The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-11-13
CAMPAIGN IN LOWER ALsAcE
HAS BEEN THE hottest OF
ANY SECTION IN WAR.
Towns Taken and Retsken by oppos
Ing Sides With Victory Finally
Resting With Germany.


! tGorrespondence TO Associated Press)
BERLIN. Oct. 27-Renewal OF Ger
man activity against the French fort
ress OF Belfort attracts attention 10
the campaign which has been waged
with varying fortune in Southern AL.
SAGE since the beginning OF hostilitieA
an independent little war perhaps
20 be compared with that in the Shen-
andoah valley during the Civil war.
This region in extreme southwest
ern Germany. usually known as the
Sundgau. which Witnessed the first
serious fghting OF the war. has chang
cd hands almost a half-dozen times
since the first capture OF MuaIhausen
and the tide OF battle probably will
continue to roll back and forth across
IL until either Belfort falls into Ger
man hands or operations are transfer.
Ted entirely 10 German soil. The ex-
PLANTATION for this is found partly an
The remoteness from the main field OF
operations but largely in the nature
OF the country, which strategically Is
highly favorable 20 the French.
Present operations from the German
size are directed TO seiEing positions
from which the heavy German siege
artillery can be directed against Che
fortihcations OF Belfort while the
French are straining every effort TO
keep these guns out OF range.
Occupied Several Times.
Places such as Muelhausen. Tars-
dorf and Althrch have been occupied
several times by the French. and the
Germans there have been able TO
maintain no permanent hold on their
own soil. principally because the
Eosgea mountains give every advan-
taEe of terrain 20 the French From
the west gentle slopes lead to the
summit OF the range. while steep es-
carpments make access difficult from
tho eastern or German side. In many
I places only by mountain valleys, the
heads n which the French easily oc-
cupy and more easily defend The
| French territory along the western
slopes of the NosEea may be- termed
q high plateau. while Alsace a. really
part ~ the Rhine valley.
between the Noares and the Swiss
I Alps is Nat plain Offering an easy
roadway into the SundFau and com
/ pletely Cnmman ded by the fortress Of
Helfort. On which the French And &C.
curifV every dime they are rolled
back from the plains OF upper Alsace
So low and nat is the sundRau that
I % has beon impossible to plan a from
"
I lions over aEainst nciforf are found
o. Istclu and New Breisach. on the
] opposite side % che valley.
The Southern Campaign.
review Of the southern campaign
from The German standpoint Flves the
T following picture Of operations. ff
. DEL generally understood that The plans
~ The French General stan Contom-
plated an Invasion Of Germany on q
. IqrEe scale hF way % The southern
. NoHgna and tln eo-Calied Cap Of
j frlforf' and although the offensive
I operations Of che Germans through
BELGIUM neccssitated the withdrawal
D OF some of che troops masses or
I which bad been concentrated behind
I Nclfort tho INVASION was started
promptly and on August 2 Wurlhausen
I vac in French hands
Tho French started af orrn 20 for
j nv fNr hills around fhe rifV A. fhn
rHmr time fhc erfIrs eundrau and
1 every valley ~ fhr NOr rrr VS. taken