Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-09-17

garrison of Paris from its primary
duty of manning the forts. Detach-
ments from this service can well be
spared, sufficient to form an additional
corps to strengthen the allies lett
flank
Dispatches seem to have developed
a point of attack which has been little
mentioned. The fifth German army.
after making the turning movement
around Verdun, seems to have moved
southeast up the valleys of the Aire
and Aisne rivers. So great was the
pressure of its attacks that the French
line was forced back to Souilly and
the line of the Ornain river. The
days wireless report from Berlin.
Of the capture of Notifications near
Verdun refers to the operations of
this army.
In PeriIous Position.
This portion of the French line is
in dangerous position In their eff
forts to hold the fortress of Verdun
the French left a salient protruding
twenty-five miles beyond their general
line. This salient is now exposed to
attack both on east and west. A sue
cess by the Germans on either side
would take the other side in rear and
would result in serious losses during
the withdrawal.
If the Germans succeeded in such
move they would isolate Verdun and
bnyn chance 10 hr.5T7 +n hno,4
the same tactical use of heavy artil-
lery that resulted in the capture of
Liege, Namur and Longwy. The
French armies would be forced back
to the general line running from Vitry
to Toul.
Such a success on the part of the
Germans would not have a decisive
effect on the battle, but it would have
important value in shortening their
front of operations and in facilitating
the supply of their troops. By throw
ing open a new line of operations, it
would tend to counterbalance the con-
traction of such lines on the right
flank due to the allies turning move
ment.
Germans Hold Positions.
The fighting reported at Easternay,
ten miles south of Montmirail, and
the reports of fighting along the
Ornain river just east of Vitry show
that the German armies are still hold
ing their advanced line. The sue
cesses of the allies seem to have been
gained mostly by the British army
north of Coulommiers and by the
French army and the allied army on
their left.
It is too soon to make any estimate
as to the outcome of this battle
While the allies have greater total
force the Germans have drawn in
their columns and massed their troops
in way that gives them a numerical
superiority at the point of contact.
The outcome is going to depend
largely on the French artillery. If
the French guns can hold their posi-
lions and maintain their fire, the Ger
man losses in assault will be SO great
as to make success impossible.
All signs indicate that the Germans
have reached the limit of their avail
able force for the French campaign.
To gain sufficient strength for this
last effort they have had to strip the
country from Client, Belgium, to Null
hansen, Alsace.
The latest news changes the situa-
ton in East Prussia. The German
armies in this region have been great
~ REINFORCED and have again inflicted
on the Russian army of invasion a
blow that will seriously delay its ad
vance.
The German success in this dis
trict will have an important influence
in delaying the advance Of the central
Russian army through Poland. Due
to the same rail superiority Austria
can move her reserves into Ga1icia
faster than Russia can bring her
forces to the front. The Austrian re-
sistance on the front from Rawa
Ruska south to Stryi is stiffening
In the rest of the field of operations
the advantage lies with the Russians