments. Arrived at last, the
soldiers must remain IN their positions
seven days, cut of from all the world
For a whole week they must forcgo all
hopes Of being supplied with fresh food
or ammunition. As much as they can
carry they TAX along with them.
Sometimes they ind In the badly
shattered communication trenches a H.
tie ammunition. but rarely something 10
eat. Then ~ ~ - question Of holding
out. What have they to hope for" As
II on a storm whipped island they are
cut on from all AID and supplies FOR
seven days. Depending entirely upor
themselves. no matter how small their
number grows, they mus hold out and
resist the enemy ~onsiauch's.
III something goes wrong with the
machine guns no mcchanicidn can be
called--not even some one who could
bring necessary instruments TO repair
the damage. They must help themselves
as well or "a badly a. Il r. possible.
"Once in a nrst line trench. tho sol
der must be prepared not to sleep for
seven days and nights. SO eat and drink
nothing. Not even the weak consolt-
ton OF "A command, \ telephone irsptra-
ton, can they hop. for. For long since
the bonbardmcnt has DESTROYED all wires
So thoroughly that no further connuni-
cation is possible. and surely ~ the
enemy "A III. means to spy them in
their underground hidirg places every
single nan In the Geld works. ten meters
below the surface, would long since have
been dead and buried
For seven days the laundering hal
Of steel ewecrs without r4uss over
their heads. and often 4 missile burias
Itself a few feet from them In the
m'ds, ~ the RAW ~ nre totally en-
veloping them their herois'n II their
only support. " onlN half ~ them sur
Nived. that ~ ia itself u wonderful re-
suit, which ran. however. he achieved
only " IN the course 81 one day they
have had ~ rorulse not more than three
German attacks"