New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-17
Newest Effort Is
Three Times as Big
as Gettysburg.
Copyright. 1915.
By The New York Tribune

Prince, fighting in the Argonne and toward
Verdun, the railroad is one Of two which
are essential to its existence. Conceivably
this army will still hold on If the French
cut the Sommepy line. But a further
French advance Of seven miles will bring
them to the other lne the Vouziers-Neuf-
chate line; if this is cut, then the Crown
Prince must go back
Precisely in the same way further
French advance from Sommepy WIFI i'm
peril the flank Of the German army which
covers Rheims and is resting on the forts
north Of that city. The retreat Of the
German army from the Sommepy line will
open this army's flank and will, II much
continued, say for three or four miles.
compel the Germans to give up the forts
they have held since their retreat from the
Marine and end the year long agony Of
Rheims.
Behind the Aisns.
It will still be possible for the Germans
to reform behind the Aisne, from Berry
au-Bac to Vouziers, and their central posi- l
ton, south Of Laon, will not be imperillcd,'
but II will be untenabe if the French are
able to cross the Aisne about Rethel. which
lis on the route the Champagne army is
following.
Actually the French are seeking 70
drive wedge between the German armies
north and west Of Rheims TO the Disc and
those east Of Rheims to the frontier. As
they advance they will cut two railroads
Of immediate Importance, the lines serving
the Crown Prince. If they are able TO con-
tinue they will cut the lines along the
frontier between Alsace-Lorraine and Ar
tots and Flanders. Once this is accom-
plished the whole German position in
France becomes untenabls and n Ger
mans will have to go back TO 'he Belgian
frontier.
At the same time the Anglo British opcr
alton in Artois is striking at railroads
which directly feed the armies in France.
If this succeeds the Germans will have to
quit France altogether and go back to a
defence line based on Namur, Brussels and
= Antwerp.
Bigger than Gettysburg.
But all these things are in the future
What is of immediate interest is that the
:, battle now going on in Champagne is big
- ger than any battle of the last century,
has already become struggle three times
bigger than our own Gettysburg and in its
- decisive phase is being fought upon
front not much wider than that which saw
Lees last great offensive fail German
p" estimates of French losses make them
%" larger than Meade's army. French state
'e ments of prisoners taken show a figure
larger than the total losses Of Meade or
" Lee and the artillery captured exceeds the
= possessed German official statements have
- fixed the French force at 100000.
'e For the observers of the struggle the
immediate interest must for the present be
'' the fate of the village of Sommepy and the
railroad that serves it and supplies the
~ Crown Prince. After three weeks Of
fighting the French are within mile Of il,
~ They have won more ground than at any
&c other time since the end Of the German re-
greatest local success since the war Of
~ trenches began II they take Sommepy
:" they can claim genuine victory.
But even this success would not give the
y lie to the main German claim that the
!. French have not succeeded in piercing the
&c German line. They have already forced
~ it back by steady batterng, and con-
: tinuation of this forcing for few weeks
. more would imperil the whole German
position in France. 1t must be remem-
y bered that in the modern battle it takes
u weeks instead of days TO get decision.
~ The enemy's position is pounded to pieces
" by artillery and his first line taken. But
u he has second and third and the proc
{ ess must be repeated indefinitely. The
y only chance of success Of the old-fash-
toned sort is that his ammunition fails and
, that he is unable to replace losses. Then
III breach will be made in his front. This
'e happened at the Dunajec, when the Ger
" mans defeated the Russians.
~ This time has not yet come; the Germans
say that it will never come. The Allies
believe that it is in sight and point to the
recent successes in Champagne as proof
in that the Germans are weakening. But the
~ proof must be found in the later phases
a q Il III l.. ..l.lI