The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-03-08
Battle is Expected to Reach Its
Climax Tomorrow or Fri
day, the French Say.
OUTCOME is CONJECTURE
French Forces ReCapture Por-
tons of the Trenches They
Lost on March 6.
nr ASSOCIATED rREsn

PARIS, March SIN the Champagne
the french have rcCaptured portions
OF the trenches lost on March 3. Oc-
cOrding 10 semi-otIiciaI announcement
made here today.
The situation north Of Verdun is
unchanged. No infantry attacks were
made last fight Artillery lighting
continues.
France waits anxfously, but con-
1ldentIy, the issue Of today's battle.
The Germans thus far, nj the cost OF
large losses. have obtained command
OF the approaches 10 the main French
positions beyond the west banks Of the
NICuse. The real struggle will begin
When German masses hurl themselves
on The fOur-mile line OF heights ex-
tending from Bethincourt to Cumieres.
Yesterdays attack left the battle un-
decided. COrbeauX wood In which the
Germans succeeded in establishing
themselves is within a hollow between
Dead Man and Goose hill and as Meth
err position is endangered, the German
success is of little strategic imports
ance.
1t is known here that the Germans
ser aside 300,O00=men to capture YER
dun. Only 100000 having been em=
ployed lQl TO yesterday, ii. was a ques-
ton whether the remaining 100000
would he used to make a sudden de-
Tense on some other part OF the French
line in developing the offensive against
the fortress. The heavy attacks west
Of the river, however. leave that ques-
ton no longer to be settled. The i'm
preston of members OF parliament,
who are kept regularly informed as to
the progress of.the battle, is that the
defense will be able to resist all on
slaughts the Germans are able to
make, and tllat Goose hill on the left
bank will play role similar to Dou-
aumont. on the right.
ii Is expected the battle will reach
Its climax tomorrow or Friday. Not
until then will 1t he possible to Judge
which way the battle will go.
The battle developed both in inten-
sity and in extent all day yesterday
and Is now raging along the line from
Chcppey, in the Argonne. to Fresnes
in the Woeyre showing that the second
attack for the stronghold is to be made
on larger scale than the first. So
far. according to the reports received
here, the Germans by employing
masses of men without counting cost,
obtained some slight gains both to the
west of the Meuse and in the Woevre,
where they carried Fresnes after a
fierce struggle.
Desperate fighting is again going on
on the west bank OF the river. Fol-
lowing UP the advantage of yesterday,
the Germans going around the foot of
the slope, which serves them as a
mask. followed the railroad and en-
tered Regnieyllle. From there they
launched $4,000 men against hill 265 to
the cast of Cote-de-L Ole, and carried
1t. Thus they control the loop OF the
Meuse within which Regnieville is To-
Gated. The French withdrew their
right from within the loop and II now
rests OH the AIeuse above Cumieres.
This withdrawal from an advanced po-
sitlon on the left bank became a ne
ccsslty. according to the military ex-
perts, in order to maintain alignment
with the positions on the right bank
and II would have been difficult to hold
the advanced point, which the Germans
could at the same time attack in front
or on the flank.
Having thus obtained command of