New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-22
Verdun-The Eplogue

tary situation, In the consequences VI 'i0
contemporary recession of the German
tide. A few days and weeks ago villages
and hills forever memorable as the scene
Of the great British offensive at Ypres
we're redeemed. Messines, Wytschaete'
HODGE, the Polygon Woods, long section
Of the Menin Road-these were the gains
If the August offensive of the British, and
then in turn St Julien, Langemarck and
Bixschoote, lost in the infamous gas at
tack of the Germans in April, 1915, were
recaptured. At the same time we saw
tbs Canadians scaling Hill 70, won and
lost in the tragic offensive of Septem-
Der, 1915.
And now it is to Verdun that the world
turns again. And with new French at
tack we see reappearing Dead Mans Hill,
Crows Wood and, on the eastern bank of
the Meuse, those hills down which the Ger
mans streamed on February % and %,
1916, in the first phase Of the great at
tack upon Verdun. Everywhere, from the
Alps TO the sea, the tide has turned, and
one by one places seized by German arms
in the food of attack are being yielded
I'D to the Allied advance.
1t would be a mistake to attach great
military importance to this latest of the
Verdun operations. 1t Is not to be COM
pared with that frx attack, when the
French retook the offensive, in October,
1916. and won Douaumont at single
thrust. It is not to be compared with that
later operation in December that carried
Petain's victorious troops to Louvemont,
Vacherauville and Bezonvaux. These two
operations were to save Verdun and give
its defenders "air" and elbow room, for
when the German advance came to halt
in August last year German trenches had
reached the ditch Of Souville and the ap-
proaches to Tavannes. A little more press
ure then, and Verdun must have fallen,
but the pressure did not come, for Ger
man resources were taxed to the utter
most at the Somme.
This later attack is of a wholly different
character. II is one more of those quick,
swift blows designed to disorganize Ger
man troops, infict heavy losses and OBJ
tain vantage points of local Importance
valuable enough to tempt the Germans
into costly counter attacks and consequent
heavy casualties.
It is essential to put out of the mind any
thought that the operations now going on
are of the size necessary to pierce the Ger
man line. So far as one can see there has
been a definite remuneration on the part of
the Allies Of any effort to do this during
the present year. This remuneration is
due to the fact that the Russian collapse
has provided Germany with sufficient re-
serves to man the line this year. Concen-
tration, terrific artillery attack, alternat-
ing blows-now at Ypres, now at Lens,
now near St. Quentin, now along the
Chemin des Danes, and at last on the
heights of the Mouse above Verdun. This
is the Allied strategy as it unfolds itself;
constant demonstration Of the immediate
lrro1 e,,norfort4v, - L. II
most daily revelation of the decline in the
morale of the German army.
1t seems probable that British pressure
in Flanders tempted the Germans to with
draw reserves from Verdun, temporarily
become quiet sector, and after the de-
parture Of the reserves the French dashed
out in a blow which carried them within
a mile or two Of the extreme front held
when the Crown Prince began what was
20 be the final blow at the heart of France
and the triumphal procession TO that cita-
del Of Verdun - 10 that fortress town
where Europe was partitioned to the ever
lasting grief Of the German.
With the recapture Of Dead Mans Hill
on the west bank of the river the mind re-
yerts 10 that last desperate struggle of
March, 1915. The Germans had gotten
south on the east bank, had taken Douau-
mont town and fort, approached Vaux, but
all their lines were swept by the Ranking
= FIRE Of the French across the river on Dead
Mans Hill. Therefore the. Germans be-
gan an attack on the left bank Of the