Evening star., 1915-10-03

1
| the west any offensive operation is i'm
possible because of the inundated dis
tricts. which the Belgians flooded to
check the Germans in the battle of the
User. About Ypres the Germans have
crowded the British down hill and hold
| all the slopes. To the east. in a wide
circle. the forts of Lille, dismantled
by the French and rebuilt by the Ger
the Aubers ridge. east of Neuve Cha
pelle, and the works of La Bassee.
offer obstacles that have blocked all
attack.
In the narrow gap between the User
and the Lys. east of Ypres, it is con-
ceivable that the British might make
an advance, but they would encounter
number of fortified lines and their
efforts would not menace the main po-
sition of the Germans in France, which
is the first objective. To attack Lille is
impossible. because the French would
oppose a bombardment destroying the
town. Hence the operations between
the sea and the La Bassee canal have
failed at the Aubers ridge in the spring.
Attractive Place for Attack.
But to the south from the La Bassee
canal to the Somme river. on a front OF
perhaps forty miles. with Arras as the
central point, is an attractive place for
an attack. In May and June the French
cleared the Lorette heights and pushed
east to within four miles of the i'm
portant railroad and mining town OF
Lens A drive of a few miles east
would put the allies astride the main
highway, from La Bassee to Lens and
inforcing their lines. 1t would win
Lens. the most important railroad CEN
tel from Lille to the Disc, on the
German front.
AS the British hold Armentieres. such
a push to Lens would transform La
Bassee into a dangerous salient and
might compel the Germans to retire
from it. Behind Lens there is no
really good standing point, regard
being had to railroad communications.
until Douai and Cambria are reached.
If the allied advance could be pushed
to this point then the whole western
side of the German elbow in France
and Belgium would be threatened be-
sight of the lines which supply the
Germans far to the south along the
Disc, the upper Somme and the lower
Aisne.
The possession Of Lens would give
the allies control of one of the most
important trunk lines from Paris to
the north by Amiens, Arras and Lens.
Here, then, Is a front which offers local
and ultimate possibilities which are
patent when the map is consulted.
stacle to hinder the advance. and the
dominating heights are already in
French hands
A German Gibraltar.
From the Somme to the forts of
Rheims-that Is. at the elbow Of the
German position. the line of the Teu-
tons seems impregnable. It rests upon
that range of hills. the Champagne
hills of the geography. which rise just
to the west of the Disc and face west.
from Noyon north. Beyond the Disc,
they continue east, north of the Aisne
to Berry-au-Bac. Thence the German
position extends to the Champagne
plain across the eastern forts Of
Rheims. This position was strongly
fortified by the French in other years,
but their forts were dismantled in the
great retreat, and the Gemans have
Back Of these hills three trunk lines
reach north to Belgium, while a cross
line makes 1t easy to rush troops from
east to west
Here the allied pursuit Of the Ger
mans was held UP after the Marine.
Here the allies were repulsed in the
battle Of the Aisne, and later in the
French offensive north of Soissons.
This position seems impregnable. and
:
serious attack since last winter. The
best evidence points to the permanent
abandonment by the allies Of any hope
of storming this position and to the
belief that the Germans can only be
turned out Of it.
East Of the Rheims forts and between
them and the Argonne is thirty-mile
front, which offers the attacker the best
opportunity to be found on the whole
western front. There are no natural OBJ
stacles, the country Is fairly fat, sparsely
populated. thus removing the objection
that French artillery must destroy French
cities
Could the French push north from their
line about Souain six miles. that Is, from
the point which they held when the pres
ent drive began, they would cut the Chal-
lerange- e-Bazancourt railroad, which sup
plies the whole German front from
Rheims to the Argonne. They would in
sert wedge between the Argonne and
Rheims armies. and they would threaten
the flank Of each. Another successful
push and the Germans would be compelled
to quit the Rheims forts. and the crown