Though the history of the past week is that the
French have held their line, the German attacks have been maintained, or rather ranewed, with no little violence. It is still, however, uncer- tain whether this renewal of the fighting, which had temporarily died down at the end of last week, is really a second battle of Verdun, or only a tremendous show of force to cover preparations for attack in a new quarter. There were rumours in the early part of the week that the Germans were pouring troops into Eastern Alsace, that the Crown Prince had moved his head- quarters to lirdhausen, and that a new and even more desperate effort was to be made to break through at the gap of &Hort, in the extreme right-hand corner of the French line. Them rumours, however, have not as yet materialized in action. If they should do so, our guess of last week may prove true- i.e., that the Germans will violate Swiss territory in a frenzied effort to break the French lino. In any case, it is evident that the Swiss mean to be ready for all events. Swiss troops are reported to be massing around Basle.
