The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-06
GERMAN MOVE NEAR PARIS
LIKE GRANTS AT RICHMOND
If 1t Succeeds French Capital Will Be Cut Off,
If 1t ais Invasion is Practically
Ended

move would be 70 isolate the army about
Paris from those Ia the north and east
II at the same time the German advance
toward Rems and Verdun should be
pushed II might form another turning
move TO drive the army OF the Meuse
south and east of Reims and upon the
army of Lorraine. now fighting about
Nancy. Such a move would wholly sep
arate the two masses of French forces
In the field
But Il should be recalled that such A
tremendous extension OF lines In the enc
mys country will nccess!tate running
many risks I, might be possible for the
allies north OF Paris TO break the Ger
man right In front OF them and move east
OH their line of communications or send
a raid west OF this line as Lee did when
ne despatched Early to Washington In
1864.
one further and tremendous disadvan-
tage the Germans have which did not
confront Grant. They have not the control
OF the sea. II they had they could estab-
lish their base at Dieppc or Boulogne as
Grant did at city Point, and the difficulty
OF guarding communications for nearly
ESQ miles through hostile country would
be avoided. This operation must be a
heavy tax upon the German invading
forces, calling for thousands OF men
IL may be assumed that the allies will
risk one more battle before they retire
10 leave faflS 10 itN 1atcs tfl lHty HhNt
no such necessity to stay about Paris AS
Lee had about Richmond. Indeed. the
departure of the Government officials
south to Bordeaux was plain evidence
that military considerations were not to
be sacrificed 20 political.
German Plan Fails.
To sum up briefly. so far as it is pos
sible to see now, the German attempt
-, p..su. 4 he ttnI
and roll II up has failed after two weeks
of terrific fighting The allies have sue
ceeded in getting back to Paris. Now
the Germans are beginning n new opera
ton to isolate Paris from the north and
east OF France and II possible to drive the
whole allied force back into Paris and
shut Il up there In this they seem eN-
actiy to he pursuing the plans Grant
employed in his Virginia campaign OF
lS64-65
But so absorbing has been the struggle
about Paris that something OF real per
spective has been lost. The main purpose
OF the Germans was by a tremendous rush
against France to crush her and destroy
her military force before Russia should
become 80 dangerous on the east as 10
compel sending troops from France TO
Posen and East Prussia.
Five weeks after the declaration ~ war
no army OF France has been crushed 80 far
as We now know. On the other hand Russia
has come up, terribly defeated the main
Austrian army and occupied most Of Fast
Prussia The way for her advance to
Berlin Is now cleared and her General
Stan announces to-day II will begin II az
once. II IL plain then that the next week
may well be the limit OF the time left 10
Germany to use all her forces against
France. II she falls in that her advan-
tage of numbers III the west may have
10 be surrendered TO imperious necessities
OF self-defence In the east
The Austro- Prussian War OF 1886 was
won I'm six weeks. Sedan was fought
forty four days after the declaration OF
war I'm 1870. Plainly next week is TO be
almost as important In the history OF the
present war as the corresponding period in
the two earlier trIumphs of the Germans.