Evening journal., 1918-02-20
iprdun Defies Kaiser Today
AS She DID Two Years Ago

WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES AT
vERDUN Feb. 20.-Two years ago to-
day. Germany began its great assault
on Nerdun, which, by striking death
blow to France. was to shatter the en-
tire Allied cause, and at the same time
by the military genius displayed in the
stroke, establish for all time to come
the prestige OF the Crown Prince and
the durability OF the House Of Hohen-
zollern.
To-day, Verdun. while still maintain
ing invincibly the proud position which
the Kaiser himself assigned to Il as
ssThe Greatest Fortress of Modern
Times" has become something more to
the Allies, something In which the
moral and the spiritual elements enter
more profoundly and more significantly
than does its mere military Importance.
Nerdun. which saved France-and by
saving France, the entire Allied cause
has become TO the Allied nations yeri-
table shrine-a shrine 10 which they
pay homage collectively and individu-
ally and with the same deep. devout
sthanks and emotions that homage is
rendered by the individual to the per-
son or the Divine Providence who has
saved his life.
It was Frances heroic, nine month
resistance at Nerdun that not only shat
tered the flower OF the entire German
army. but that permitted the other Al
lied naions to perfect their armies and
military organization TO a point that
would enable them 20 enter the arena
with a far chance against the military
colossus that Germany had been per-
fecting for forty years previous
This supreme, historical, epocal fact
Is now recognized and admitted by all
The Allied nations and during the past
year. each and every one OF them has
sought public occasion for giving ex-
preston 10 their thanks
In precisely the same manner that
the individual almost since the begin
ming Of humanity has laid his votivc
offering OF thanks at the feet Of the
Deity or at the shrine Of the Saint that
has intervened in his behalf, all Of the
Allied nations have now deposed on the
shrine Of Verdun votive offerings In the
form Of the highest decorations and
medals for military valor which they
have the power TO confer.
France herself paid the FIRST tribute
10 Verdun by conferring on it in con-
formity with her time honored custom
and tradition. the cross Of the Legion
OF Honor to which was also added the
Croix de Guerre.
Immediately thereafter the various Al
lied nations followed the suite with the
most distinguished decorations they
had to oaer, and In the Citadel at Yer
dun. on a velvet cushion there are now
pinned, in addition 10 the Legion of
Honor and Croix de Guerre the Russian
GROSS of the Order OF Saint George: the
English Military Cross; the italian
gold medal for Military Nalor; the
Belgian cross Of the order OF Leopold;
the Serbtem gold medal for military
bravery; On Montehengrian's historic
Obilitoh Gold Medal and finally the
plaque, collar and grand Gordon OF the
Portuguese order Of the Tower and the
Sword, the highest decorations and the
highest rank Of the order which the
President OF Portugal had in his power
to confer. And finally, above the Jew
eled and decorated cushion there now
hangs a glistening gold sword conferred
on Nerdun by the Mlkado Of Japan.
But these votiVe offerings deposed on
the shrine OF Nerdun by grateful allied
nations constitutes only part Of the
homage that has been rendered. In the
same humanity-old custom In which the
grateful Individual has made long per
sonal pilgrimages 10 the shrine Of his
patron saint or his accepted city. the
allied rulers, during the past year, have
made pilgrimages TO the shrine OF Vei-
dun in order to give even more strlk-
Ing testimony Of their thanks. The cir
cumstances under which some Of these
visits were made were exceedingly I'm
pressive and striking.
King Albert, OF Belgium, who. when
the Hun invasion swept over all but the
last few square miles of his kingdom.
vowed he would never set foot outside
this last remnant Of BELGIUM until all
had been redeemed, made an exception
to this vow In order that he might pay
personal tribute at the shrine OF Yer
dun. Then on a hill summit just out
side the city itself he calmly and ma
iestically pinned the various Belgian
decorations for military valor on the
breasts OF the individual defenders OF
Verdun. while at every moment
throughout the ceremony German air
planes fought overhead in an effort
TO pass the barrier OF French shells and