The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-02
AlSne Battle Has Parallel
in Petersburg Campaign
Ii Allies Thanking Operations Can Be Pressed With Sue
cess Which Sheridan Achieved They Will Be on
Won Kluck's Line of Retreat
GERMANS MAY WITHDRAW IN TIME, AS LEE DID

mean the complete Isolation OF verdun.
winch was under severe bombardment
oN the great German siege guns brought
from Metz. Verdun taken, a short road
from southern Germany to northeastern
france would be open. Army corps re-
communication could be recalled and the
numerical advantage lost by the Germans
might be regalned and the offensive to-
WARD Paris taken up again.
nut like the French hankng move
neht. the German failed. From Nancy
tne French brought up the army corps
which had repulsed the attacks before
mat city Striking north from Toui these
Iresh troops presently came In on the
nank and rear OF tho Ravarian army ann
IL had to rccede st Mlhel was retaken
'oeether with beaumont and Agreement.
ana yesterday the German Official state
n'sill conceded failure In this quarter.
IN the meantime the allies on Won
klucks right. reinforced and taking ad.
vantage or the railways In their hands.
oeran 10 move north and west in n neu,
tHort 10 get around the Germans and upon
their line or communications. What suo
Cess this move has had remains in doubt
renSn otncial statements yesterday In
SISTED mat II was deve,opinR standby
going more and more to the north That
u, fepuised at st Quentin and Rolsel the
allies we're striking at Cambria.
II RANKING Movement Succeeds,
now " at any point the allies have
succeeded or succeed In getting In on
,oh hluck's right and rear and cutting
.ne railways on which he depends his
reh, inevitable. II is conceivable
mat " the Germans to the south beforo
Soissons and at ST Quentin hang on
700 long In their present positions thew
VIII be surrounded and captured Ru,
thls is unlikely. What II necessary 10
note IL that the retreat would no in
eVtable II the fanking movement sue
cceded. and optimistic rumors from
London and Paris are based on Tho no,,on
that this operation has already been
successful. Wv"
FINALLY, yesterday and to-day, the Ger
mans have undertaken vigorous offen
sive Just east OF the point where the Aisne
ana the Disc Join. hat IL near Tracy le
Mont Such an operation IL successful
Woulh reach CompieRne and completely
separate the allies west OF the Disc and
engaged IN the hanking movement from
me main force stretching from Scissors 10
Nerdun At the very least this would
mean that the thanking operation would
nave to be recalled-it might mean dis
aster To the allies and open a gan between
the two portions OF their battle line Ru,
This attack here is on the British strongly
intrenched, and II seems to have failed
so far.
Whether II be correct. as the fashion OF
the moment IS to regard the battle of the
Aisne az ending and the retreat of the
Germans as imminent. II is clear that they
nave failed to regain the offensive and
have been put 20 their utmost to retain
defensive positions strongly ORGANIZED
some seventy miles from Paris Meanwhile
The peril TO their right flank continues and
they are compelled TO draw more and
more reenforcements from other fields TO
keen their communications intact
For Americans there II an interesting
narallel in the Petersburg campeign.
Grant. facing north below the Appomat.
toN, for months reached west steadily 10
get on Lees line to the south In this
time there grew UP that marvellous line OF
intrenchments on either side which are
wholly comparable with those now stand
ing In France. In the end Lee was com
nelled to stretch his line too far and then
Sheridan broke In on the extreme right at
F've Forks. rolled up the whole line and
the whole Union army was able TO inter
cept Lee at Appomattox Court House and
prevent his ESCAPE.
Could the allied hanking operation be
pressed with equal success the allies
coming east from Arras from Lille and
from Amiens would similarly be on the
line OF retreat of Won Kluck and not
improbably of Won Buelow. This would he
the greatest possible success In the
premises. On the other hand, facing
such a peril the Germans would unques-
tionably withdraw In time. ms Lee wanted
10 do hut was prevented by Davis for
political reasons. In any event the Aisne
campaign-for II Ia hardly accurate to
describe II az n battle any more--has
reached the point where the Petersburg
operations supply an admirably illuminst-
ing parallel.-From The Evening Sun OF
yesterday.