The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-12-28
REVIEWING EVENTS OF LAST
YEAR IN EUROPE FRANCE

warfare. it revealed also to the more
expert eyes of the military critics of
Europe something equally important.
and that is the present military geni-
us of France. Almost without excep-
ton competent military critics and
authorities in Europe are unanimous
in Declaring the French offensive at
yerdun one Of the most remarkable
military operations in the worlds his
tory.
The offensive as planned included
the taking of over a half dozen post
tons. such as Haudromont Quarries.
Thiaumont and Douamount. every one
Of which the Germans had been weeks
and months in capturing. and every
one of which would ordinarily be con
sidered an objective in itself for a
great offensive movement The in
ending of all these objectives in a
single movement and the attainment
of them in six hours of fighting is con-
ceded by European military critics to
have only been possible by the attain
meat of degree of coordination be
tween infantry. artillery and aerial
service never before attained and by
the development of a degree of ge-
uQfs on the part Of the French com
u6nders which shows France con-
cl1afsely at the highest point of the
nnit4ry power she has developed In
~ present var.
tsf the morale OF The men who ac-
complished this great achievement l
can speak personally. A few days
after the reoccupation of vaux I Wis
tied the troops in their front line
trenches before the fort. They had
been there for days under terrific
bombardment. suffering hardships
that it seemed inconceivable that hu-
existence that seemed to make the
lot OF their comrades whose dead bod
les lay. wind and rain beaten. in the
adjacent shell holes. one to be de
sired and preferred a thousand times
over. And yet these men were gay:
gay with the consciousness OF men
xho have done their duty. and gay
with the consciousness that they had
attained for France superiority over
The enemy for which every one OF
hem was willing to uie that it might
'e eternally maintained.
Almost at the same moment of this
great victory of Frances military
strength and Frances military morale
at Verdun came the announcement on
Oct 90 that the French nation as a
whole was standing behind its fight
ing ranks in a manner equally as
firm. and evidenced by its subscrip-
tion of nearly $4,000. .0O0. goo TO a new
var loan. destined to enable the army
to continue to victorious end.
When. following the war of 1870.
Germany imposed an unprecedented
the sole object of which was admitted
" that of crushing France economic
ally and financially. the entire world
stood amazed at the manner in which
France. in less than year borrowed
this amount from her people and paid
of the debt.
Yet in the present instance, after
two years OF warfare. after subscrib-
ing in an amazing manner to preced-
ing loans, the French people. not in
, year. but in three weeks only. sub
scribed a new war loan of over two
billion dollars, or over twice the
amount of the indemnity imposed on
France in 1870.
Like the military victory Mt Yer
dun. the real significance of this I'm
ancial and economic victory can only
he appreciated by viewing II in con-
nection with other things.
With the beginning of the present
war. for instance. the French people
were invited to turn into the Bank
II France their boards of gold. ac.
epting in its place ordinary bank
notes. This gold. they were told. was
needed in order to permit France TO
maintain her credit abroad.
Since the issuance Of this invita-
ton this gold has poured into the
Bank OF France al steady. undi-
minished average OF $1,000. 900 week.
Yet despite all that had bssn turned