Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-25
GRIM DEATH STRUGGLE
WITHOUT MINUTES HALT
Picked Troops of France and Ger
many i'm Mighty Combat in
Ncrdun Section.
FIGHTING ON .5-MlLE FRONT
Parisians Express Intense Sntisfac-
ton With Staying Powers Of Army.
Kaiser Seeks to t'Orc>taIl Concert
cd Offensive by Niles in Spring.

! Special Cable to The Times Dispatch
rAHIS. February oi.-Thc battle o.
Nordun is growing; ,icrccr hourly I'll,
| grim death struggle Of nations docs no.
| halt for II single minute, nigh, ny day
as the picked troops Of Franco auC
Germany are hurled in terrific attacks
which succeed each other with Devil
dcriul rapidity.
The twenty Live emile battle line pre-
scnts the aspect to-day of Il colossal
reptile. writing in agony. its con
iiSuration twisting back and forth as
the alternating successes and rcvcrscs
OF the desperate combatants are re-
ported.
So far the Germans have been unable
TO break the French lines ut singl,
point. The utmost they have accomp-
liShcd has been 10 drive back the sol
dicrs of the republic on stronger posi-
lions after stupoudous efforts attended
by incredible losses To the attacking
troops.
rhc leading military critics declare
that the Kaiser chose the prcScn, mo-
mcnt 10 Launch an offensive in order
10 forcStall tho concerted offensive
planned by the allies ror the sprin. in
which the authorities estimate more
than i1."o0oGo troops operating in
every theatcr OF war. were to coon
crate and encompass Gcrmany's inn
mediate dowTfall
The loss OF the village OF Erabant :
Sur-McuSc * not regarded here as scri-
Gus. The attitude taken 10y all critics
here is tina, the five dn $ lombard
mcnt Of tho French advance positions
must necessarily have resulted in the
abard comment Of certain shattered por-
lions of the line. II Isl felt tina, the
outlook is far from gloomy.
STAYING POWERS OF ARMY
GRATIFYING TO ptHISItNS
rarisians arc expressing intense sat
isfavtiou in til. staying powers OF tho
army. The military critics with ono
voice pou; out tina, II the French
troops holj out for fcw days longer
the German drive Will batter itself to
pieces and gradually die away.
News reaching here this evening Is
that the crown prince is preparing to
go 20 tho Balkans and Turkey in the
second week Of March. indicating that
the Germans are not prepared TO con-
;jnuc tn" haiti" longer than ten days,
ana that ,hcy have resolved To win
through TO Ncrdur OF admit their com
illctc faiUr. by tho cud OF the coming
week.
The newspaper ln,rsustcicn, to-
night says
Nor" aud more, - the iino shifts
from side to size with the mpossi-
bili;y OF troops to face - continuous
artillery fire, tho battle assumes a tao
teal phase. II would not he surprising
TO sec open manaIvers developing oyer
an extended field very shortly"
The lates, news shows that the Gcr-
mans are still from five t" eight kilo-
meters othrcc to i've miles, from the
outer forts Of NvrdUu.
Some OF tho GERMAN prisoners taken.
i, is learacG. carr.cd The following
Proclamation signed by Gcnerhi Won
battling:
"puriur THIS the las, offensive YOU
will have "a make against France. |
hope til. Fifteenth Corps will distiu-
.uish itself rs ), has done hereto
fore.
In TINS connections Senator nenr>
BercuGcr to-day said:
If tho Germans don't smash ou: line
now. they viii have to abandon all hope
Of ever doing So. They know tho price
Of failure. II is that Nc shall begin TO
roll them back from our territory as
far as tho Rhine
CANNOT WIN DECiSI\E
VICTORY ~ NERDIN