The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1916. THE FIGHT FOR VERDUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1916. THE FIGHT FOR VERDUN.

Although there is very little alteration in the position of affairs at Verdun it is evident the fighting is of unprecedented intensity. The French have now entered upon a series of active attacks instead of merely defending their positions and conserving their forces, and breaking ihe enemy's furious assaults. The area west of the Meuse is now the scene of most terrible carnage, the Germans sparing neither men nor munitions. It will be seen from this morning's cable that the general situation, from a French point of view, is experts being of opinion that the Germans are now up against the French entrenchments, while the Germans, who are forced to hold the abandoned weaker positions, must be losing at least ten thousand daily. Some idea may be gained of the ferocity of the fighting at Verdun, which is described as being no longer a battle, but a butchery. It is estimated that at least four hundred German cannon, in two hours, flung eighty thousand shells upon an area of two miles between Douaumont and Vaux. Then the Germans launched seven Prussian regiments, below Fovt Vaux, in close formation with the inevitable result—they were simply massacred. "There were moments," says M. Reinach, "when the sight of this butchery was nauseating." Ail artillery officer states: "I dream at night of ghastly crumpled heaps of shattered grey-green bodies. Germany's wives and mothers must curse the Kaiser in their prayers." The German author; ities, however, are doing tjieir utmost to prevent the wives and mothers, as well as the rest of the nation, from hearing the extent of the toll on life, but in spite of all their precautions the losses are becoming known, and the news is depressing the population. The High Commissioner's report indicates that the French counter-attack on the Bothm-court-Chattancoui't road restored to them entirely an important communication trench which the enemy had penetrated. East of the Meuse the Germans redoubled their efforts and ruined the village of Vaux by shell fire, and though lliey took some houses on the. east side of the church they completely failed to obtain a footing on the west side. It is evident that the French counter-attacks are being delivered \jjth creditable vigor and success. The main objective of the Germans appears for the time being to be the capture of the railway over the Meuse and the vantage points along the heights to the south. It seems unlikely that the Germans will lie allowed to further penetrate the French defences, and a decided assault by the French may be expected. According to German reports several gains are claimed, but a semi-official statement has been published in Paris exposing seriatim the flagrant official German lies, which have been multiplying since the Verdun offensive failed. There' is no doubt that the Germans are. making formidable onslaughts upon the French wall, and that frightful carnage has decimated their forces. Apparently they are staking their all on this veritable heiacomb, and thousands of lives lost is all they have for their madness. At Crows' Wood, which the Germans claim to have captured, the French assort they have increased their advantage, and other enemy claims are similarly nullified. That Germany it coming to the end of her resources in men is demonstrated by the calling up of the last class—those employed in Government works. Serious riots have occurred at Cologne, and it may be that Germany's internal troubles are likely to be a serious factor in shortening the war. Portugal's entry into the arensi against Germany is not a matter of great moment, though she may be able to render useful aid to the Allies. It is the moral effect of such a move that will have the greatest influence for it indicates that Germany's power is regarded as in its last throes, but her capacity for harm is as yet a long way from being a negligible quantity.