The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-31
GERMANS DRAW NEARER VERDVN
FRANCE

PARIS, May s1.-Frenoh troops
wore compelled 10 e~acuate a first
line trenoh south Of catrettos woods
and to retire south Of Cunleres VII
iaeo In the direction Of tho Chatear.
court station, under most violent Ger.
man attaoIee, tho war office announo.
ed today. BY q counter attaok last
night tho Frenoh regalned tho lost
ground south Of CumIeres.
Throughout yesterday the most vio-
lent battle yet fought In tho north
western front Of Verdun continued
without cessation. Tho struggle grew
moro furious toward nightfaII and was
continuing early today. Between the
Meuse and Dead Mans Hill, tho Ger
mans launched attack after attack on
two and one-haIf milo front. Ger
man divisions charged forward In
powerful strokes against French
works east Of Dead Mans hill and
against tho positions still held by tho
French In the southern part Of Cumi-
eres.
These attacks for the most part
were completely reputsed, tho French
time and again beating back German
assaults until the front was Literally
covered with dead and wounded.
Tho Germans meanwhile, treated
the French positions to 4 terrific ar
tlIiery flre. A nrst line trench south
Of Caurettes woods was completely
ieveHed by tho German fire and was
Of necessity abandoned.
South Of cumIerss village, the Cor
man attack became 90 Violent that
tho French reInqulshed their hold on
the works xest Of the Mouse and fell
back along the railway leading to
Chattancourt station, half mile east
of Chattancourt village. The fighting
continued along the railway through
out the afternoon. In the evening a
brilliant counter attack drove the Ger
mans back to their former positions
near tho village. Ono German detach.
mont which had managed to reach
the Meuse was completely annthllated
by French fire.
In upper Aisace the Germans, fol
lowing Intense artillery preparation
captured q few elements Of trenches
east Of sefors. They were immedi.
ateIy driven out by counter attack.
THE HUNDREDTH DAY.
[By Horny Wood, United Press Statf
Correspondent
PARIS, May 31.-The hundredth
day Of the worlds greatest battle at
verdln found tho crown prince rush.
Ing into action fresh Ieaions amid the
roar Of hundreds Of great guns west
Of the Meuse.
Tire new German offensive, Initiated
Sunday, Is tho final supreme assault.
designed to pierce the French lines,
all French military critics agreed to-
day. The volume and violence of tho
artillery fire, together with tho fire.
quency and intensity Of the infantry
eciIpses anything seen on
any battlefield In the worlds history.
The Germans are hurrying into
action against verdun every man the
kaiser can spare. The kaiser himself
ls reported to be returning to the
Verdun front to witness the final as-
oauIt- For the past seventy-two hours
military trains have been unloading
fresh divisions from the Russian
front before verdun. One of these
new divisions was hurled into action
northwest Of Verdun In Monday
nights fighting, suffering terrible los
ses.
There are Widespread runors that
large Austrian force is enroute to the
western front, either to take over
portion Of the German line, or to par
ticipate directly in the fighting at
Verdtrn.
From Swiss sources came the re-
port that the aged Emperor Franz
Josef asked that Austrian troops be
allowed 10 share tn the grand assault
On the French fortress.
IN some quarters It Is believed the
Austrian offensive against tho ltal-
ans was delivered to conceal the
shifting Of large Austrian forces to
the western front. Before the end OF
the week, it 10 believed here the
crown prince will be hanrmerinS
AGAINST the French lines with force
numbering nearly one million men.
Faced with these reports, the