Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-02-27

LOnuOn, reD. Z6.-Tno FTenCn war
Office in its latest Official statement
describes the fight around Fort Doua.
mont. one of the outlying forts Of
Verdun, as desperate, but makes no
actual admission of the capture OF
the fort by the Germans as claimed in
the official communication issued at
Berlin. DIVA ,se
The fort. says the French state-
ment, Is an advance element Of the
old defense organization of the old
Verdun fortress, and goes on to say
that the positions captured Saturday
morning by the Germans, after sew
eral futile assaults, were reached
again by French troops, who advanc.
ed beyond that point and have re.
tanned their ground.
The position referred to is not
clearly defined. 1# fts. s-.
Late dispatches from Paris say that
utmost confidence is felt there In the
ability of the French troops to with.
stand the German assault, and i'm
some quarters continuation Of the
battle centering around Verdun for
the next two weeks is looked for. u,
Despite the somewhat contradictory
reports, Verdun, the greatest Y OF
French fOrtresses and widely COnsid-
cred virtually impregnable, is, trem-
bling under attacks OF unprecedeuted
violence. Under the eyes OF, their en-.
peror, whose presence at the front sis
officially announced, the German In.
fantry has advanced to the charge
on both sides of the salient wherein
lies, Verdun ~ ~ u Z ri, 5.ss8ses 81 75
n Artillery eIasts Way.
The crown princes army, engsRed
in the terrific battles, have had their
way blasted out for them, according
to correspondents near the scene. by
what is, said to be the greatest con-
centration of artillery fire, in which
the monstrous guns~of the Germans
and Austrians brought from the Serbi-
an fronts have played an important
part.
Notwithstanding the concentration
OF attention on the great struggle on
the western front. events OF consid-
cradle interest, while not comparable
in importance to those around Yer.
dun, are happening in other war the.
aters .-. ..ga.,s.-.,
Russians Make Headway.
From Persia comes the Russian an.
nouncement that the important city
of Kermanshah has been taken by
storm by Russia's forces. Recent
Petrograd advices have indicated an
expectation that the southern move.
ment of this Russian army might
eventually link it up with the British
operations in neighboring Mesopota-
mia. The advance to ,Kermanshah
places the RussiOn column within $50
miles of Kut!El-Amara, on the Tigris.
near which British force is at pres.
ent stalled on its march to the relief
OF General Townsend's beleaguered
army at Kut.
italians Suffer Losses.
In Albania, the Austrians are evi.
dently having things their own way.
particularly as far south as Durazzo.
An official statement issued in Rome
admits the evacuation of Durazzo by
the Italians, who recently were re.
ported to have been defeated on the
outskirts of the city by the Austri.
ans.
The capture of 295 officers, l2,75S
men, and 1928 guns, in the operations
about Erzerum was announced in the
Official Russian statement tonight.
The pursuit Of the Turkish armies
continues, and the Russians have oc-
cupied the village of Aschkala, 50
miles west of Erzerum, on the road
to Trebizond.
kuropatakin In Command.
Petrograd, Feb. 26.-Geheral Alexef
Kuropatakin has been appointed COM
mander.in-chief of the Russian armies
on the northern front which have
been repelling the attempts Of the
Germans to capture Riga. rt ;al