New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-04
Paris Admits Evacua-
tion of Position Near
BethinCOurt.
GUNS BLAST WAY
FORT BOURRUS
Kaiser Again Hurting His
Troops Against Fortress
in Dense Masses.
fRr Oh. % Ths Trihuns. ]

London, April 3.-As a result OF
violent French counter attacks last
night and to-day. the situation at
verdun is improved. though still
serious. The Germans have been
driven from the western part of the
village of Vaux, as well as from
practically the whole Of the Call
cite Wood.
Thus the front door of the fort
ress, which the Crown Prince had
partially battered open last week,
is again closed and bolted.
West Of the Meuse, however, the
French position is more critical.
Paris admits the evacuation Of the
line on the Forges Brook between
Haucourt and Bethincourt. Thus
the Germans are given control of
the last section of the Bethincourt-
Malancourt highway. and the for
mer village, if II has not already
been abandoned, must soon be.
Already Esnes and Fort Bois
Bourrus, the first permanent fortifi-
cation west Of the river. are report
ed under German fire. With their
communications thus freed, the Ger
mans are not likely TO be long in
launching the assault.
German Drive Speeded Up.
The speed and lie sustained inten-
,iiy Of the present offensive are al
ready being commented on by observ-
ers. who see a change in German tao
tics. For more than week the battle
has been continuous about the fortress
without any Of the lulls or pauses that
marked the earlier stages of the strug-
gle. An assault no sooner stops IN
ore place than another is launched
elsewhere. There has been return
also 70 the msssed charges, as in the
first phase, and disregard Of life out
o. all proportion 20 the objective. II
i,u though the whole schedule Of the
Germans had been speeded up, which
observers believe may be the case.
II Berlin is 70 reap any return from
,he moral effect OF the fortress's capt
ure-which is thought TO have played a
large part in the councils Of the Cen
srsl s,as-i, must be achieved quickly
before Rurnsnia joins the Allies or
before the spring offensive opens.
Notwithstanding that the situation
v.s. Of the Meuse is still critical, OBJ
servers are more sanguine Of General
Petain's defence. The strength OF the
French counter attacks has inspired
fresh confidence. From the STEADY
grinding gain Of the Germans last
week IL vas feared that the morale OF
the French had been shaken, or ina,
their artillery had again been over
powered By the fre-h German batter
les. known 20 have been recently
brought up. With the same initiative
shozn west Of the Meuse as was shown
a. Vaux, 8. il believed that the fortress
sill no longer be in serious peril.
Paris Recounts Gain.
Recounting to-day's gain, the Paris
War Office said:
East q The Meuse our counter at
tseks developed success. In the course
o. The day NC drove back the enemy as
FAR a. the northern outskirts Of the
Csiilet'e wood and 20 the north OF the
fsuz pond. A last counter attack, par
tieglsriy spirited. enabled us 20 re-
oeegpy the wes, part 0, the village OF
Fsgx, which ne had evacuated.
In The Woevre there was intense ar
tillery activity In the Moulainville sec
Tor
West % n. Meuse the Germans
Svnched yesterday at the end OF the
osy vigorous attack. between Hau-
.Dsft and beihincOurt, against our POSI-
ii>ns On the north bank Of the Forges
bfoox, which We had evacuated, with
ois~ing 70 the south bank IN the night
d March Sl-Aprii J.. without the enemy
pfeeeiyinZ II. Surprised By violent
IRE directed from our new positions
snd Ranking fire from Bethincourt'
We enemy forces suffered heavy losses
WITHOUT having been able 10 fight.
To-day the bombsrdment WAS quite
violent In the region Of Bois Bourrus,
tst there Was no infantry action.
Ayoc0urt Wood IL SbeIled.
Between goissons and Rheims we
tsuisd out concentrated fires against
,hs German organization north Of the
Butte Wood and Mount Sspigrneul
In the Argonns our batteries vo-