Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02

their way through the French lines.
sought to pound their way foot by foot
and yard by yard. breaking down French
numbers and preventing the use OF French
electives in the great Offensive battle
which was already preparing at the
It 10 interesting. now that the French
have taken the Offensive and are regaininG
ground ut verdun. to recall the stages Of
they broke the French line on the east
bank Of the Meuse between the towns of
Bnbant. on the Meuse. and Ornes. at the
foot Of the Mouse hills; that 10. on front
Of about seven miles. The next day they
had advanced to the line Of Samogneux.
Beaumont and Besonvaux. By the 18th
OF February they were south OF Iouve-
mont: they had taken Cote de Talou, on
bend Of the Meuse, and they had captured
Douaumont fort. And here their great
advance was checked. Between the 18th
Of February and the last Of August their
advance. made by continuous pounding at
a terrible cost. took them only to the ditch
Of the Fort de Souvtlle and the edge Of
the village Of Bras. and gained them only
bank Of the river. they had forced their
way In the same time southwark over L.
Mort Homme and Hin 3o4. In six months
this advance had cost them over 5o0. 900
French and British attack at the Somme
compelled them to suspend operations
verdun was actually At its last ditch
Measure Of French Achievement.
After 4 long pause the French took
the offensive the 18th Of October and
at q single bound retook Douaumont.
vaux and all the ground which the
Germans had captured In sight Of the
intrenched camp Of verdun. save only
vacherauville and the Cote de Talou.
Early in the following December a
tho French line to the front Of
lle-BeEonvaux; that is. APP
proximately to the line held by the
Germans the 18th of February. Last
week hnai French push carried the
French on the west bank OF the river
over Hill 304 and LIE Mort Homme
northward to the FORCES brook. while
on the east Side OF the river the French
occupied the front Of Samogneaux-
Of Beaumont valley. They now hold
all the high ground OF the French
original position Mt verdun and stand
where the French had stood the 22d
Of February. the second day Of the
sives. each of them extending over no
more than two days. the French have
retaken all the ground Of military inn
portance which had occupied the Ger
have also taken more than 5000 pris-
oners and nearly 200 guns. Here. In
= very brief compass. IL the measure
of the French achievement at Verdun.
and 1t is q plain indication Of the
growing weakness of the German
The Marne and verdun remain the
two great battles of this war rs the
fourth year opens On both occasions
tho French defeated q supreme effort
on the part of the Germans to crush
French military power and thus win
the war. The proof Of German defeat
at the Marine was immediate. Eight
nen a9s.et s at vsrdS s' .ad the nai
French offensive which retook all the
ground OF importance which the Ger
mans had taken in their drive But 1t
is important to recall that In both the
and the Germans the French have been
victorious. It is equally important to
recall that it was only by the violation
of Belgian neutrality that the Germans
they now hold In France represents
fruit not of military triumph but of
treachery and dishonor. On the from
tier between France and Germany.
August. 1914. the Germans have no
where penetrated beyond the first line
Of French defenses. and both before
verdun and before Nancy they have
orable as among the bloodiest in
The" The value Of verdun today. the sig
nifcance of the recent French sue
cess. lies in the fact that it supplies
an emphatic answer to the German
claim that France was finished. French
spirit broken and France incapable
and unwilling to continue the war.
Moral values have often greater inn
portance than military successes in the
progress Of war. Petain's victory at
verdun last week may easily prove one
senting the allied case to the German
people that have yet come to life.
And in these two actions on the
Isonxo front and at Verdun we may
very justly see the answer Of the Ital-
ian and French people to the pspal
italian answer will hardly surprise
either the Austrians or Germans. That
Italy was prepared to continue the war
and would hear Of no peace that did
Trieste and the TrentIno has been fair
ly clear ever since the papal proposal
was first reported. But there is no
the fact that the Germans
believed In August Of this year. as In
February Of last year. that the French
ready to make peace. Nor is there any
the fact that the Germans
expected from France and from the
United States q totally different re-
Spouse from that which the press and
advance Of the transmission Of the
omcial response Of the two govern
ments.
French Depression Ended.
The French situation remains par
kdeulAPlVp fy,fArAaf}na. IL IN n ynsx%n,-snR