New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-08
Captured Officer Tells
Why Invaders Failed
to Reach Calais.
PLANS CALLED FOR
TAKING OF ARRAS
Emperor Insisted on Drive at
Ypres, and SO Made Main
Assault Impossible.
tBy Cable to The Tribunal

tBy Cable 10 The TribuneI
London. Dec. 1.-THE Daily News"
correspondent ain France" says:
at is always interesting to get the
German view, when shorn of swagger'
about what is going to happen. In the
continuous battles for trenches near
Arras last week the French captured
Bavarian lieutenant who had been
doing some hard thinking about the
German position in Flanders, and what
he told his French captors throws con-
siderable light on the German failure
to reach the narrow seas and CALAIS
"The lieutenant states that after the
fall of Antwerp IL was the German
plan of campaign completely TO cut OIL
from the main French army the whole
of the British forces then moving into
position in Flanders. For this purpose
huge masses of new troops were
brought to the western front from
Germany, first 10 attack Dunkirk and
subsequently to increase the pressure
all along the line till the main at
tack should fall upon the point at
which the British and French Joined
up at Arras with such sudden and
terrific force that the allied line would
be irretrievably shattered and the
armies driven into the shoulder of the
country of which Boulogne and Calais
are the chief ports on the coast.
"The main German concentration, he
says, was before Arras, where, in the
middle Of October, the Prussian Guards
Corps and Bavarian regiments were
massed near Douai. Their stroke was
30 60 20
attacks made successfully upon various
points-first, La Basse, then Dixmude
and Newport, later Armentieres and
varian regiments.
Upset by the Kaiser.
"At the end of October, while these
operations were maturing, the Kaiser
arrived on the scene and was present
at attacks upon Ypres, which thereby
gained false importance IN the whole
scheme and wrecked the German plans.
THAT is the Bavarian lieutenant's
story. He stated that the 9th Corps,
which made the first attacks on Ypres,
was almost entirely wiped out under
the very eyes of the Kaiser, and that
regiment after regiment was thrown in
to make a victory for the War Lord.
All were badly handled and forced to
retire.
"The German Headquarters Staff
thereupon decided TO play the last and
decisive Nroke of the campaign-the
blow at Atras. This, according to the
Bavarian lieutenant, was vetoed by the
Kaiser, who ordered up the Prussian
Guards Corps from Arras, where
ground was already being prepared by
the German artillery bombardment for
the supreme attack, to hurl his favorite
regiment upon Ypres. The Prussian
Guards entrained from Douai with the
18th Corps, thus weakening the German
line before Arras to such an extent
that the proposed attack could not be
made.
Meanwhile the Allies had shortened
their line and strengthened their posi-
tions at Ypres, and I'm the seven days
which it took to organize the Prussian
Guards attack the vital part of the
whole German plan was lost by order
of the Kaiser. Ypres, which was as
threatening in its way for the Ger
mans as Arras was for the Allies, was
held with steadfastness, and the hold
ing of Ypres shattered the Kaiser's
plans, which in themselves had de-
ieotcu thc pans VI lHe berIHdn mead
quarters Staff
Still After Arras.
"Arras is still the head and front
of the German plan of campaign. Men
and guns have been concentrated at
Douai and Carvin, and for more than
a week a terrific bombardment has
been kept up on the French positions,
together with infantry feints, which
have been very puzzling.
Along the whole front we have been
able to make little or no progress, so
overwhelming is the force opposed to
us. but we have held every inch of
ground between Arras and Armen-
there's. North of Armentieres the po-
sition has eased very considerably, due
in large measure TO German withdraw
ais for concentration elsewhere"