The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-04
DESPERATE FIGHTING is IMMI.
NENT.

Canadians served notice today that
they mean to celebrate the anniver
sary In the shadow Of the ruins of
Lens. They frightened their grin
around the battered CITY still further
pushing ahead another mile on {
front Of four miles.
On the other hand, the German
crown prince made II clear that he
mas by no means given up his effort
TO redeem himself for his failure at
Verdun. 1t was the battle Of the
somme. coupled with Brusiloffs great
drive, that forced the Teuton throne
heir year ago to stop the greatest
drive Of the war at q moment when
the prize seemed within his grasp.
A new drive against the big French
fortress is on. The bitterness and fury
accumulated in 12. months of constant
sparring with the British "niegers" is
being thrown into this new effort
Verdun Is an obsession not only with
the crown prince, but with all Ger
mans. Troops hurled into battle there
fight with fanatic death defiance, die
with a smile on lips that murmur
"Verdun." happy in the belief that
another inch toward the fortress has
been gained by their valor. y.
troops, veterans who were in the thick
OF the Douaimont and Vaux storms
a year ago last February; others who
served under Falkenhayn in the
Transylvanian passes and still 9TH
ers who were with Mackensen at the
Dunajec. "the kaiser's best" leaped
across their parapets into a cyclone of
fire.
A field gray mass one and three
quarters Of a mile long stormed on
through the hail of hot metal to the
west Of Dead Man hill that gruesomc
height on and around which hundreds
OF thousands of Teutons and Hencf
men have died.
over the whole length Of the front
attacked" Paris frankly conceded to
day. the crown princes troops sue
ceeded In penetrating the Frencl
line" But they were almost ami
hhated' In doing SO. and when Petains
men had rallied and began to hit bac'
the invading mass had surged back
at most OF the vital points pierced
Only on the slipes west of Dead Man
hill did they hold their gains COM
pletely. Eighty prisoners were taken
by the French, They belonged to four
different regiments. N
A fierce battle also took place neor
the other sruesome height, Hill sO4. 1t
is between this height and Dead Man
Hill that the crown prince is trying
to wedge himself through toward ver-
dun's eastern fortn. Two days ago the
Germans In what then seemed more
like local surprise attack had made
some gains west Of Hill 3O4. The
French came back yesterday and
snatched most of these gains back ut
the point Of the bayonet. The German
big guns are playing their fire stead
lily upon the French lines all the way
from Avoncourt to Mort Homme The
crown princes strategic aim here is to
break through to the Verdun- Paris
railway.
Meanwhile the crown prince also
pushed his new offensive below Laon.
There. too, the French suffered n re-
verse. according to official admission
from Paris. With the use of liuid
flames the Germans gained q foothold
In a salient northwest Of Cerny. This
salient was, however. Completely lev
eled by the bombardment." the French
report says.
Berlin today reported the capture of
500 meters Of French positions on me
~S"'Sih Siopc VI ItiIi oVf ana OF sever
al French lines near Cerny, south of
IaBOvelle farm.
Sir Douglas Haig's report toda,'
placed emphasis on the slight casual
ties suffered in the advance on Lens.
while the Germans sustained consid.
erable losses.
Positions Of strength rs we'll as OF
tactical and strategic importance ero
ours" says the statement.
The German war office today fatty
stated that attacks are expected ON
the eastern front. The Russian can
nonading Is on the same front which
Brussiloff attacked with such vigor n
year ago last month-the wnole line
southeast Of Lcmberg.
Rome admitted today the enforced