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Show AWFUL SLAUGHTER III VERM RATTLE FRENCH MAINTAIN POSITIONS AND HURL BACK ATTACK AFTER ATTACK. Half Million Men Engage In Sanguinary Sanguin-ary Drive, While Both Sides Are Sending Reinforcements, Hoping Hop-ing to Turn Tide of Battle. London. In tho great battle centering cen-tering nround Verdun in which hnlf a million men nro engaged; Champnou-vllle, Champnou-vllle, to the west, nnd tho fortified works of Hnrdaumont, to tho east of Fort Donaumont havo been captured by tho Germans. Berlin also claims to havo captured tho Coto do Talou' to tho west of Donnumont, but, according to tho French official statement, tho artillery artil-lery llro coming from both sides has rendered this position untenable for either French or Germans. The French aro hurling nttack after attack upon tho Donaumont positions po-sitions held by the Germans, who arc declared to bo maintaining themselves them-selves there with difficulty, but In tho Woevro region, to the east of Verdun, the French advanced posts have been withdrawn. Largo reinforcements nro being brought up, probably by both forces, and It is reported thnt tho British lincsiaro being extended in Belgium and Franco In order that French troops may bo released for tho Verdun Ver-dun battle. Tho fighting there has settled down to a "terrific slaughter," according to advices received from tho buttle front. Approximately twenty army divisions havo been thrown Into tho battle by tho Germans, Ger-mans, while tho French troops number num-ber llfteen divisions, tho messages say. "Tho French aro now steadily driving driv-ing tho enemy pnst Donaumont, do-splto do-splto his spasmodic rallies," says a cablo messago fron! Franco received at Ottawa, Ont., by General Sir Sum Hughes, minister of militia. In view of tho fact that tho messago said nothing of regnlnlng or holding Fort Donnumont, General Hughes Is of tho opinion that tho fortification has been reduced to ruins by shollflrc. Five- determined attempts mado by French troops to recapturo from tlio Germans Fort Do Donaumont, ono of tho outlying Verdun fortifications, woro repulsed Sunday with sanguinary sanguin-ary losses, according to the Gorman headquarters staff. |