Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-12-15
Stronger In Artillery, in III and
in Morale Than Ever
Before.
PREPARED TO FIGHT IT OUT
We're Able In Four Hours at Verdun
to Regain Nearly All That It Cost
the Germans Five Months
and Appalling Loss OF
Life to Win.
BY Aano ooscH-FLEuRoT.

Correspondent OF the New York Worid)
Paris.--In four hours portion of
the French mobile army under General
| Niyelle has regained nearly all the
ground won by the crown prince before
] Yerdun during FIVE months of confirm
Gus attack. IL Is a great French vic
tOry-such victory as the Germans
at this stage OF the war would make
the occasion OF celebration, but here
In France II has been received almost
without demonstration.
More remarkable even than the vic
tory Is the way 1t has been accepted
by the people Of France. It has given
feeling OF satisfaction and reassur-
nnce. TO be sure, and it Is very timely.
as France has been having an hour of
nervousness over the fate of her new
ally. Roumania but. far from being
any shouting about Il. there has been
simply the ordinary interest in how II
was accomplished.
Nothing could express more plainly
how the French feel about themselves
and about the war. 1t reveals an
unconscious attitude of success that
characterises all French thought at
this stage of the war. II Is new
phase In the absorbing question of
French morale. There has certainly
been no other time during the war
when so signal victory would have
been accepted so calmly. To me. liv-
Ing here In France and watching the
state OF feeling more closely than any
thing else. It is entirely unexpected.
Went of Like Clock Work.
The whole story of this attack is,
In fact extraordinary. The time of
II was known TO a day two weeks In
advance. The preparations were made
with hardly any attempt at secrecy.
Visiting correspondents were told by
the commanding generals just what
was going to happen. Here In Paris
II has been the talk OF the boulevards.
The Germans were so well informed
OF details that they were able TO bring
up re-enforcements against the point
whenever attacks took place, and II is
TO be presumed they did their best to
like clockwork as scheduled.
IL viii be recalled that the Germans
a few months ago were able to do that |
klnd OF thing pretty much where they |
pleased. Now they are able to do IL |
only against green troops such ms Rou- |
mania brought Into the war. To go |
no further back In the history of the /
war. the Yerdun advances were them
selves heralded from time to time, and |
except for the half-dozen announce
ments made from Berlin that yerdun
itself was about TO fall they usually
made good ON their prophecies. They
were able TO do SO because they knew
what their preparations were aud that
the French had nothing TO withstand
them.
'sT'other Way Round" Now.
Now Il is cutting the other way. The
French had such preparations that
they knew the Germans could not
stand against them. And no one wants
10 be deceived by the Berlin claim
hat the French have retaken the
ground az frightful cost. IL may have
cost one-tenth what It cost the Ger
mans 20 take Il. not more. At this
stage OF the war human cost can be
igured accurately on the basis OF she'll
are and the number OF hours the at