The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-03-02
ARMIES LOCKED AT DOUAUMONT
AS French RUSH AID TO VERDUN;
TERRIFIC drive BENDS JOFFRE'S Line
Position Held by Germans with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in
the Battle-ArtiIIery Fire Makes Cote du TaIou Un-
tenabIe for Either Side---Brtsh Aid French
RUSSIAN GRAND DUKE ROUTs TURKS NEAR BITLIs

London.-The great battle center
ing around Verdun, in which half a
million men are engaged, is still being
fought at some points with the same
fury as characterized it at the begin
ming ten days ago.
Utterly regardless of appalling
losses, the German legions under
personal command of the Kaiser and
Crown Prince continued to assault
the heavily fortified French positions
north and east of Verdun. After cap
turing by storm and sheer weight
of numbers Fort de Douaumont, four
miles north of Ve,dun and one of the
permanent defenses of the great
fortress itself, the Germans were
driven northward by a counter at
tack, which again placed the French
in some parts of Fort de Douaumont
as well as respossession of consider
able lost terrain beyond the fort.
To the west of fort de Douaumont
the Germans toog Champneuville and
the Cote de Talou, advancing to Nave.
To the east of the fort they stormed
the extended fortified works of Hara-
umont.
In the official statement from Ber-
lin, the German War Ofice announce
that the Germans pressing forward
to the west of DOuaumOnt reached
Nave on the southern border of the
wooded district northeast of Bras,
raking Champneuville and Cote de
Talou on the way.
Thei British line in France was ex-
tended an additional several miles
in ord Ter that General Joffre might
concentrate greater forces to meet
the German onslaught upon Verdun.
KAISER SPURS ON LEGloNs.
ndIon.-Inspired by the presence of
their Emperor and Crown Prince
Frederi elk William, the German troops
are engh ged IL one of the greatest bat
ties of HE war on the front centering
around he fortress df Verdun. Attack
has conceded attack laginst the French
line afI er bonlbardn& ents, incessant
days. \,
Three E1ndred thousand picked men
the fiowar of the German, army, des-
perately pushed their gre, 1t smash at
the French fortress, the orders being
to take the stronghold at any cost.
For miles the battle area is a sham
bles, the losses being variOusly esti.
mated at from 10000 to 10000 men
on both sides 1t is the biggest mill
tary operation since the Allied often
sive of September %, 1915,
While the Germans have not been
able, despite the rain of shells and furi
Gus onslaughts by the infantry, to
break the French line, nevertheless
the French on their right and left
wings have been compelled to with
draw their lines, respectively, to the
south of Ornes and behind the town of
Samogneux, six miles north Of the for
tress.
The Germans are now in positions
from which their guns can easily reach
the Verdun forts, and at the same time
are within easy range OF the French
fortress artillery.
The ptan with which Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg succeeded in Rus
STA is being followed by two hundred
thousand men are massed on mar
row front. Advancing in close for
nation, twelve deep They are mown
down by machine guns but others
take up the advance again, their
heavy artillery active all the time.
Germany and Austria are expected
to declare war Immediately upon Por-
tugal as the result of the seizure by
Portuguese naval authorities, in the
harbor at Lisbon, of SO German and
Austrian steamships, some of them
large vessels interned in the River
Tagus for the war The seizures
were made by Captain Leotte Rego,
by official decree. <he Portuguese
fleet then saluted the captured craft
with a naval salvo of q guns.