The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-09-22
GENERAL REVIEW OF THE WAR
Happenings of the Past and Possible.
ties of the Future, as Viewed
by an Expert.

new @1OTR, sept. lS.-In0 retreat OF
the army of Crown Prince Frederick
William from its attacks on the
French forts south of Verdun is &C.
cepted by the French as an indication
of the failure Of the German cam
paign.
1t is the full understanding that this
army was the one intended by the
kaiser to deliver the telling blow on
the French line Even after the as
sault of the general lines of the
French had failed, this army was held
fast to its attacks on Verdun in or
der that by the capture of this for
tress it might clear away the obstacle
to the short supply line from Metz on
the east.
While the fifth army was attacking
the forts from the southwest the sixth
army under Prince Rupprecht of Ba-
varia was attacking them from the
east. Both armies have now been
forced back; only on the north are
|; the German armies in contact with
the forts of Verdun
The right wing of the Germans
seems to be steadying down and to be
offering stronger resistance. Start
ing from Consendoye on the Mouse
river ten miles north of Verdun, their
line runs west through Varennes, on
the Aire river, and then west by north
through Ciaonne Is miles northwest
Of Rheims, to a point west of Laon.
Garx,,,n Da&irar.a.4
The extent of this German retire
ment can hardly be appreciated with
out looking at map. On September
6 the German line had pushed forward
to the south side of the department of
Marine, on line running approximate
ly due east from Paris, except for the
loop held back by the French fortress
of Verdun. In the last ten days they
have been forced back an average dis
lance of 20 miles to a line following
the northern boundary of this depart
ment.
overrun by the invasion has now been
cleared of German forces.
The general retirement of the Ger
man left wing indicates that they are
conserving these forces by falling
back on their fortified line. From
Thionville south to Metz and then
southeast toward Strassbu~g the Ger
mans have a line of barrier forts
similar to those constructed by the
French from Verdun to Belfort. By
falling back to this line they can gain
for their left wing the supporting
power of this fortified district. An
increased effort can then be safely
made to strengthen the right wing by
diverting the re-enforcements of re-
serves to this end of the line.
It does not seem probable that the
Germans will make prolonged stand
on the line now occupied. 1t is, how
ever, hardly to be doubted that after
stubbornly contested retreat they
will line up again for a general en-
gagement as soon as they feel them
selves Efficiently REINFORCED to give
them the odds of advantage It may
be that this second great battle Of
the campaign will take place along
the Meus river.
May Fight at Sedan.
1t may yet be that Sedan will again
see a repetition of the decisive battle
of the war between France and Ger
many.
The great victory of General Won
Hindenburg in the lake region of East
Prussia, claimed in reports from Ber-
lin, if substantiated will necessarily
delay the Russian advance against
Posen until his army is dislodged
The very success of the cars army
may lead to it's undoing, as in the
case of the German invasion of
France. He has pushed forward un-
til his army occupies a great salient,
extending forty miles beyond the gen.
eral lines.