Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-09-23
EXPERTS VIEW OF THE WAR.
Associate Editor of the Army and
Navy journal Is Pessinistic as
to Germany's Position.

The retreat of the army of Crown
Prince Frederick William from its at
tacks on the French forts south of
Verdun would seem to show failure of
the German campaign, is the opinion
of the associate editor of the Army
and Navy Journal, printed in the Chi
cago Herald
1t can be but little doubted that this
army was the one intended by the kali
ser to deliver the telling blow on the
French line Even after the assault
on theJ general lines of the French
had failed, this army was held fast
to it's attacks on Verdun in order that
by the capture of this fortress it
might clear away the obstacle to the
short supply line from Metz on the
east.
While the fifth army was attacking
the forts from the southwest the
sixth army under Prince Rupprecht of
Bavaria was attacking them from the
east. Both armies have now been
forced back; only on the north are
the German armies in contact with
the forts of Verdun.
The right wing of the Germans
seems to be steadying down and to
be offering stronger resistance. Start
ing from Consendoye on the Mouse
river ten miles north of Verdun. their
line runs west through Varennes, on
the Aire river, and then west by north
\
of Rheims, to a point west of Laon.
The extent of this German retire
ment can hardly be approached with
out looking at a map. On September
the German line had pushed for
ward to the south side of the depart
ment of Marine, on a line running ap-
proximately due east from Paris, ex-
cept for the loop held back by the
French fortress of Verdun. In the
last ten days they have been forced
back an average distance of 40 miles
to line following the northern bound
airy of this department.
One-half of the French territory
overrun by the invasion has now been
cleared of German forces.
1t does not seem probable that the
Germans will make a prolonged stand
on the line now occupied. 1t is, how
ever, hardly to be doubted that after
a stubbornly contested retreat they
will line up again for general en-
gagement as soon as they feel them
selves sufficiently reinforced to give
them the odds of advantage. 1t may
be that this second great battle of the
campaign will take place along the
Meuse river.
While the French center is being
rushed hard down the valley of the
Aire river in the effort to get between
the armies of Grand Duke Albrecht
and Crown Prince Frederick William
the French-English army on the left
flank is pushing turning movement
which is still further extended by the
French cavalry. They have occupied
Amiens and are rapidly following the
German detachments up the valley Oh
the Somme This move of the allies
is likely to result in the retreat Oh tne
Germans from their defensive posi-
tions along the Aisne river.
The great victory of General Won
Hindenburg in the lake region OF East
Prussia. claimed in reports from Ber-
lin if substantiated, will necessarily
delay the Russian advances against
Posen until his army is dislodged Inc
very success of the cars army may
lead to its undoing, as in the case OF
the German invasion of France he
has mshed forward until his army oc-
o,,n;es great Salient, extending 40
miles beyond the general lines.