Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-07
FRANCE CAMPAIGN
PLANNED BY KAISER
Three German Armies to At
tack at Different Frontier
Points.

Scrption OF the German campaign III
France is given by the military critic
of the Sun, an expert He says, in
part:
From the Rhine which is the base
Of German operations, three routes
lead west and south into France. The
first starts at Cologne, crosses the
Belgian frontier just beyond Aix-la-
Chapelle, reaches the Meuse at Liege
and aseends the Mouse to enter
France between Maubeuge and Givet
by a natural gap in the divide be-
tween the headwaters of the Disc ana
=, the Sambre. This is the route fol-
lowed by the main railroad between
Paris and Berlin.
The second natural avenue to
France starts at Coblenz and ascends
| the valley of the Moselle until 1t
arrives at Luxembourg. 1t then crosses
into France by Longwy and the gap
of Stenay.
The Third Approach.
The third approach follows the
Rhine Valley from Mayence to
Strassburg and then turns west
through the famous Saverne gap to
cross the frontier of France near
Luneville and Nancy and directly in
tho centre of the open space left by
the French between Epinal and Toul.
1t will be seen then that, conform
ing to the geographical conditions,
the Germans are directing at France
three great armies, the Army Of the
Mouse, based on Cologne the Army
of the Moselle, based on Coblenz, and
the Army of the Rhine, based on
Mayence and on Strassburg. The first
would naturally become visible when
it touched Belgian territory; the sec
ond, when Luxembourg was invaded;
the third would remain masked be-
hind the fortifcations of Metz and
Strassburg. The first two would ar
rive in France behind the Belfort-
Verdun barrier of forts and presuma-
bly, compel the French army on this
line to fall back, opening the way for
the Army of the Rhine and permitting
the concentration of all three Ger
man armies well within French ter
ritory and north of Paris the German
objective.
Now it remains to consider what
has happened. On Sunday German
advance guard walked into Luxem-
burg and occupied the principality
Having occupied Luxembourg, they
began to skirmish in front of Longwy,
and this fighting has continued grow
ing sitter as the mass of the army
of the Moselle came up.
In the same fashion they also began
on last Sunday skirmishing on the
border facing Strassburg. Grey was
seized, raiding parties crossed the
boundary and a dirigible dropped
bombs in Luneville, the first consid-
cradle town on the line of the APP
proach of the Army of the Rhine.
1t remains to consider the Army of
tho Mancn xuhioh ha1 to
the most difficult preliminary role.
Between Cologne, it's base, and the
frontier is a distance of twenty-five
miles. Plainly the advance guard,
probably the army corps regularly
quartered at Cologne, reached this
point on Sunday, for on Monday
came the first statement of the vio-
lation of Belgian territory, preceded
by demand to be permitted to
cross, made by the kaiser upon the
Belgian government.
The permission being denied and
Belgian resistance assured, the in
vading force deployed rapidly until
1t spread out over an area of some
thirty miles, it's right flank resting
upon the Dutch frontier at Wise, its
left upon Spa and Stavelot, and its
bulk on the line of the railway from
Iiege to Cologne which, going south,
descends the Vesdre River to it's
junction with the Mouse at Liege.
Could the Germans lay hold of
Liege, all Belgium to the sea would
lie open to them. AS they were
anxious not to fight in Belgium. but
to get across Belgium to France as
quickly as possible, it would have
been necessary 10 leave only a little
garrison in the forts of Liege, thus
protecting their flank, and press on
up the Meuse Valley to the open
French frontier
Belgians Create Surprise.
Only one thing is quite clear in the
confusion. An Unexpectedly heroic
Belgian resistance has temporarily
delayed the advance of the army of
the Mouse. While the main force is
coming up behind, Liege still holds
out and Belgian and French troops
have united and are hurryinR to its
support, with the possibility of Eng
lish aid presently. If the Belgian
resistance continues, 1t is clear that
the real fighting will begin, not in
French territory, but in Belgian, not
about Maubeuge and Givet, but on
the line OF the Mouse between Namur
and Liege.
If Liege holds out permanently the
Germans can still mask 1t as the Bull
garians did Adrianople when they ad-
Yanced to Lule Burgas. But the leril
OF such movement is visible, be-
cause such an advance would leave
| their flank and rear open to attack
by Belgian troops coming up along
the Sambre and Mouse from all quar-
tiers, and reinforced by the French
and certain to have English help
soon.
/
| If the army of the Mouse has been
arrested 1t must also necessarily de-
lay the advance of the army Of the
Moselle from Luxembourg, which
would otherwise leave its right fnak
and rear open to French attack. Since
the forts of the French frontier are
| unbroken the army of the Rhine must
also wait.
But so far as they show anything
they Indicate that unexpected Bel
| gian resistance has brought the
| whole German "attaque brusquee'
to momentary halt. Remembering
that with the Russian troops gather
| ing toward the east the German ne
cessity is quick and decisive success
In the west, 1t is then plain to see
how damaging the Belgian stand
may prove if 1t continues long.
nuhIin COac Wild 0ver