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Show BERLIN CLAIMS FORT VAUX IS NO LONGER NEEDED BFRTJN, Nov. bv wireless to the1 Associated Press, vfa Say vilie. Fort Vaux, at Verdun, was evacuated on the night of November 1-2 !n accordance with, prearranged plans, according to the German Ger-man military leaders, who indicated that they considered the sacrifices involved in its retention out of proportion to its value in the present German strategic scheme. The Associated Press representative was informed on the evening of November Novem-ber 1, from German headquarters, of the impending evacuation and the retirement of the German lines to positions better adapted to defense, and at the same time was given an explanation of the withdrawal. with-drawal. Forts Douaumont and Vaux. it was explained, ex-plained, formed such a material element in the defense of Verdun, as long as they remained' with unimpaired armament In French hands, that they nan to be put out of action In order to cripple the fortress, and once this was accomplished the ruins of the forts, with the armaments arma-ments removed, possessed no such importance im-portance to the Germans and served chiefly as targets for the French artillery. Now that Fort Douaumont has passed again into French possession. Fort Vaux no longer, in the opinion of the German leaders, justified the heavy sacrifices to retain the ground about the fort, which is ill-adapted to defense against attacks from the south and west. Fort Vaux was therefore abandoned, the German lines retiring to positions less exposed to the Are of the artillery. |