The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-24
ALLIES TO WIN SOON.
Big GUNS ARE GATHERING GER
NAN LINES IN ART0IS

FOE NOW ON LAST RIDGE
French Guns are Preparing for As
ssuIs Which Correspondent Says
VIII Hurl Teutons to Their Own
I&nes-Foch's Genius Is Staff
Upon Which Frenchmen Depend.
An unnamed staff correspondent
OF The New York Times, writes from
Paris that fuller knowledge of why
It is taking so long to drive the Ger
mans out of France, clearer insight
into why the recent general offensive
resulted in such an apparently in
significant advance, and at the same
time better belief that the war will
actually end some time with
French victory has been furnished
during 3 trip to the front in Artois,
from which I have just returned.
This was my third visit to that
particular sector north Of Arras, ;"
as it has so often been named in the
official communications.
The first was last February, when
the definite trench lines, formed af
ter the battle Of the Marne, were
comparatively new, and the prepara-
lions for the first general offensive
Of last spring were just becoming
evident. The second trip was at the
end Of May, few days after Caren-
cy fell, when I was the only neutral
observer permitted actually to see
the battle Of the Labyrith.
Therefore, with the second gen
eral offensive only six weeks passed,
when the war office decided that cor
respondents should be allowed to see
the ne wines, was included il the
party for the purpose Of making a
comparison with the situation as it
existed at the time Of my other visits.
From this Artois front as it now
exists It Is possible for the actual OBJ
server to get q clearer understand
Ing Of the entire. western battle front
than even In the Champagne where
the gains were greater, but not bit
more important from the viewpoint
Of French strategists.
The fact that that master Strate-
gist, General Foch, whom I was per-
nftred to meet on this trip, has never
been changed from command Of the
northern group Of armies IS suffi-
cieot evidence TO cause the belief
that the breakup Of Germany's still
resisting wall IS quite as likely to be-
gin there as where the more sensa-
tional part Of the recent general Of
fersive was launched.
Writing under the direction OF a
personal censor-a captain Of the
general staff, who accompanied the
party-it is impossible for me to give
complete information which might
plainly prove all three Of the asser.
tions with which have commenced
this story. I may not quote the
words that have been spoken and the
figures that have been shown that
would positively indicate my mean
Ing. And more jealousy than ever
are guarded the names Of the points
upon which the French are hammer.
ing day and night in ceaseless pre-
paration for what, in my mind, Will
be- the fna. offensive through that
samocs territory, every yard of which
already has been stained with both
French and German blood.
On my first trip in Artois the Ger
man lines were too far advanced for
an observer to set g. real under.
standing Of the country necessary to
realize why it is considered SO yitally
important. From distant range OF
hills then looked upon Bois de Bou-
vigny and Mont Saint EioL Caren.
cy, Ablain, and Neuville Saint Vaast
were only vague distances directed
to my mind by the pointing finger OF
the officer conducting the party.
On my second trip I walked
through former German trenches in
to Carcncy and repeatedly lost my
self in the tortuous twistings Of the
trenches Of La Targette and the
Labyrinth. Still the necessary geo.
graphy Of the country was not i'm
pressed upon me.
On my third trip all this was
changed. Tais time walked through
the runs Of Ablain into the trenches
leading to Souchez and rode openly
In an automobile over an entire
countryside from Arras nearly to
Bethnne on roads where had SINH
lar trip been attempted last May our
car would have been blown to pieces
before we could travel hundred
yards.
On this trip I enjoyed the spec
tacle of standing openly on hillside
and watching French shells break
ing in constant clouds over the crest
OF Vimy, which is the last range OF
hills shutting the plateau Of Artois
from the great Plain Of DoVai.
The crest Of Vimy, nanked by
strong positions In Givencliy and be-
hind Arras, Is the Last battle line OF
Germany in Artois.
In quaint English an officer who
accompanied US said: when We
take any Of those positions the Ger
mans must go away. They will have
no place to go but into the Plain of
Doual. When they get into the Plain
Of Doual they must keep on going
away"
Except for this Crest Of Vimy,
which Is freakish formation Of hills
rising from the valley at the ex-
treme eastern side, the plateau Of
Artois may be compared in shape to
the fingers of human hand with the
tcuctIoc c1j1bflv raiceS and the fin