The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-29

flows through German territory, having the
Bavarian Palstinate, a small part of Hesse,
and q large part of tho Prussian Rhine prov
ipce, upon its western bank.
The ~afluents of the Rhine, whose banks
will soon resound with the din of battle, are
The Moselle and the Maize. The Moselle
rises on the western TANKS of the Vesges
mountains, flows through the hilly region of
northeastern France, then separates Luxem-
burg from Flaeia, and at last traverses a very
t~ortuous and deeply cut valley. 1t receives
the Sarre, or Saar, which, rising in France,
flows through southwestern Prussia. The
Maize rises in Prussia, and flow into the
Rhine at Bingen. Its tributary, the Clan,
flows through a valley which opens into the
valley Of the Saar.
We may safely assume that the first battle
of the war will be fought near the north
eastern boundary of France, some where be-
tween the valley Of the Rhine and the valley
of the Moselle. The Prussian forces are
massed on the north, the French on the south
of this line. Each army has in its rear a
series of strongly fortified places, with which
several lines Of railway maintain an easy and
rapid communication.
The country between the Rhine and the
Moselle consists oftwo belts of billy p~lateaus,
which are separated by the valley of the
upper Saar. the Clan, and the lower Nahe
mentioned above. TIL eastern belt includes
the Haardt and the northern continuation of
the Vosges mountains. It is covered with
dense forests and intersected in an irregular
manner by numerous gorges and valleys,
which would seriously impede military opera
tons. A railroad crosses it on German soil,
connecting Mannheim and Speyer on the
Rhine, by way of KaiserlauteTD, with Saar-
bruck on the Saar. Another railroad crosses
on French soil from Strasboufg to Sarre-
bourg.
m .-zAa~a LII on1,1ae n1n-oEa1 -.I-aa
and broken table lands, aud, although easier
of access than the eastern, would make the
march of an invading force extremely diff
cult and fatiguing. A railroad from Bingen
follows the valley of the Maize, and leads to
Saarbruck on the Sasr, and thence to Metz
On the Moselle.
It is most likely that the operations at the
opening of the campaign will be conducted
through the two valleys above described.
The broken ground enclosing them will
afford excellent positions for defense and
offense. The country is such as to give
ample opportunity TO tie commanders to
carry out brilliant manduyres; and i remains
TO be seen which of the two parties will ex-
hibit the greater talent, promptness, and
CELEBRITY.
France has along her northwestern frontier
o series of secondary iortresses, which are not
very important, except as points Of support
in o position occupied by the army. Such
are Lauterbourg and Weissenbourg, east of
the Vosges mountains, and Thionyille, on
the Moselle. Further inland are two fortified
places of the first rank, Strasburg on the
Rhine, and Metz on the Moselle, neither Of
of which would be passed by an invading
army without absorbing at least a corps Of
observation.
The only Prussian fortress near the from
tier is Saarlouis on the Saar, which mate
rally aids in the defense of this valley. On
the Rhine there are several fortresses Of the
first rank, two of which are at present con-
sidered by good authorities impregnable-
Metz, opposite the mouth of the Main river,
and Ehrenbreitstein, opposite the mouth of
the Moselle, near the city of Coblentz.
The plans of operations are OF course
known only to the commanders and their
staff officers, and all speculations regarding
them are futile. Prominent officers of both
armies have for years past studied the ground
and its advantages for attack or defense. The
strategical design adopted by either side has
been carefully matured, and it is not likely
that grave errors will be committed. General
Won Moltke, of the Prussian army, proved his
skill in the brilliant campaign of 1866.
Whether the French possess an officer of
equal genius is doubtful. Their recent cam
paigns in the Crimea and Northern Italy did
not show a stratesist of great resources.
The operations will be of extreme interest,
not only from the magnitude of the armies,
but still more from the intellectual forces
arrayed against each other.
"DRAPERY MISSES"
From the ~ Y. Times.
A French journalist, NJ. Bertrand, has dis.
covered a new trade, which he says is carried
on in London. 1t is the delight of many
Parjsians to detect fresh and heinous sins in
the British capital, which, through the pens
of its writer's, has SO long Haunted ~virtuous
indignation before the eyes of naughty Paris
The gay denizen of the Boulevards regards
london much as the people of other Ameri-
can cities regard Boston-that is to say, as q
''whited sepulchre, whose misdeeds are rea
if net fragrant, and whose crank corruption
mining all within infects unseen" M. Der
trand's new trade is an illustration of this
concealed turpitude, and his account of il
must have been quite a delicious morsel fol
his current literary repast. 1t consists, Al
he explains, in carefully selecting handsome
girls of low station, and, after making
strict bargain with them, adroitly teaching
them to play the part of young ladies'. Phe,
are washed, dressed in the fashion, given
few lessons In department end speech, an(
then judiciously exhibited in Rotten Row
the Geological Gardens, the opera, and othe
fashionable resorts, until they ~''attract tn,
attention and gain the heart and ultimatel,
the hand of some rich man." The enterpris
ing operator is a matrimonial agent. Afte
him, of course, comes the deluge. 'Littl
by little" says the delighted NJ. Bertrand
appear, until ct last the husband discover
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