Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-26
THINKS ALLIES WILL BENEFIT.

". r.
THINKS ALLIES WILL BENEFIT.
British Press Believes Germany 10
Gripping Herself at verdun.
London, Feb, 26-The only word
concerning the German claim to taking
the armored fortress of Douaumont.
outside of Verdun. come thru German
sources. Further information is
awaited anxiously owing to the
strategic Importance Of this fort,
which is the base~of solid field works
on line Of hills l,o0O feet high, about
six miles northeast of Verdun.
The latest detailed information
showed the French holding two and
a half miles beyond Douaumont, with:
this powerful fortress and it's field
works giving steady support.
The Pail Mall Gazette says the
French are sustaining an assault
equaling in intensity the hottest en-
gagements Of the. entire war.
The Westminster Gazette expresses
condolences that the main fortress is
impregnable. It says the principal re-
suit OF the German attack will be great
losses. which win cripple the Ger
mans in later operations.
The German army Is known to have
brought UP hundreds OF fifteen Inch
and seventeen inch Austrian nortars,
with all the heavy artillery used in the
Serbian campaign and part of that fO--
merly employed on the Russian front
for the bombardment OF Verdun.
@ Germans Les. $4,000 Men? e
The losses on bot sides have been
terrific Estimates given by an official
source in Paris places the casualties
suffered by the Germans as high as
Isl, 900.
The Germans, nassed on an eight
mile front, are attempting to drive for.
ward under the concentrated fire o. at
least three French forts, and thousands
ofgield guns and rapid frers.
Berlin does not estimate the number
of fallen The official report says:
The sanguinary losses of the enemy
were extraordinary while our losses
were normal"
Opens Way to Paris.
The Importance Of the great battles
now raging, as viewed by the Germans.
Berlin:
C1Nuh- - llOG lS5s-liS Sl1OuS9GSI
French fortress but it offers direct com
munication with Paris and has been a
thorn in the flesh OF the Germans for
eighteen months Military observers
consider that it is now likely that Yer
dun soon will be menaced on all sides.
The German line of communication
north of Verdun has been greatly i'm
proved"
If the French are finally forced to
abandon Verdun, the salient held by
the Germans at st. Mihiel. will serve
the purpose for which 1t has been held
since early in the wer. From there
terrible flank attacks can be directed
against the retiring troops.
British Admit Grave Peril.
British officials do not attempt to
minimize the peril to the allied cause
which the fall Of Verdun would bring.
Mai. Gen. Sir Francis Lloyd, general
officer commanding the eg.London dis
trict, in aspeech q today at the opening
of a military building at Wimbledon,
said: 4
DO you realize that fight is now
going on for a passage to Paris? The
result will hang in the balance until
the Teuton is driven back. as have
great confidence he will be:
'fBut If once our allies line is pierced
the way will be open to the French
capital, and IL chat capital is reached
a new complexion would be put on the
whole face OF the war and on our lives
and being. A German success on the
French front not merely mean the loss
of Paris but would endanger London"
GeneraI T.JoydS admiuistered a re.