Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-30

Amidst an unparalleled crash Of
batteries, the conflict, sullen and fur
ouA by turns, still RACES round The
heights OF the Meuse and dwarfs al
the historic battles Of former age +
The great ordeal Is not yet over fol
France, but Verdun still stands ant
General Petainis historic defense eS
forts the admiration Of the world ano
wrlngs homage from his enemies
Whatever happens the victory VIII be
his either in form or substance OF
lin both In a few weeks this soldier
so recently unknown win have
achieved one Of the greatest military
Populations Of the war
Drama Not Diminished.
The movement swings round three
sides of the salient. Though events
however terrible ana absorbing il
| themselves, may seem on superficial
view to become more monotonous as
the action is long drawn out this sur
passing drama does not diminish Thu
interest helghtens For still the vita
Question. not indeed for strategists WHIT
have larger and colder views, but fol
the rival sympathies passionatoly en-
gnged on both sides, Is whether Yer
I dun will be taken or held glorioush
to the very end Several consdera
tons had suggested that the dcnoue
mont might be near at hand, ana eVel
more completely IN favor Of our al
lies than we had dared 20 hope. Thes
spccuations were premature. Ever
yet ii cannot be said with absolute Ger
ltainty that We arc in sight Of the de
lcislon
1t is palmer than ever that, as "
Thought last week, the Germans hay
been drawn deeper than they mean
to go. and paid a higher price with
out buying the object Have they eon
too far to draw back? Must the
throw the helve after the Ratchet
IWill considerations Of prestige Undue
them now to risk far more casuQltie
than even fun success would be wort
without any certainty Of attaining il
ION The answer TO this doubt The sequt
depends We must possess our soul
i'm patience yet few days more be
fore we can be sure either that tn
Germans are fooled or resolved to bat
ter through at an costs 10 THEN all
~ indeed--Which seems unlikely an
, human effort or plan may achieve /
, German Euergy spent
Some shrowd French opinion mcIo
cd definitely to the belief last Wee
that the Germans were almost heate
to II standstill. that their offenslv
energy was already spent with Oh
shatterlng Of their best corps an
that the great geucral staff had a
ready exceeded the human casualti,
doubtless methodically allotted ut Il
! outset to tho purpose which has nc
d been achieved To allow that resu
TO become evident to the world woul
be unhearabiy bitter to the enem
The kaisers military advisers must a
lready have been deep in sombre couI
sci ON this subject The fantast
v fasehood of the bulletins TO which II
. lcnemy now repeatedly resorts agai
4 suggested 10 some French experts TIN
|, the famous plan to seize Nerdun nj
its salient might De given np at la
after the third week Of tremendol
fighting. The latest signs point to
longer fieht and fight to a finish
II the Germans decide to persevel
n there may be a fourth ana fit
week of fighting before the denou
lment Is reached Whether the tneu
is to win even the shadow of succe
and throw away the substance
p sacrificing moro men than an
Be- gain of position now possible can !
worth, or whether the French whe
they stand are TO triumph both
form and reality is the issue now
y bc settled. The answer either ",
. will have a profound hearing upon II
n future OF the war in the west
scheme l. Changed.
When we interrupted our narrati'
81, last sunday the Germans were st
trying vainly to drive to success Il
manoeuvre with which they began.
= the great drive straight upon Verdi
= from the north They had failed ar
II We're pinned down ON the slopes
Donaumunt. well below the crest. III
handful of Braudenhurgcrs is stin is
e lated tn the ruined fort at the We
y top ana can only receive supplies
night The attempt 10 shatter Il
IA centre of the French dcfense heil
\ thwafted az that point--though it Ii
T since been renewed as We shah Sc
at anothor--there had 10 he work,
l. out another scheme
l. The smiths hammer is d faVori
symbolic instrument in German "a
IA toons. The hammer having faile
m there was on both sides Of the sale
fresh resort to the familiar pincei