Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-07-27

Domestic events have been OF a
character that has diverted attention
somewhat from the war in Europe
and The Chronicle takes advantage
of an opportune moment to give brief
line on the changing situation on the
European battle fronts. However
tiercely events may have been moving
in the theater Of war, they have been
moving slowly. 1t has been SIN
months since the Germans opened
their attacks on Verdun and While
the slaughter on both sides has been
enormous, Verdun has not been taken
and what is more, it is not likely to
be taken. Paris has settled down TO
the conviction that no danger is to be
apprehended from that point, but
Germany has given no indication OF
any intention of abandoning the cap
ture of the prize for which there has
already been an unmeasured Of hu-
man life. Te situation there is just
what if was when President Wilson
referred to it as a dead-locked con-
dition in his Charlotte speech last
May. The great offensive movement
of the Allies began four weeks ago,
and it began with a rush that gave
indications of a precipitate drive OF
the Germans from the shelter OF their
trenches and dug-outs by artillery
fire and hen to rush" the uncover
ed enemy. The difficulty in the way
of the successful carrying out OF this
plan may be best appreciated through
a little understanding Of the sltua-
ton of the army assaulted. After
the first series of bombardments and
clearance Of the trenches, the Allies
found that
The enemy's dug-outs went
down 80 feet into the chalk and
more. Sometimes trapdoors open
ed into cellars deeper sill, Buat
with most remarkable solidity,
and equipped as if for permanent
habitation, these caves were for
the most part shell-proof. They
were stored with bombs and gre
nades and 'bristled with machine
guns. The latter were in the hands
of picked men sworn to fight to
the death.
The artillery fire on these trenches
and dutouts is said to have been more
terrific than the seyerest fire by the
Germans against Verdun, but the dug
outs were not destroyed. It was from
the German machine gun men man
ming the openings from these holes
that the assaulting columns sustain
ed their heaviest losses. Wen the AL
lies clambered from their own tren.
ches and crawled toward the German
defenses-in all cases but a few feet
pway-the German machineguhners
came up from the recesses of theil
caves, aimed their weapons over the
parapets and swept the attacking
ranks with murderous streams o.
lead. 1t is said of the Germans who
had been left behind to do this deadly
work that they were game to the last
In nearly every case they died the
death, but never surrendered: IL il
that has made the advance of the Bri
tish and French so slow and that may
make the situation there resolve it
self into one similar to that at Yer
dun. If that should come to pass
it is possible for the war to be pro.
longed into another year. The bring
ing OF the war to an earlier conclu.
sion would then depend upon the
operations of Russia on the eastern
front. Russia is closing in on Aus.
tria rapidly, relentlessly. The Russian
drive may break Austria even before
the Allies shall have succeeded in
forcing the Germans from their de,
fenses in the west and it may be that
the glory of brining the war to an END
The faster the Russian sweep, the
sooner vii the war be over The east.
ern front of the Allies is now acting
in the nature of the neither milestone
upon which the Russians, operating
as the upper, may in the end crush
the German Empire.