Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-25
ARMIES CLASH|NG ON
25-M|LE FRONT NEAR
GREAT FRENCH FORT
German Official Statement
Claims Capture of Brabantr
Haumont and Samogneux
From the French
fBN Associatss Prs.s.l

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.-The great
battle on the western front, where more
than 100000 Germans are assaulting the
French lines along a twenty hve-nile
front to the north of the fortress of
Nerdun, is the outstanding feature in
the current war news.
Three more villages have been twrest-
ed from the French according to the Ber-
lin official statement today and the
French statement admits the loss of two
of these. sfh
.Brabant, Haumont and Samogneux are
the villages captured the latter being
only six miles from the great fortress at
Verdun.
The German statement also claims
that the entire wooded district north
west, north and northeast of Beaumont
and the forest of Herbe are in German
hands now.
Kaiser William, says a dispatch res
ceived in London has established his
headquarters facing Verdun and is d.
recting the German drive against the
French lines.
The French war office in today's
statement announces that the French
lines have not been broken at any point
1T admits the loss of the village o.
Brabant. but denies the capture OF
SamOgneuX.
To take the fortress of Verdun is one
of the chief ambitions with which the
German crown prince has been credited
The present effort under mis- command
is on scale that indicates the most
determined effort yet of his armies to
break down the barriers with which the
French have protected their stronghold.
and get within striking distance of the
fortress itself z-.
At last accounts the battle was still
raging with great fury. both sides keep
ing up continuous fire from all avail
able artillery and throwing masses of
troops into the fray. Losses on each
side have been extremely heavy. Paris
declares that the German losses are
enormous.
In the fightins during the second day
of the great battle the Germans pushed
thei" way at points two miles inside the
former French lines. penetrating as far
as the village of Haumont, less than
eight miles from the fortress The
French claim to have held the ap-
proaches to the south of that village.
however checking the German advance
there as they did in the wood of Caures
East of the latter points however. the
German advance continued, their forces
penetrating the Wavrille wood after des-
perate fighting. Elsewhere the German
attack is claimed 10 have been arrested
After the men OF the German prize
crew 'on board the captured British
steamer Westburn had landed their
prisoners on the Canary Islands they
took the Westburn outside the harbor
of Santa Cruz. Teneriffe and sank her
according to Santa Cruz dispatch The
prize crew is believed to have been from
the German sea. raider which captured
the British steamer Appam.
An unexpected war development is
reported from Lisbon. where thirty-six
German and Austrian vessels in the
Tagus river were seized yesterday by
the commander of the Portuguese naval
division The commander who appar-
emily acted on his own initiative, hoist
ed tine Portuguese colors and saluted
them with salvo from the Portuguese
fleet.
Portugal, although not in a state of :
war with the central powers, is in close
treaty relations with GREAT Britain and
the Portuguese congress ,long ago vot-
ed to cooperate with the allies when
ever that step seemed necessary.
bottle containing last messages
from the captain of the German Zepps-
lin Lis, which was wrecked in the
North sea after the recent airship raid
on England. has been picked up. The
final message said that the airship had
dropped into the sea and that the crew
was drowning.
Germany is reported to have secured
\ second contract for 1000 carloads
of Rumanian grain, and to have enter
ed into other commercial engagements
in Rumania.
Emperor Nicholas, after attending the
opening session of the Russian duma,
has returned to the front.
The death of Admiral Won Pohl, vino
lust retired from command of the Ger
man battle fleet, is announced in Berlin.