Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-03-24
|F|RE.T0HBE
USED Y'FRENCH
VIII Utilize Similar Effec-
tive Weapons of Ger
man Invaders
WORSE THAN BAYONET
Teutons Making Desperate Drives at
yerdun POsitions-Berlin Says AL
lies Are in Danger

London. March 24-German troops
have resumed heavy attacks against
the French front northwest of Yer
dun. according to Paris dispatches
today.
Following a "a hour lull, the Ger
man batteries turned a terrltlc hre
on the French positions south of Ma
lancourt and around Dead Man Hill E.
French guns roared in reply all day
Yesterday. 1t is believed in Paris
that the decisive battle on this sector
has begun.
By battering through the French
lines in Avocourt wood, the crown
prince bent the French front in the
shape of dangerous loop. The neck
of this loop is less than four miles
wide.
German artillery posted on the
ridge near Dead Man Hill, on the
northeast side, is sweeping the four
miles of wooded plain with a heavy
fire.
On the southwestern side, BavarIan
regiments are striving to cut through
tbc Intervening four miles. cutting
off French forces holding Bethincourt
and Malancourt.
Dispatches from Berlin declare that
the French are in an extremely pre-
carious position.
Paris, March 24.--Liqpid fire has
beca the n1cans By which she Germans
gained the portions of trenches men,
toned in recent official communica-
tions, says the Journal des Debates,
and the military committee of the
Chamber of Deputies is inqulring in
to methods for the protection OF
the French troops against such fire
attacks and the use of a similar wca-
pom in reprisal.
Zone can easily understand" says
the newspaper, "the superiority OF
this terrible arm over the bayonet.
Even though it may expose the man
who carries it to the danger of death
in case fragment of shell should
strike it, on the other hand, it gives
to the attack the power and cruelty
to which our communications are
bearing witness
The newspaper adds that France
has every means at her disposal for
paying the Germans in their own
coin, and, therefore, should employ
them.
The following statement was Is
sued by the War Office last night:
ITO the north of the Aisne we dl-
rectcd destructive fires on the Ger
man works on the plateau Of Vau-
clero.
an the Argonne we carried out
numerous concentrations of our fire
pn the enemy organizations, the
roads and the railways of the east.
ern Argonne and on the Malancourt
Wood.
"To the west of the Meuse the
bombardment persisted in the region
of Malacourt and against our front
of Bcthincourt, Lee Mort Homme ano
Cumieres.
"To the east of the Meuse and ir
the Woevre the artillery action de-
veloped certain intensity. There
was no infantry action during the
course of the day.
an the Vosges we bombarded tho
enemy cantonments in the environ:
of Muhlbach."
Berlin, March "a Attempts il
| other countries to interpret the vari
Gus causes in the German operations
/ at Vcrdun as Indicative of the waning
of the offensive or the exhaustion o
| German troops denote failure to com
prehend German strategy, according
! to the tenor of discussion in militar!
,;,.olos bara Officers saw these pause!
are only part of the general schema
of operations, and are designed t.
prepare for the successive stages O
the forward movement.
The method has been to make pre-
paration for every attack SO thor
oughly as to guarantee success VIII
! minimum losses. German commander