Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-25
Commander Urges Men on
With Slogan in Great
Final Offensive.
10000 ARE PRISONERS
Berlin Tells of Vast Forces
of Foe Added to Those
Already Held.

Berlin, FeD. 20, (v1a London,
3:22 p. m.)-The German war Of
flee announced today the capture
Of all French positions in the reg.
lon north Of Verdun as far as the
Ridge of LOudemont, Just south
Of Beaumont.
The number of prisoners has
been increased by more than 1000
to over 10000.
Capture of the fortified villages
and farms of Champaneuville, Co.
tellate, Marm0nt, Beaumont, Ornes
and Chambrettes was announced.
Paris, Feb. Fisherman troops TAX
ing part in the operations before Ver-
dun were given to understand that
this was to be the last and the great
offensive against France, according to
statements made by prisoners reported
in the Paris newspapers this morning.
The following phrase is quoted from
an order published by General Won
Deimling on the eve of the Verdun
battle:
"In the course of the last offensive
against France I hope that the 18th
army corps will distinguish itself as
1t has done in the past"
General Berthold Karl Adolf Won
Deimling is commander of the 18th
German army corps, with Headquarters
at Strassburg.
Kaiser Directs Movement.
The Petit Parisien's correspondent
at the front says that the great Ger
man offensive against Verdun is under
the personal direction of Emperor
William, who arrived at general head
quarters on Saturday last and who, in
order that nothing go wrong, immed-
lately ordered that a sort of dress re-
hearsal of the coming attack be held.
At given signal, the correspondent
says, every infantryman and gunner
took the post assigned to him in ad-
vance and the motions Of general at
tack were gone through behind the
lines. The emperor seemingly was
satisfied and gave the order to begin
the offensive on Sunday night
The French losses are declared to
be insignificant in comparison with
those of the Germans. The German
artillery preparation, which reached
its height on Tuesday, was of unpar-
alleled violence. Every inch of ground
was searched out, every point where
it was thought gun might exist was
Uttered with shells but the French in
fantry was SO well sheltered under
ground and the French guns were so
well hidden that, when the German
batteries grew silent and the German
infantry advanced to the attack,
Frenchmen sprang up from the holes
in the ground and opened deadly fire
with machine guns, while shells from
the 75-millimetre guns flew overhead
and moved down wave after wave Of
the Germans as they plodded doggedly
over the snow covered ground, urged
on from behind, the correspondent
hand
French Claim Fighting Lighter.
The fighting north of Verdun is d.
in violence, the war Office
announced today. No attack by the
Germans was attempted last night.
The official statement admits that
the French have fallen back to the
rear Of Beaumont. The text Of the
statement follows:
ITO the east Of Vaquois we have
launched fresh attacks on the enemy's
works in the region of the forest of
Cheppy. Intermittent artillery activ-
ity has been carried on between Ma
lancourt and the left bank of the
Meuse. In the district north of YER
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