The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-03-09
Kaiser, at Bay, Making Last
Frantic Thrust, Says Cab
rieIIe Hanotaux, Former
French Minister.
VERDUN LAST HOPE, CLAIM
Failure to Smash French Posi-
tions Marks Beginning of
End of Prussianism, De-
clares Writer.
BY GABRIELLE HANoTAux.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Paris. March with their Verdun
offensive the Germans are taking up
their campaign against France just
where they left off at the battle OF
the Marine.
Verdun is the apex OF these eastern
citadels which have always shackled
the German offensive through Belgium,
and until chat apex is smashed, any
attack toward the interior OF France
is exposed to being bitten off by our
eastern jaws. Any attack on Paris Is
taken in the rear by our armies about
those fortresses.
I do not know whether 1t Is true that
General Won Deimling told the Fiji
teenth corps that this was to be the
last anti-French offensive, but true
or untrue, the assertion expresses an
exact verify.
Germany has arrived at that point
where she is bound to make up her
mind to use her remaining resources.
/ learn from the most reliable sources
that during the last visit of the king
or SaXony to his troops the officers
surrounded him and told him the war
must be quickly finished and that the
soldiers would be unable to undertake
new campaign.
Using Loyal Troops.
1t is noteworthy that the troops who
made the greatest sacrifice at Verdun
were Prussians. Pomeranian, Silestan'
and Rhenish soldiers fell by the thou
sands. These are naturally the su-'
preme champions Of Prussian miiitar-
ism. Verdun has capital Importance
regarded from the viewpoint OF the
whole situation.
Speaking in the duma in the pres
ence OF the car, Foreign Minister Sa-
zanoff said the allies would continue
the war until the hegemony exercised
by Germany through Prussian mill
tarism was broken. For the first time
the allies objective is clearly defined
and the German fury against Sazanoff
can easily be understood.
Conservative organs in Germany are
clamoring for the displacement OF Won
Bethmann- Hollweg, and the appoint
ment OF a chancellor belonging to the
militarist party, such as Won linden
burg or Won Tirpitz. German mifitar-
ism is now seeking to defend itself
with its own men.
Kaiser at Bay, He Says.
The kaiser is at bay. and has to save
the country and himself. AT a recent
Potsdam council, he obtained the opin-
ions of Hindenburg, MackenSen. Haes- D
seller and Daimling on the situation.
The German chiefs saw the Russian
front consolidated, the cars nrmies
reconstructed and assuming victorious
offensive at different points. Ger
man effort in this theater would lead
nowhere. Many months would have
to pass before a decision against the
Russians could be obtained.
In the Balkans, Germany would be
only working for the benefit of the Bull
garians, who are unable to make a
fresh effort for themselves. SalOniki
was seen to be impregnable. Greece
was veering and Rumania was no
longer sure.
In the direction OF Egypt and Asia
.
ture of ErZerum, Turkey had already
become n dead weight.
France Last Hope?
Thus Germany was forced to look
toward France. True, the republican,
army was powerful, valorous, and re-
solved to die where it stood rather than.
give up the struggle. Its artillery and
ammunitions were 100 times superior
to what they were when 1t repuIsed the
furious German attacks at the User.
These considerations initiated against
the mad blow.
But the blow had to be delivered
somewhere before spring should bring
the new Russian and British armies in
to line before the Austro German
powers should undergo further decline.
before the people should lose courage
and the spirit of resistance-before the
allies should really begin to smash
Prussian militarism.
The king of SaxOny reported to the
kaiser the pressure which his own
troops were bringing to bear upon him.
The confederated states were begin
ming to get restless. Therefore, tho
kaiser ordered an offensive on the
French front.
The emperor visited his son, called
around him all his old Prussian gen.
erals. all that remained of the un-
breakable iron phalanX, and resumed
the desperate hammering at Verdun
with which he opened the war.
Every hour, every minute, decides
the result of this last desperate gamh'-
er's throw. The kaiser stands invol' I'd
not only before history. but befo"a his
own people. He continues to lad his
people to butchery. To save himself,
he orders supreme massacre 49,.
But the hour has struck. Verdun
brings no luck to the Prussian dynasty.