The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-08-11

is any idea Of turning the German
left and following it up the Rhine.
On the contrary the impression Great
ed is that these operations are mere
ly a continuation of Joffre's efforts to
wear the Germans down.
Germans at User and Verdun.
Along the User canal front the
Germans launched a spasmodic at
tack in the vicinity of Hooge, using
fire projectors in advance OF the at
tacking force to clear the trenches.
The attack, however, was short-llved,
and this section of the front settled
back to it's usual more or less quiet
state.
In the Verdun section, both in the
Argonne and along the Meuse
heights, the army of the Crown
Prince has blazed out against the
French verdun position. AS this sec
ton of the battle front will probably
receive considerable attention IN dis
patches a brief description of the es-
sential elements of which it consists,
together with resume Of what has
been accomplished there recently,
may prove of interest.
The Positions Around Verdun.
The principal feature of the Ar
gonne is a clay ridge about forty
miles long. This ridge is thickly
covered with undergrowth, and across
it transversely run the French lines.
The part of the forest traversed by
the battle lines is included between
the roads between Varennes and
Clermont on the east, and Vlenne-le-
Chateau and Binorville on the west.
1t is along this front that the Ger
man attack was launched several
weeks ago, and it was again attacked
by the Chown Prince this week. The
total front covered by the last attack
was about six miles, extending from
the small village of Bagatelle to a
point on the ridge locally called La
File Morte, about four miles south
east of Varennes.
The total net gain made by the
Germans was greatest along the road
from Four de Paris to Varennes. In
depth it measured not more than 50O
yards. It's importance, therefore, is
not great. The latest attack has
been along the same section Of the
line, being supplemented by the at
tacks along the Meuse heights and
on the Les Eparges front.
1t is becoming more apparent every
day that the strong probabilities are
that neither the Auies nor the Ger
mans can make any important head
way against the other on the French
front. The intrenchments that have
been constructed since the present
lines have been taken put any deci-
sive action beyond the bounds of rea-
son. It must be- a question of agree
| ing to quit or one side wearing the
other out.
1t is very generally expected that,
after the campaign against Warsaw
has been concluded and the Russians
driven beyond the Vistula and the
Bug, the Germans will fortify their
own positions as they have done in
the west, leave enough troops, and
only enough, to keep the Russians
where they are, and, strongly re-
enforcing their western front, insti-
tute a drive against some predeter-
mined point between the North Sea
and the Swiss frontier.
This will probably be the case, at
least in part. The doubtful elemeet
beiag the sumber of troops that can
be spared from the east. The east
ern front is very much longer than
the western, the country much more
variegated in its Typographical fea-
lures, and the battle lines therefore
susceptible of much more mobility
and consequent display of more acute
military strategy.
The Russian army is, as far as we
now know, still intact, and, once its
supply of ammunition catches up, will
have a striking power Of great mo-
ment. These factors will control the
available troops that Germany can
-detch for western offensive. 1t is
almost certain, however, that some
reinforcements will reach the west,
and that as result the Allies will be
made aware of the fact by increased
pressure at some peint-probably in
the Ypres section. The operations Of
the next two weeks will therefore
have an added interest.
In the other war theatres but little
has happened during the week on
which to comment.