Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-27
GERMANS CLIMB OVER THEIR OWN DEAD
IN ALMOST FANATICAL DRIVE TO SMASH
l. FRENCH LINES, GAIN VERDUN AND VICTORY
Many Towns and Fortified
French Positions Have
Fallen Before Rush.
CAPTURE OF FORTRESS
WOULD HIT ALLIES HARD
Whole Scheme of Defense on West
ern Front Might Have to
Be Altered.

Be Altered.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.
An emperor of a great nation speeds
hither and yon. squirting his soldiers to
a pitch of determination bordering upon
fanaticism: his son, his heir. the man
who will some day guide the destinies Of
a mighty empire. feverishly makes his
battle plans. Great guns for days and
weeks pour a constant death-dealing and
destructive rain Of steel and lead upon
the enemy in anticipation of a tremen-
dous advance. Tho enemy gets ready
Finally the signal comes. mighty host
Of more than $4,000 men sweeps for
ward with determination to do or die
and fulfill the trust placed in it by be-
loved leaders. and steps into the very
jaws Of all the deadly devices modern
warfare has wrought 1t matters not to
these men that they drop like flies under
the terrible rain of lead-the goal has not
yet been achieved. and 1t must be. Over
a twenty-fve-mile front they gain nun,
bred yards of trenches here. thousand
there. They are swept back at other
points by the determined resistance of
the foe. When they AIRY, counter-attacks
Of vicious character are hurled at them
gained vantage points. The majority OF
these are repealed. Tho already battle
enthused men again are spurred to re-
newed effort, and they respond. Their
lines are decimated, whole regiments fall
ing. But this town and that town are
wrested from the enemy. and the advanc-
ing forces push up under the very noses
their goal. and take one. Night and
day the fighting continues. The rulers
Of these struggling warriors. their lead
ers, urge them to still greater efforts and
they fight on. and on and on. The enemy
sways. but IS not broken. Long lines of
heavily loaded trains bearing mutilated
human freight wend their way back Of
]usty and battle-mad, vertically climb over
the bodies Of thousands of dead COM
rades in pursuit of that fantastical vision
floating ahead and holding out a wreath,
marked Victory"
Thus does the great battle now raging
on the western battle front proceed.
Tho Germans
Germans Battle in with their
Unprecedented Way. forces are
fighting as they have probably not
louBHt OS1OI0 81 ally pcAAoo Va saAS
present great war to shatter and break
in twain the French line of defenses
which stand between them and the
sreat fortress of Verdun.
Fearing a long-expected allied Of
fensive in the spring, the Germans
themselves have taken the initiative,
and If successful In their present VEN
ture will strike a tremendous blow to
the allies. one that will largely offset
the moral effect of the conquests OF
the Russian armies in the near east
regions. The seizure of Verdun by the
Germans would mean the loss of the
road to Rheims and other of the great
French strongholds considered vital in
by the allies along their 500-mile line.
The French undoubtedly would be
forced to retire in the Argonne. Cham
heights of the Mouse, while plans for
future operations in Alsace and Lor-
rains would be decidedly interfered with.
Verdun. it might be stated, Is the
key to future western operations. and
whether or not the Germans will be
tion Of France and a road to Paris re-
mains to be seen. Paris doubts that
the Germans with all their prepara-
Of the empire viii be able to storm
this citadel Paris is confident. in fact.
But Notwithstanding Paris optimism
the portals. events Of the past week
have Indicated that the Teutons are
prepared to go to almost any length.
yond the anticipation Of England and
France.
In reviewing the history OF the pres
emit battle II is necessary to hearken
the Germans. by their great troop
movements from the east to the west
and by their feverish activity behind
their lines, indicated that events of
rr1n Qhnnt In tx
allies believed that the chief effort
would be conferred in the regions sur
rounding Verdun. the operations of the
shs tP Pnfs
pared, but 1t would seem that they did
not fully anticipate the intensity of
the present German drive. Notwith-
blow at verdun. the Germans launched
the drst attacks of their general Of
fsnsive in the Artois near the Belgian
border and against the British south
Of the Ypres and in the Champagne
Berlin claimed the capture of 1900
yards Of French trenches near Neuville
St Vast South of the River Somme
the Germans also were able to take
more than thousand yards of
trenches. Artillery actions OF intense
character prevailed for a few days in
these particular sections, and the
French and British made several coun-
ter-attacks to regain the positions lost
to the enemy. In the main they were
unsuccessful. but the character of the
intense fighting evidently indicated to
the Germans that the allied positions
were reasonably firm at this point, and
the general positions occupied by the
French were of such strong character
that the losses involved in successful
action would DO too great Compared
with results achieved
Tho Teutons. however, evidently In
tending to cover up operations at other
points and in
Evident Attempt to tending to pre-
Cover Operations. r.nc.e,tra ana.
UheYR the