er can but notice that in every campaign of the war, when further
success of the German armies meant victory, it was as if an unseen Power
decreed "thus far and no further." It was so at Verdun. The French
soldier, calmly going to death, chanting "They shall not pass," did not
die in vain.

THE BATTLE ITSELF.

The French were taken somewhat by surprise as they had not expected such
an early attack or that its fury would break at Verdun. Of course it was
known that a great force was being assembled, but no one dreamed of the
enormous concentration of guns of all kinds that were made. They
literally cumbered the ground and the shells assembled were in keeping.
The German generals were so confident of success that foreign
correspondents were invited to be present to witness the resistless
onslaught. The evening before the attack began there was a banquet at
the German headquarters, the Kaiser and all his notable generals (but
not Von Hindenburg) were present. The toast was "After four days,
Verdun; then Paris." They estimated that it would take possibly three
weeks to accomplish their ends. Evidently among the uninvited and unseen
guests were Defeat and Death.

The attack that commenced the next day lasted with but slight
interruptions until October. It is interesting to remark that more shot
and shell were used in this battle than the total used during the four
years of the Civil War in America on both sides. Verdun itself was
reduced to ruins. Considerable portions of the fortified area to the
north of Verdun were captured, including the important forts Douamont
and Vaux, but the entire attack failed. The minor successes achieved
were won with an appalling loss of life and were easily retaken by the
French later in the fall. Verdun was renamed by the German soldiers as
"The Grave," and such it truly was to the hopes of victory and peace
that inspired the toast at the Verdun banquet.

CONQUEST OF ROUMANIA.

Roumania is one of the Balkan States. Her entry into the second Balkan
war in 1913 was one of the decisive factors against Bulgaria. After the
entry of Bulgaria into the World War in 1915 the pressure became very
strong on Roumania by Russia to come into the war on the side of the
Allies. The summer of 1916 Russia had reorganized her forces, and the
war in the west was going against Germany at Verdun and along the Somme.
This was deemed an opportune time for Roumania to enter the war and so,
with no principle