Evening star., 1914-11-14
Campaign Has Been Waged
With Varying Fortune to
Germans and French.
TEUT0N HEAVY ARTILLERY
PLAYS IMPORTANT PART
Fire Directed Mainly Against Forti-
fications of Belfort, Which Kaiser's
Troops Would Take.
,rrespondence Of the Associated Press.

Correspondence of the Associated Press
BERLIN. Germany, October 27.-Re-
newal Of German activity against the
French fortress of Belfort attracts at
tention to the campaign which has
been waged with varying fortune in
southern Alsace since the beginning
Of hostilities-an independent little
war, perhaps, to be compared with that
in the Shenandoah valley during the
civil war.
This region in extreme southwestern
Germany, usually known as the Sund-
gau. which witnessed the first serious
fighting of the war, has changed hands
almost a half dozen times since the
first capture of Muelhausen. and the
tide of battle probably will continue
to roll back and forth across it until
either Belfort falls into German hands
or operations are transferred entirely
to German soil. The explanation for
this Is found partly in the remoteness
from the main field of operations. but
largely in the nature of the country,
which strategicaly is highly favorable
to the French.
side are directed to sei3ing positions
from which the heavy German siege
artillery can be directed against the
fortiffcations of Belfort. while the
French are straining every effort to
keep these guns out OF range.
Advantage Lies With French.
Places such as Muelhausen, Tagedorf
and Altkirch have been occupied sew
mans there have been able to maintain
~f thAi
principally because the Vosges noun
tains give every advantage of terrain
to the French. From the west gentle
slopes lead to the summit OF the range
while the steep escarpments make ac-
cess difficult from the eastern or Ger
man aide. in many places possible only
by mountain valleys. the heads OF
which the French easily occupy and
more easily defend; The s,aea Enensh terri. IT.
Vosres may be termed a high plateau.
while Aisace is really part of the Rhine
valley. A.. e.,,,,
Alps is Dat plain s,ndsn omeslns and an ean easy
nIstelv commanded by the fortress of
Rslfort. in which the French md So
cmritv every time they are rolled back
from the plains Of upper Alsace. So
low and fiat is the sundgau that 1t
10" has hsen impossible to plan 3 frontier
aas.nse' and the first fortihcattons over
oainst Belfort are found at Istein and
Nav Breisach, on the opposite side OF
the valley. ,., ,,.,
| f-am the German standpoint gives the
| faIinwing picture Of operations: 1t is
r.neraiiy understood that the plans OF
~ french general staff contemplated
am Invasion of Germany on q large
sn sn.,a by way of the southern Vosges
md the so-called gap of Belfort." and
| aithourh the offensive operations OF
aha Germans through Belgium necessi-
tated the withdrawal Of some Of the
troons masses of which had been con-
c.ntrated behind Belfort, the invasion
was started promptly and August
MneInauaen was In French hands.
General Action Begins.
The French started at once to fortify
! the hills around the city. At the same
| time the entire Sundgau and every val.
| lev of the vosges was taken. The Ger.
| mans Immediately gathered fer q coun.
ter attack and although operations on
a large scale were not apparently con.
| templated at the time by the German
| fha onnoalnR f0rcaa al