New-York tribune., 1916-12-26
yERDUN TROOPS
AGAINST PEACE
Believe Time Is NearWhen
They Can Even Score
with Germany
b. DEEMS TAYLOR
lR. Cahln % The Tribune.

Near the Verdun front, Dec. 20
have lust come from the foremos'
trenches at Verdun, where nave
,aIked with the men who in an increu-
ihlv short time drove the Germans from
the village of Vaucherauville a posi-
tion that had cost the Crown fr'nee
,housands of casualties and which ne
hod fortified with almost endless pains
Tho trip 20 the trenches was mace
under the guidance Of the coiohe' III
command of the regiment wnich toon
the village, and took it with suen sma"
losses that it has not even peeh ne'e'
sorr n send it back from the 'front.'
for rsst The story OF the capture OF
tbi. village is typical Of what TOOK
rlace all along the Verdun trenches OF
w. reu, tactics in trench warfare with
which TIE French forces are conhoe".
that they can now win the long delayed
victory.
The peace proposals from Germany
and America have found no response
bero The men who are doing the
fighting are confident that they have
at last solved the problem OF oustIng
the invader from France and they are
anxious to do it. They want no com
promising. no unsatisfactory peace 20
take from them the chance 20 even
their long score with Germany
The price in casualties paid BY tno
French TO gain this ground about YER
dun contrasts significantly WIN the
price the Germans originally pald.
Thanks to the wonderful effectiveness
Of their artillery the French have es-
caned with a loss of hundreds wnere
the Crown Prince squandered thou-
1--WE followed the winding course OF
trench for a hundred yards till az
length the colonel who was escortlng
us stopped and indicated a spot, where
we could step up and look over the s'ue
"Fight DAYS before the spot where
We stood had been in German hahds;
Now. when we looked out we couIu
barely distinguish the German hrst
line trenches. They were visible ohIy
as a faint dark line upon the side o.
Talou Hill.
Nearly two kilometres off, between
.he ~aliev of the Meuse river and
canal-and at foot Of hill about kilo-
metre away was the village OF Nacher-
awhile. now in French hands. IL ala
not look much like village. A ter
rible rain Of projectiles from the
French artillery had been hurled upon
IL preparatory 10 the attack.
II had been reduced TO shapeless
beans Of stone and mortar While we
Looked French and German batteries
we're pouring shells across the valley,
each side trying 20 search out the
others positions. A steady processlo ion
Of shells was whining and cracking
overhead and bursting thunderousiy at
the foot OF the hills. But none FELL
on Poivre Hill.
This fact made IL possible for Us 20
descend the hill and enter the village.
Il was ticklish business, involving
crawling on hands and knees through
nartly constructed trenches and several
Yards OF running in the open. OWING
10 the nearness OF the eGrman ines
one did rot dare 10 raise his head above
the trench.
Il was the commandant In charge az
Vacherauvile who made the journey
well worth while, for he told the story
Of the capture.
"Just % the south Of the village IS a
pond. When the signal was given on
the morning Of the attack nv battalion,
which was in the trenches before the
town. divided as il ran, half going 20
the right of the pond and half 70 the
left.
I'VE went around both sides Of the
village and met on the other side.
Another battalion charged into the
town from the front. IL vas done so
quickly that the Germans had no
chance 20 resist We took three hun
dred prisoners and battalion that
captured Poiyre Hill took two hundred
additional. The total casualties OF
ny battalion were only one hundred
mostly wounded. Nauchersuyille was
ours exactly twelve minutes after the
men had left the trenches"
Twelve minutes, And the Crown
Prince Rad been trying 20 get pas,
Vschersuvllls for ten months