The Mena weekly star., 1916-06-01

One officer reported seeing seven ty thousand dead soldiers heaped up on a front of seven hundred yards.
 Berlin, May 25.-The giant Ger man nut-cracker is closing in on Verdun in the bloodiest fighting in history. The right jaw of the nut cracker, extended along three-miIe front, has been engaged in the last 72 hours in a desperate struggle northwest of Cortres. The French have evacuated their entire posi- tion on Dead Mans hill, northwest of Verdun, after sacrificing more than a whole army corps to hold it.
 Hill 30i is now held jointly by the French and Germans.
 Further slight advances by the Germans on the ravines on either side of the hill will force it's sur- render to the right wing of the Ger man army that occupied Cumieres Sunday night.
 The west jaw of the crown princes army has been bent inward slightly. several positions on the west line having been captured. It is estimated that 30,000 men died in the fighting in the dark un- derground trenches, and in the ruins of Fort Douaumont in the last 72 hours, all of which time the battle has been raging without change in positions.
 It was authoritatively denied this afternoon that the French had re- occupied the ruins of Fort Douau- mont In the most desperate fight ing the French did re-capture a re- doubt near the fort, but the at tackers were completely wiped out. There has been no chance to res cue the thousands of dead and wounded on the west front. The fight has not waned since Sunday night.
 On the west bank of the Mouse the French are being driven back. The capture of Cumieres opens the way for German drive down the Mouse The German center which drove the French from Dead Mans hill, has not yet occupied the aban- doned trenches. because of the arr tillery fire from the French.
 French Advance Claimed.
 Paris, May 25.-The French ad- vanced last night along the west bank of the Mouse near Cumieres, in hand grenade fighting, the war office this afternoon announced. The Germans were repulsed in a strong attack on the trenches north of Agramount Though violent ar tillery duels continued throughout the night. no important infantry en- counters were reported.
 England Not Ready For Peace. London. May 25.-"The first steps toward peace will have to be taken when Germany realizes that the al- lies are unbeatable, declared Sir Edward Grey British foreign secre- tary last night in an impromptu speech in the commons in reply tO the suggestion of Arthur Posonby member for Stirling, Scotland. that England employ the press of Amer ] ica as a medium for the discussion Of peace with the central powers Posonby attacked the government for allowing diplomatic etiquette to stand in the way of possible peace negotiations. Sir Edward set aside all idea that peace negotiations were possible at the present stage and plainly reiterated that the position Of the allies was in no way changed Sir Edward declared it impossible to consider terms of peace without a previous agreement between the entente allies Further he ex- pressed a decided opinion that hos tilities had not yet reached a stage where it was possible to talk peace especially as the German public was constantly being fed on lies by their ministers.