Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-30
FIGHT ALONG AISNE
PROBABLY GREATEST
IN HISTORY OF WARS
Expert Declares Passage of
River by Frontal Attacks
Would Be Most Notable
Military Feat.

LONDON, Sept. 30.
In an interesting article in The London
Daily Express, Lieutenant Colonel
Alsager Pollock, of the British army,
gives a minute description of the theatre
OF the worlds greatest battle on the
banks Of the Aisne. 1t is only necessary
to possess reasonable intelligence and
a fairly large map of the country
through which the Aisne flows in order
to understand how 1t Is that the Allied
army, after successfully effecting n
crossing, has not only been prevented
from prosecuting it's advance beyond the
river, but mas even been temporarily
driven back to the left bank, at some
points, by counter-attacks, and thus COM
PEELED to brave again and again the perls
of forcing the passage.
Colonel Pollock describes the Aisne as
q very sluggish river. Frim NilleneuVe
one mile east of Scissors, to Lamotte
eight miles east of Compiegne dis
tance of nearly seventeen miles. the fall
is only twenty-one feet. The flats be-
tween the hills forming the valley are
seldom less than one mile in breadth,
and the hills themselves rise thence,
rather abruptly as a rule, to heights of
from 300 to $50 feet above the river. The
configuration of the hills is very in
dented. so that on either side, but more
especially on the right bank, the guns
and also the vinemen of a force dis
putting the passage can readily be dis
posed so as to be perfectly sheltered
from artillery fire from the opposite
bank. while at the same time command
ing long reaches of the valley both up
and down the stream.
RANGE FINDING DIFFICULT.
According to Colonel Pollock. climatic
conditions render the finding of an ac-
curate range for heavy guns almost i'm
possible. In the clear atmosphere of
South Africa where he served during
the Boer War, the fire of artillery at 5000
yards, or even more, could be quite use
fully observed, particularly when the sun
shone on the target, but 1t is not so
on the banks of the Aisne, and this fact
is one of much disadvantage to the AL
lies. Here, then, we have an eNplana-
tion sufficient in itself to account for
the difficulty experienced by the British
and French troops in making good their
hold on the right bank of the Atsne, in
spite OF all the valOr displayed by them
IN successfully effecting the crossing of
the river.
lock, will suffice to make clear the whole
matter in this connection. Let us as
sumo an attempt to cross at Vic-sur-
Asne, among, of course, number of
other points simultaneously attacked
one mile south of Montois is an artil-
lery position three miles long and hav-
Ing command Of roughly, 800 feet over
the level OF the river. The hills on the
opposite bank have in no case a COM
mand within GO feet as great In other
words, the artillery positions at the dis
posal OF the attackers enjoy a command
OF not less than 60 feet over any pos
sessed by the defenders"
A POINT OF VANTAGE.
But according to Colonel POLLOCK. on
the left bank of the d'HoXion. q tributary
stream which falls into the Aisne at
Vicsum-Aisne, a convenient spur Juts out
westward, from behind which AN open
held of fire extends for about 5000 yards
along the right bank of the Aisne, and
guns there posted would be uuiteI safe
against anything but chance shells from
ho"ltzers, which might conceivably drop
On thelr lurking plaCe-assuminE this to
nave been indicated by ayiaturs There
is no commanding position whatever
from which direct fire could be brought
10 Dear on guns placed behind the spur
In question.
The point that Colonel Pollock makes
IN TINS connection Is that while the actual
passage nj the Aisne by Well-trained and
Nalofous troops woLld involve in many
places no insurmouutuble difficulty, the
supporting artillery eflcctually prevent
ing the enemy from offering serious re-
slstanee, the conditions become very dif-
heull from the moment when the attack
efs begin to mount the slopes beyond the
river IN face of artillery machine guns.
ana rifles securely placed where II Is i'm
possible TO reach them from the opposite
pank Fortunately, he adds. the difilculty
eohIrontiog a flank attack directly over
the Alsne Is far less and In his opinion
sueh attack can be successfully made.
MAY MAKE HISTORIC RECORD.
Meanwhile" Colonel Pollock says IN
conclusion. there is also another factor
OF the problem which has most certainly