The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-07-31

ing the third anniversary of the war
the French at Verdun had held out
against the Germans perfected meth
DDS of siege warfare, such as they
might have employed at Paris, but
for the battle of the Marine. The first
of August 1916 marked the passing
there of Germany greatest effort and
the gradual retaking by the French of
the offensive For the first four
months Of the third year Of the war
the Germans were slowly driven back
from the points where they had near
est attained Verdun, and then in two
astoun ding assaults, one on November
!. Oath and the other on December 18th,
Gin which not only the genius Of the
+ democratic military commanders of
> France but the glory Of her demo-
cratic atmies as well, reached their
highest expression of the entire war,
sthe French completely liberated their
fortresses. It was the first liberation Of
its kind in the world g history. The
Forts Of Douacumont and Vaux were
retaken, the Germans thrown back
pretty much on the positions from
which they had begun their siege, and
the ten month s effort Of the Imperial
Crown Prince reduced to the useless
sacrifice of 100000 men.
! In the meantime on the Somme,
France had accepted another great
battle in another great form Of war
: fare-the warfare of trenches, selected
| and imposed by the Germans at the
moment chat the French lack Of NUM-
lions rendered it Impossible to COM
|'p1ete the. victory Of the Marine.
The battle Of the Somme had al
ready been in progress for a month
when the third year Of the war be-
gan. It was continued for another
three months, on down till the first Of
December, when the advent of winter
forced a temporary suspension till
spring In this form Of warfare which
| the Germans boosted with imperial
istic arrogance to have perfected to
such degree that their lines of
| trenches and barbed wire were alb
solutely invincib1e, the democratic
armies Of France not only demonstrate
ed that the lines were vulnerable but
that their defense could only be main
tanned at a cost of life and material
that in the end would mean defeat.
The full fruits of the victory Of the
Somme were only harvested this
spring. The necessity Of suspendin z
the operations for the winter gave
when another month Of favorable
weather might we'll have forced a re-
ti:ement.
Preparations were Immediately be-
gun by the French for the resumption
Of the Battle of the Somme this
spring on vastly extended front.
Facing irrepairable losses and certain
defeat in this event, linden burg
chose to avoid the danger by his re-
treat Of February and March, aband
oning the trench warfare which the
Germans themselves had previouly
chosen, and seeking to impose on the
French the open, strategic warfare OF
maAe0uver. Just as the French haG
accepted the warfare Of siege impos
ed at Verdun and the warfare OF
trenches imposed on the Somme, they
accepted likewise this new form oil
warfare-with the exception Of one
point.
Instead Of accepting battle befor.
the Hindenburg line on the GROUND
prechosen zy the imperial German
strategists, the generals of Franc,
: with the superior strategy inspired il
men who are fighting for the demo
cratic ideals Of their own land, forcet
the Germans to accept battle on tn,
: ground prechosen by them-on tn
Aisne and in Champagne. That battl
still continues, with an ever increas
ing ascendancy on the part Of tn
: French that agives the utmost hop
. precipitating a definite German re
. treat
!" These three efforts Of imperial Ger
:, :, many during the past year to demon
strate the superiority of imperia
forces, imperial ideals, and imperia
- institutions over those Of democracie
has cost her over 100000 men. TIL
} losses at Verdun from the moment tn
French took the offensive there wit
= the opening of the third year of tn
" war and on down to the final victor
= of December Is, are authoritativel
. placed at 100000 The losses sustain
= ed during the five month battle Q
the Somme aggregated over 100000
The battles of the Aisne and Cham
:, payne have already consumed owe
9 100000. The total indeed is far owe