The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-23
FRENCH PEOPLE
: HAIL VERDUN AS
CERMANY'S DOOM
Believe New Successes There
Are a Deadly Blow to
Foes Morale.

Paris, Aug. 23 - Once more the
magic word s'verdun" has thrilled
the heart of Paris. Victory at Yer
dun" is the headline of every news
paper in the city, the cry on every
lip-Verdun, the city of distiny
whose name is branded on the French
soul by the six months tragedy of
fear and hope.
"a kilometer gained at Verdun,
and 1000 prisoners captured is worth
more than an advance of 20 ki1o-
meters elsewhere and the surrunder
of whole German army corps" said
a great French general last December,
"both for it's stimulating effect in
France and the corresponding depres-
sion of German morale. Rightly or
wrongly, Verdun has become a SYM
boil. the gauge of battle, the body of
Patrocius. % -.
One may judge, then, the value of
Verdun victory in this fourth Aug
ust of the war, when the '1ast quar-
ter of an hour is taking to utmost
the spirit of the fighting nations-of
France, that has bled and suffered;
of Germany, shut in by a ring of
steel, calling in vain for the peace
she outraged three years ago so wan
e~A
side, and in her ears the myriad
tread of American armies marching.
Military experts may talk of t'the
established equilibrium and 'tthe
Unreasonable German line" but Bis
marck knew better when he said it is
the uncomfortable that counts in war
the evasive moral factor that plays
havoc with generals plans and sets
at naught his calculations. The Ger
man leaders can stife the news of
American preparations, though each
| step forward we make adds force to
| the. arms of our allies; they may deny
| the British gains in Flanders, belittle
| the Italian successes, and blind their
| subjects eyes to the memory that
| even Napoleon found progress in
Russia more fatal than DEATH but a
French victory at Verdun they can
| not hide, and the day may be not far
! distant when the mysterious equilib-
rum is suddenly upset, and the i'm
pergnable German line is not pierced,
but falling before us, as fell the walls
| of Jericho.
| '"The new Battle of Verdun'--the
| phrase used in announcing the start
1 of the operations on the Meuse-em-
phasizes the fact that this is no iso-
4 lated stroke, as when Nivelle recon-
! duered the famous position the Crown
| Prince had sacrificed half a million
| lives to win, but the beginning of a
| substantial offensive, a new and ter
rible Necho of the allied thunderbolts
in Flanders. Today, when the French
and British guns have resumed their
hammering of the German line from
the sea to st. Quentin, will not the
| news of Verdun kindle to a flame of
i spirit the waiting Infantry and un-
| nerve their battered opponents, keyed
UP only by desperation to resistance
| Paris is mute in her rejoicing, as
she was mute in her agony and dis
aster. Too often her heart has been
sickened by hope deferred or d1sap-
pointed But, although flags are not
flying, and bells are not rung, one can
. trace through the press and the speech
of the people a new note of confidence
born of the knowledge that the Allies
have really started a. combined Of
fensive and thereby won successes thai
lat last have a morrow of victory.
r In the midst of his satisfaction a.
she news, high foreign office func-
tionary gave a word of warning fol
America.
Whatever happens later, even il
our hopes seem about to be realized
let nothing relax American prepare
tons. America is at once France:
certainty and Germany's despair. Tit
siackening of your efforts through any
success of ours. even the suggestion O.
. such slackening voiced in America
might turn the scale and renew the
enemy resistance should it come t.
iwaver. Today America, represents the
moral factor Of supreme Importance
IL -. - L ~ q
fects.'' i.z