SPECIAL " STOCK ARMY "

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 23 May 1916, Page 6

SPECIAL " STOCK ARMY "

• HOW GERMANY PREPARED FOR VERDUN. The "Journal do Jura," .which has on several occasions published occlusive war --news .of considerable importance (says a Central 'News . message from Zurich), states that as early as September last year at a German Council of War in a ■little town in the Ardennes, it,was de- ■ cidcd to form, a "shock army,". specially selected and trained, with which to forestall the offensive, which, it was agreed, the Allies would be sure to attempt before the summer of 1916. Each army on. the front furnished a special corps, the best trained and most robust troops being selected, the only, : exceptions, being the Sixth Army, stationed in Artois, and the First Army, near Soissons. For special reasons (probably the intention to take the offensive in. these sectors also) these two armies were not depleted'like the others. At tho end of September and the be- ; Sinning of October the Seventh Ctirps' of Reserves: was retired from the'army of Seneral vonyHeeringen, on the Aisne; the Eighteenth. Corps was detached from the army of General von Bulor.-, on the Bomme; the Fifteenth Corps from tho army of the Prince of Wurtemberg, in the region of Ypres; and a division of Bavarian Ehrsatz was taken from tho lines between the Meuse and the Moselle. !• . It is a. tradition in the GermanKrmy that ,in all great enterprises the Third Corps of Brandenburg shall pi a/ a conupiouous part. This corps had been terribly cut up on the Yser, early in tho war, and ogain in tho Champagne ono" of its divisions suffered very heavy losses. In October, after the French offensive in tho Champagne, this famouo corps was removed in its entirety from the front and completely reconstituted. 'At the 6ame time the big gun and am • munition factories in Germany and Austria were set to work day and t« pile -up huge quantities of material.

Acoording_to the Germans plans, tho jreat offensive was not to be launched until April unless the preparations of tho Allies should prove to be mor« forward ihan. had bten anticipated? The jottraey of J[. Briand to Italy decided tho aerman General Staff, despite the bad veathor, to launch the attack before the \ sad of-February. This decision was ar-' SAved at during .a Council of War held *n January. ' . Verdun was not the' sole objective' in the German plan, continues the "Journal do Jura." Another attack, not less irii|wriant, was to have been delivered if \ erdun was "rushed" successfully. But the resistance of the garrison of Verdun and the coolness of th« French commanders spoiled tho German plan completely. The attack in another . quarter was not delivered, and it' is most probable it never will be, tho Germans being now engaged in a life and death struggle, not only to take Verdun, but. to redeem'their credit in the eyes of neutrals—and o/ their own' people, which is an important point when every bulletin announcing a, success, however slight, may • mean so inajiy marks subscribed to the new War Loan.: