The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-05
VERDUN TOTTERS?
German Writer Predicts For
tress VIII Fall Soon.
French Resistance Is About To
Be Worn Out.

London, July 5.-The fall OF Verdun
is a matter of a few days, according
to a statement obviously government
inspired, which is printed throughout
the German press.
The author, Maj. D. Won Schneider
shefen, gives a detailed strategic de-
scription of the attack intended to
prove that the French resistance or
over four months is nearing an end.
The articles says in part:
The northeast front of the fortress
zone of Verdun was marked by three
great fortified works. 1t was protect
which was on the northeast wing of
the whole front, by the Thiaumont
Held works, which lay in the middle,
and by works on the Cote de Froide-
terre, which were the key to the
southeast wing and held the approach
to the Mouse.
French Are Cramped.
After storming Fort Douaumont
and the works of Vaux, which lay fur
Their south, an attack was made on the
works at Thiaumont, which were cap
tured by a victorious advance of the
German troops. The capture of the
enemy work itself was a great success,
which was further increased by taking
all the neighboring positions. In this
way the French here again lost a con-
siderable part of their foreground
and have to a great degree been
thrown back upon their inner girdle
of forts. They once more are being
robbed of their freedom of movement
and room for the development of their
forces, which is of the utmost impor-
lance for their counter-attacks.
In spite of all their efforts in
bringing up heavy reinforcements, the
French are not in a position to domi-
nate their front. The village of
Fleury, most of which has been
stormed by the Germans, lies directly
to the north of the Thiaumont field
works, west of the Bots de La Call
lette and the Bots de Vaux-Chapitre
and only a few kilometers north of the
Fort De Souville on high ridge
which dominates the foreground for a
considerable distance 1t is therefore
a point of great technical Importance
which is a good starting point for a
continuance of the attack on the outer
line of forts.
Lines Are Narrow.
1.-The French now possess only the
lower works on the Cote De FrOide
Terre and a strip of ground that COM
municateS between them and the lost
work of Thiaumont. These positions
have, comparatively speaking only a
small breadth of front and have,
therefore, lost, to a great extent, their
power of resistance and possibility of
d61SuSo SluCS lI16y are lIletil eNCi
exposed to a concentrated attack.
with the capture of the village of
Fluery, the foremost German line now
runs through Fleury, the Bots De
Vaux-Chapitre, the ridge of the Bots
Fumin, through the district south and
west of the fortress of Vaux. 1t runs
almost parallel to the section of the
inner line of forts that passes through
the works of SouVille and Fort De
Tavonnes, separate from it by few
kilometers.
"A characteristic feature of the
German attack before Verdun con-
sists, therefore, in the fact that now
the greater part of the outer line of
forts in this section has been stormed
and the foremost German troops have
come quite close to the inner line of
defense. Most extraordinarily favor
able conditions for the continuance of
the battle have, therefore. been Gre
ated-
Let us think with the utmost graf
itude and admiration of this brilliant
success of our brave and heroic
troops, to whom we owe this new vic
tOrV."