The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-20
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.
The French Counter Offensive in Alsace-
Lorraine

Lorraine.
As consequence, primarily, OF the
gallant and unexpected resistance of the
Belgians and because further the first
claim upon the interest of the world has
naturally been the development of the
great German offensive thrust toward
France, the earlier fighting on the Al
SAGE Lorraine frontier has claimed only
passing attention. Yet the dispatches
of the past two days demonstrate that
in this quarter a great French counter
offensive directed by the commanding
French general is breaking out success
fully and sweeping toward the Rhine
from the Swiss frontier to Metz. Plain
~ this counter-offensive must now be
reckoned with as one of the salient de-
tails of the present campaign.
The simplest fashion in which to de-
scribe the French counter offensive is to
point out the exact analogy between it
and the great German operations through
Belgium. The Germans, on a front of
*
down upon the left flank OF the allied
armies in desperate effort to penetrate
northern France. The French on al
front little wider, are advancing
toward southern Germany. Namur, in
Belgium, is almost in the center oil the
German advance. Strassburg bears the
same relation TO the French. Antwerp
in Belgium, Metz in German Lorraine,
are both on the flank of invading forces. !
Consider now the effect of the French |
advance Its left has already passed the !
line of the Metz Strassburg railway and |
is approaching Saverne; further advance
will presently bring it into lower Alsace,
below Strassburg and on the Rhine.
Meantime, its right is coming up from
Belfort, by Muelhsusen, driving the Ger
man defense north to Strassburg and
east across the Rhine near Basel. It's
center is descending the valleys east of
the several Vosges passes from the
of Donon to that of Barenkopf
--one level with Strassburg, the other
north of the French fortified post of
Belfort.
The effect OF this advance, if it is sue
ressfully pressed home, win be to drive
the Germans out of upper Alsaee, sur
round Strassburg, and bring the French
eastern frontier to the Rhine again. |
When forces have been detached to COW &
er Strassburg and Neu Breisach, the j
main French army will be free TO adj
vance down the Rhine toward Mayenee,
where the kaiser now is, or cross the
Rhine and drive north to Frankfort or
asst to Baden and south Germany.
In other words, Just as the Germans
AVE undertaken to sweep into northern
france, avoiding the great barrier forts
rom Epinal TO Vedrun, so the French
eem to he aiming at counter-offensive
which will take them into Germany and
etween the fortresses of Strassburg and
,Iayence. As an alternative. they are
rec to turn west, isolate Metz and at
ack the flank and rear of the German
rmies invading France by moving to
he Moselle valley north OF Metz and
knoxville.
Certain advantages, evidently. the
rench offensive has over the German.
rst, it begins in French territory and
rosses directly into German The Ger
lans on the contrary have had to cross
elgium to establish their communica
ons in a hostile country and to fight Z
Belgian army before they could reach
rench territory, and they have not yet :
'ached IT, The population of Alsaee- \
orraine, the field of the first phase Of
rench operations. Is friendly TO France s
nd can be relied upon to give all q
,ssible help to the invaders. The main {
ne Of communication of the Germans C
in be across hostile Belgium for nearly n
70 miles, and viii require a strong rear b
lard. France can reach the Rhine and Z,
e Alsace- Lorraine frontier Of the Ba N
Irian Palatinate and Baden before she \
ed consider her communications. a
The main justification Of the taking :.
Alsace-Lorraine in 1871 has always :,
en- asserted BY Germans TO be found in "
e fact that the presence OF the French
the Rhine left Germany open to at "
ok. While Strassb-rg and Metz VIII n
ubtlcss sustain long sieges before they H
n be captured. French offensive which IN
,lated them and gave French posses "
m Of the rest Of the AIsace. Lorraine a.
-ritory would in fact permit France ~
invade Germany quite a. well a. in -
-mer times before she lost the Rhine
ID -
IN addition there Is. 81 course. the mar ~
scr but real value Of an early recon
est Of the ~iost provinces. IL D. tot II
IN q recunauest France has hooked n,
ward for 50 wears For every French o.
der the knowledge that Freneh ar =,
- are again On tire Rhine and THE -
- - IN - . - E--.-.-.~ f-s-.-r -