The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1914-09-26
REVIEW OF. THE WAR
BY the Associate Editor Of tho
Army and Navy Journal.

New York, Sept. 1.-THE retreat OF
the army of Crown Prince Frederick
William from its attacks on the
French forts south Of Verdun seems
to be an indication OF the failure OF
the German campaign.
It can be but little doubted that
this army was the one intended by
the kaiser to deliver the telling blow
on the French line. Even after the as
,sault on the general lines of the French
had failed, this army was held fast to
its attacks on Verdun In order that
by the capture of this fortress 1t
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 a stronger resistance.
Starting from Consendoye on the
Mouse river ten miles north of Yer
dun, their line runs west through
Varennes, on the Aires river. and
then west by north through Craonne.
fifteen miles northwest of Rheims to
a point west of Laon. Their right
flank is prolonged by detachments ex-
tending as far as Peronne. apparently
made up of the troops withdrawn from
garrison duty in Belgium and the cap.
tured French towns.
The extent of this German retire
ment can hardly be appreciated with
out looking at map. On September
6 the German line had pushed for
ward to the south side of the depart
ment of Marine, on line running ap-
proximately due east from Paris, ex'
cept for the loop held back by the
French fortress of verdun. In the
last ten days they have been forced
back an average distance Of forty
miles to line following the north
ern boundary of this department.
One-half of the French territory
overrun by the invasion has now been
cleared OF German forces.
See strategy In Move.
i The general retirement of the Ger
man left wing indicates that they arr
conserving these forces by fallinl
: back on their fortified line. From
, Thionville south to Metz and ther
southeast toward Strassburg the Ger
! mans have a line of barrier forts simi
lar to those constructed by the French
from verdun to Belfort. BY falling
: back to this line they can gain FOL
; their left wing the supporting powell
of this fortified district. An increased
effort can then be safely made 4
J strengthen the right wing by divert
I | ing the requirements Of reserves 4
0 this end of the Tine.
D It does not seem probable that tn,
) Germans will make prolonged stan'
on the line now occupied. 1t II. how
ever. hardly to be doubted that afte
; stubbornly contested retreat the,
b will line up again for a general On
d gagement a. soon 40 they feel them
Il selves sufficiently REINFORCED to Civ
them the odds OF advantage. II ma
, be that this second great battle o
r the campaign viii take place alon
n the Mouse river.
. The great victory Of General yo
Hindenburg Is the lake region OF EAs
h Prussia, claimed in reports from Bel
q lin, II substantiated will necessaril
delay the Russian advance against Pc
4 sen until his army 10 dislodged. Tn
. very success of the cfar's army ma
d lead to It's undoing. az in the case 0
the German invasion of France. H
r has pushed forward until his arm
{ occupies . great salient, extendin
. forty miles beyond the general lines