New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-13
WHAT OF VERDUN'

- ~. now analyze the events OF io,o III
ord around Paris we find that there Is ~
cause of encouragement with inc A"''
Verdun. which event is not propaoie' ,..L
In 1s-o Paris was invested about tne ION
Is carteuher barely six weeks after the hrs'
battle of that war. The investing s.n.ieS'
do command of the Royal Prince OF SaN-
o,y and the Crown Prince Of Prussia inc
Ists Fmneror and father OF the present MAJ
sor com,rised a total Of 10000 men, Win
COO cannon. occupying an area OF ABOUT wv
kilometres. and protected by trenches oarrI-
cades. blockhouses, barb wire and deiehs"e''
fortified villages. -,
To oppose the invading army PARIS hau
altogether 10000 regular troops use au-
visedlv the words regular troops, as ,he ae
u,ere also at that time in Paris over ioo,VoV
;rrepulars, called the Garde Natlonaie' ou'
whose equipment and military training "e'e
more than deficient. These men, some u
whom did their duty bravely, were uhoiso
Mined and more resembled an armed ",oo
than a military body organized for defensive
rurposes. They were petty politicians. As
. matter Of fact. they constituted later what
was known as the Commune. and contributed
enc OF the saddest pages to French history
by participating in that dreadful civil war
while the victorious Prussians, at the very
doors of Paris, looked on and reJoiced at 'ne
killing of Frenchmen by Frenchmen. Ihere-
fore properly speaking. there were not over
rs. 900 men TO defend Psris-men with mill
tary training be il understood. Part OF these
were the remnants of General Vinoy's army
who escaped the German clutches at Seudh
and who took refuge in Paris.
Now. please consider that those men, de-
noralzed by successive defeats. wthstood
for four long months the combined attacks OF
10000 German soldiers. well equipped well
fed and intoxicated By repeated victories, and
only surrendered when starvation and famine
gripped Paris. You may draw your own con-
illusions and ask yourself il. under the pres
ent circumst ances, there is any cause for DIS
couragement. It may incidentally be added
that thousand. OF babies died in Paris for
lack Of milk which the invaders prevented
from reaching the capital, notwithstanding
the efforts OF the French government, who
humbled themselves repeatedly by petitioning
German headquarters, but without success
Those GermsnAmericans who complain to-
day about England's refusal to allow provi-
sions 20 reach Germany will please remember
the plight of the Partisan civil population in
1870, instead Of confnng their anger in a
"Gott strafe England" which. to say the
least, in view of the above, sounds idiotic.
Bear in mind also that to-day's war is on
the part Of France n war for right, for justice
and not. as in 1870, war for the maintenance
of the Napoleonic clique and imperial throne
Bear further in mind. please, that the France
of to-day is one great united family, with an
army well equipped with cannon and smmu-
milton galore, ready TO sacrifice her last man
to oppose the war of conquest waged By the
Mad Mullsh
No one knows that better than the Kaiser
and his General staff. and no one is more
convinced OF the utter failure of his plans
than he is. Hence his mad attempts against