The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-05


 spirits, with ample endorsements in reserve for all eventualities. The de- faRse lines around Verdun thus far have been assured by the troops of the Verdun sector without the interven- tion of strong reserves, available in case of need.
 APPREHENSION DISAPPEARS
 The apprehension caused Paris by the ground given up to the Germans in the first battle has disappeared un- der an analysis, the public being re- minded that field strategy sometimes requires that forces retire in order to advance, as in the case of the battle of the Marne. The military critics hold that with a heavy loss of men the original French line might have been maintained and economy in the strength of the defending force through sagacious recoil has counted heavily in the check of the Germans after their 26 infantry attacks. Forces so important as those launched against Verdun, it is urged, must have lost spirit when stopped after so many courageous assaults.
 The French public looks at the sit uation in this way. attributes to that raet the early Interruption of the sec ond battle and shows remarkable con- tdence in the eventual outcome
 NEW PHASE BEGINS
 "Verdun," says the Temps, Marks the beginning of a new and decfssve phase of the campaign. It will be formal and lncontestible demonstration that the en- tente allies front in France and Rel gfum cannot be broken, and that the imperial armies are incapable of oper- ating effectively by the lightning-like methods that succeeded with them in P1l lott ITx,<,x of the Marne and in Russia in 1915. It is from that point of view that the bat tie of Verdun presents so considerable an interest. It furnishes us with pre- else elements for a sincere appreciation Of the wastage of the German forces. 1t will teach us at just what point is the strength of the enemy and what ef- fort energetically sustained we must still make finally to vanquish him. If, after all the fluctuations insep- arabic from struggle like that in the region of Verdun, 1t should finally end in check that would be impossible for the Germans to conceal, the moral and political consequences in Germany would be profound"
 Fl LEFT OF PA
 It has been virtually impossible to reach any exact conclusions in regard to the German losses at verdun, but all evidence points to the fact that at certain places the losses sustained by the German troops have been formida- ole. A German prisoner behind the French lines has made the following statement concerning his own experi- ences:
 "On the Fist of February, before my company had taken part in any engage ment, it was composed of 200 men and "A officers. Then we went into battle md fbo nrcro mi firv,, t1 one officer and 70 men. It Is a miracle that any of us escaped the massacre. The fire of the French machine guns was so powerful and well directed that entire lines of our men were cut down. THANKED BY FRENCH
 During certain stage of the fighting we were effectively f1anked by the | French. For a moment my company stopped and this move was fatal. The French fire poured in and the dead bodies of the victims covered the ground. Then the entire Twelfth regiment hesitated in turn. The men scattered and made their escape as best they could. Our losses were enormous As for myself had only time to throw myself down on the ground and play the dead man. s
 When night came I started making my way carefully and quietly through a. nearby wood, but I had completely lost my bearings, and it was impossible for me to find my company. For two days was lost and wandered about aimlessly and 1t was only on February 29 in the morning that French patrol caught me. was taken prisoner and conducted within the French lines' ~s
 NOTHING LIKE IT BEFORE French machine guns and rifles have been pouring death for two days into the ranks of the Germans attacking in mass the village Douaumont. The French hold the summit of the knob which dom- mate the village from the south Parts of the town had been taken and retaken repeatedly and each time that the for tune of battle has changed, more dead from the thick masses of German assail- ants have been added to the piles be- hind which their surviving comrades have sought brief respite.
 Each time. remnants of regiments all ready cut to pieces, were pushed ahead by other bodies of troops surging the Held or battle until the ground was strewn with bodies. Eyewitnesses assert nothing at Charleroi, on the Marne, along the Yser or in the Champagne equaled the sacrifices which the troops of the German crown prince already have made
 EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN A captain of French chasseurs has given an account of the attacks of the Germans near Douaumont on March 2. The various engagements of this day par- t1cularly against the village of Douau- mont resulted in heavy losses to the Ger man troops. according to this source of information. The captain in question was actively engaged on the French side and he tells the following story: German forces on Thursday along a front of three miles delivered a furious attack with the village of Douaumont as the principal objective. Detachments of two German divisions~ recently brought into the zone of fighting threw them selves against our organization This movement began at o'clock in the afternoon and had been preceded by a bombardment of indescribable intensity. "I want to say that our antagonists showed tenacious bravery, but notwith- standing the courage of the enemy the French chasseurs once again lived up to their reputation.
 'They went into fight, and veritable slaughter of the enemy was their reward There were stacks of the enemy dead right up against our barbed wire entan- glements.'
 An episode of the battle is told by a wounded man who has arrived here. who was posted in a. quarry at Louvemont on the Mouse Heights. He says:
 POSTED IN CAVE
 "The quarry ended at the rear of a deep cave, running under the plateau on which the Germans would advance to the attack. A detachment to which belonged took refuge in the cave while the heavy bombardment, lasting 4S hours. was going on and after which the attack 141{ A<-l~.