Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-03-08
Teutons Abandon Frontal NHacks for Vast Encir-
 cling Movement.
rRESNES AND HILL
 265 NEW CAPTURES
French Holding Bethincourt, Goose Hill and Positions in WOOds-Kais- or Fears French Offensive
 Against Alsace.
Iondon, March 7.-The great Ger

London, MafCl l.-luc great Ief- man drive against Verdun is shift ing to the west, apparently. Infantry attacks between Bethincourt and the Mouse are increasing, and the Ger mans have made some gains there today.
 With the aid of gas, and under cov- CT of heavy bombardment, they ad- vanced to the outskirts of Regneville, m the Mouse, one mile southeast of Forges, and four miles northwest of Verdun.
 In a tremendous attack by 10000 men. they carried Hill No. 265, an essential unit in the French defen- sive ring.
 Later, they exhibited themselves in the COrbeaux woods, southeast of Cote de L'Oie (Goose hill) three miles aouth of Forges, which the Germans captured yesterday. This marks a great gain during the "A hours. The German guns are now battering at Cote de LOie.
 Take Fresnes by Storm.
 Activity continues unabated on the eastern end of the line, where the Germans took by storm the village of Fresnes, in the Woevre district, early this morning.
 In Champagne, the Germans are again driving against the Rheims Verdun railway, and advances have been made against the French posi- ton Maisons de Champagne. This is part of the general scheme to throw ring of troops around Verdun and completely cut off the fortress with its army.
 A report comes from Geneva that the Austrian troops are moving into France to reinforce the Germans.
 A dispatch from Melbourne states that Minister of Defense Pearce has announced that an Australian brigade is fighting at Verdun. Plan Attack on BelfOrt. Suspicion is growing here that when the Germans find themselves unable to make further progress against verdun. a diversion wifi be made against Belfort, the great French fortress, 125 miles to the southeast, close to the frontier of . Alsace, and almost due west from ' Muelhausen.
 Color is given to this surmise by reports received from the Swiss bor- der that numerous reconnoitering flights of German a'eroplanes over Belfort territory have been observed. These flights invariably precede an attack. The French aviation s4uad- 5 ron frequently cut short the German incursions, compelling their retreat. The inhabitants of Belfort witnessed a thrilling aerial fight over the city, which ended disastrously to the Ger mans.
 According to German reports, the kaiser fears big French offensiVe against Alsace.
 Abandon Frontal Attack. The frontal attack of the Germans against Verdun by way of Douaunont appears to have been abandoned ln favor of the vast encircling move ment.
 That the French war office is deep ' concerned over the drive at the french left wing, is indicated by It's wing utterance to this official as- fulance, that Bethincourt still re- nalns in it's hands, as well as a great q portion of Corbeaux woods, the Nmieres woods and Cote de LOIS. These positions are. bearing the brunt Of the German attack. Cote de Lois, against which a terrific rain of artillery fire is being poured, is the bulwark of the new Trench line on this sector.
 A dispatch to Le Matin. in Paris nlegraphed here, states that Gener- ' Castelnau has been cooperating Mth General Petain in directing - e5Nnization of the defense of Verdun. ueneral Castelnau has been acting m sle capacity of chief of staff.