Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-09-23
REVIEW OF THE WAR /
BY the Associate Editor Of tho
Army and Navy Journal.

New York, Sept. 1.-THE retreat Of
the army Of Crown Prince Frederick
William from Its attacks on the
French forts south of Verdun seems
to be an indication of the failure OF
the German campaign.
1t can be but little doubted that
this army was the one intended BY
the kaiser to deliver the telling blow
on the French line. Even after the al.
sault on the general!lines Of the French
had failed. this army was held fast to
it's attacks on Yerdun 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 nth army was attacking
the forts from the southwest the sixth
army under Prince R%upprecht OF Ba.
varia 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 a stronger resistance.
Starting from Consendoye on the
Mouse river ten miles north of Yer.
dun, their line runs west through
Varennes, on the Aires river, and
then west by north through Craonne,
fifteen miles northwest OF Rheims to
. point west Of 5Laon. Their right
flank istprolonged by detachments ex.
tending as far as Peronne, apparently
made. up; o fsthe troops withdrawn from
garrison duty in Belgium and the cap
tured French towns.
The extent OF Sthis German retire.
ment} can hardly be appreciated with
out looking ct q map. on. September.
s the: German line had pushed for.
ward to the south side Of the depart:
ment of Marine. on : line running up;
proximatelyss 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 forty
miles to Z line following the north.
ern boundary OF this department.
One-half Of the French territory
overrun by the invasion has now been
cleared Of German forces. +
See Strategy IN Move.
The general retirement of the Ger.
mar left wing indicates that they are
conserving these forces BY falling
back on their fortified line. From
Thionville south to Metz and then
southeast toward Strassburg the Ger
mans have,a line OF barrier forts SINH.
lar to those constructed by the French
from Verdun to Belfort. BY falling
back to this line they can gain for
their left wing the supporting power
Of this fortified district. An increased
effort can then be safely made to
strengthen the right wing by divert
ing the re-enforcements of reserves to
this end Of the line. s h
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 a 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 Mouse river.
The great victory of General Won
Hindenburg is the lake region of East
Prussia, claimed in reports from Der
lin, II substantiated will necessarily
delay the Russian advance against Pc
sen until his army is dislodged. The
very success Of the cars army may
lead to its undoing, as in the case Of
the German invasion of France. He
has pushed forward until his army
occupies a great salient, extending
forty miles beyond the general lines.