The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-30
Tho War In Frnnce-The New Novcmeu
Of tho Crown Prince.


Of tho Crown Prince.
The news from the seat of war is Of rather
startling Importance this morning. II is said
that the French guns on the new earthworks
sailles unteDable, but we will not place too
much stress upon that until it is more fully
verified. The important points Of the situa-
ton are comprised in the sudden northward
movement Of a heavy German force under
command of the Crown Prince and the Duke
Of Saxony to reinforce Manteuffel in his
operations against Havre and Faidherbe's
army, and the steady advance Of the French
Army Of the Rh6ne, reinforced probably and
aided certainly by Bourbaki, up the valley of
the Sa0ne to Dion and Gray.
The movement of the Crown Prince to the
aid of Manteuffel can only be for the purpose
of making short work Of the Army of the
North, in order to return the troops as soon as
possible to the necessary work Of guarding the
long line Of railway now seriously threatened,
or else to take Havre by heavy
attack upon it and secure the immense supplies
stored there for the use Of the army. II the
Paris and Strasbourg Railroad is actually held
by the French forces, these supplies will serve
to maintain the investing army for period
long enough probably to admit of successful
operations for the dislodgment of the enemy.
If Faidherbe's army, which has evidently
offered an unexpectedly stubborn resistance,
ha hrnIy OF nd fha
German forces in the north can be whirled
h- rail to the front Of the advancing
Franchmen n Ia.------. ---,.,a ra,,;a +ro,s
fer Of troops was a favorite movement
of the old Napoleon, before railroads were in
use, when he marched tho troops on foot. from
one part of field to another; but in our war
it was practised by Lee on at least one occa-
sion, when Longstreets corps, after striking
the enemy in Virginia, was transferred by
rail to Chattanooga in time to reinforce the
dispirited troops Of Bragg in one of the battles
about the famous East Tennessee stronghold.
In the meantime the Army Of the Rh0ne has
occupied Dion and Gray, and the German
forces are said to be rapidly retreating
before them. 1t is still long distance
from the line of the Strasbourg Railway,
but the French army engaged in the expedition
is probably far superior to General Won
Werder's command in numbers, and most
likely will soon be reinforced by Bourbaki and
his corps. They can, indeed, afford to move
Ileisurely. General Faidherbe need only pur-
sue the Fabian policy and avoid the decisive
battle that The Germans are evidently anxious
to bring on. The movement against
King Williams communications is the
best plan now open for the relief
Of Paris, since the failure of all direct
attacks upon the line of investment. Lees
movement into Maryland, although it threat
ened no indispensable line of communication
between the Army Of the Potomac and its
base of supplies, compelled the withdrawal of
that entire army from the front of Richmond
merely by threatening its rear The present
movement is therefore more serious than that
of Lee, for it threatens the frail thread upon
which the life Of King Williams army is sus-
pended.