Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-12-17
VERDUN HOLDS THE
CENTER OF INTEREST
Stroke of Arms by General
Nivelle Before Assuming
Command of French Ar
mics Enthuses Capitals
of the Allied Powers.
BY ED /. KEEN.

BY ED /. KEEN.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent.)
London, Dec. 16.-Peace talk may be
under discussion in European capitals
tonight, but the roar of battle resounds
on every front-east and west and
north and SOUTH Seldom has there
been such unanimity in reports from
all fronts in detailing bitter, unrelent-
ing warfare-the kind of warfare that
was never expected to continue in win
ter's snow and cold.
1t seemed as though every belliger-
ent was bolstering up it's own ideas OF
peace by force of might-Germany was
endeavoring to show that it's plea for
peace came through strength and not
weakness; the allies returning defiant
rejection of the proffered peace by
hurling forward nassed troops. Yer
dun held the center of interest in all
the battle news.
NlvELLE'S GREAT STROKE.
Called to a higher command over all
of Frances armies in the west, Cen
eral Nivelle celebrated by stroke of
arms which, detailed dispatches tonight
aaaoiiS tSd IL 1oilNi&tioh iitiC Ct w ai0 ih
even greater coup than Frances effort
of Oct. "a, when she hurled German CO.
horts from Forts Douamont and
Naux.
Eighty thousand French troops ir-
resistibly swept the Germans from IL
square miles OF soil redeemed months
ago by long, continuous and bitterly
contested advance by the Teutons.
1pa hbn
posed this onslaught in vain.
1t was a master stroke, made pos
sible by almost superhuman CO. -ordina-
ton OF effort In all branches OF mill
tary scienee--in men, in guns, timing of
attack and surprising to the foe.
RAIN OF PRoJEcTILES.
French batteries poured never
ceasing rain of projectiles into tile
German positions; then stopped and
just at that exact moment came the
French advance, the batteries resum-
ing in barricade. fire. So we'll tim
cd was tho advance of infantry; SO we'll
directed the artillery fire and SO aston
ishing and surprising to tn enemy that
they were forced back. Nine thousand
prisoners have already been counted ot
those taken in this jump forward over
SIX miles of front. They were dazad
with the ferocity of the assault. by the
thunder and inferno-like deluge of
French shells.
Nacherauville fell first; then Louve-
mont. Farther on the French hurried
and took Chambrette farm, then swept
like waves of steel over Hardaumont
and Bezonvaux works.
NO TIME TO SAVE GUNS.
A tidal wave o men that came so
suddenly the Germans had no time TO
hurry out with guns or great quanti-
ties of material. A dismal rain fell
during most of the fighting, hindering
air craft. Their object achieved, the
enemy's trenches occupied. the victor
ious French hurried out with scouting
parties and. penetrating still farther in
to the enemys country. succeeded III
destroying probably score OF German
guns north of the positions they took.
Up to tonight no counter attacks from
the enemy had been reported. The lare
German official statement announced
a revival of fighting ON the east bank
of the Meuse, however.
The ground won by the French in this
assault was in the first territory which
the German crown prince won from the
French after weeks of assault and
bloody losses on Feb. g. 1916.
OTHER HEAVY FIGHTING.
But this action around Nerdun, al
though no doubt the fiercest of the
combats on all fronts. was not the only
place where the Teutonie forces and the
allies were bitterly fighting. violent
artillery duel was apparently on along
the British front in Flanders. Over on
the east front desperate rear guard ac-
tions marked retirement north of the
Russo -Rumanian forces In front of the
Teutonic invaders of Rumania.
In the Carapthians. where the Rus
slams and Austro- Hungarians were at
grips, Petrograd detailed almost con-
tinuous fighting In some sections, with
the tide of battle running first to one
side and then TO the other. and all
amid the SHOWS and cold of the noun
! tains.
In Dobrudja, even further east. the
Russians we're apparently consolidat-
ing their positions and fighting also.