Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-05
VERDUN BATTLE AND
WHAT MAY BE HOPED
FOR IN GERMAN ATTACK
Continued From Page Four)

Confined From Page Four)
month or more Germany has been
making series of attacks ranging
from Nleuport TO switzerland Some
Of these attacks have been made with
large forces and have been extremely
expensive. The French have in the
past done the same thing. Such OPP
erations merely fritter away strength
but accomplished no results. The time
must come when the fallacy of such
strategy must dawn on the Germans
as II did on the French Apparently
that time has como and Germany Is
making her ba for decision ut the
only place where a decision can be
reached in Serbia. in Egypt or
in Mesopotamia-but in France.
Germany must keep on. To quit
before she attains her goal in the bat
tie now raging is to admit what
France and England claim and what
this country, both the laity and the
military element, belicve-that Ger
many was beaten at the Marne ana
that, since then. her only hope lay
IN drawn battle, as all hope of VIC
tory had departed.
To return more specifically to the
problem Of Vcrdun, 1t has been stated
that Il shift Of the center of attack
from the east TO the west bank of the
Meuse need not cause surprise. This
statement is based partly on the great
strength Of the French line ON the
east bank. but principally on the
peculiar shape OF the battle line from
the Argoune to Pont-a- Mousson in
Lorraine, The sharp salient at st.
Mihiei, with all of its essential feat
ures, has been discussed so often in
these and in other columns that little
remains TO be said. In fact, much
that has been said could be unsaid
without fear OF dctraciing from the |
fund Of knowledge on that point That |
salient was left and has been re-
tanned BY the Germans with Verdun |
in mind. No less important reason
could Justify retaining such danger-
Gus position
Crown Princes Tactics.
The battle line around Vcrdun IS
roughly scmi-circular in shape. one /
end of the arc being AZ st. Mihiel, the
other lust east of the Argonne. about
Mclancourt. The distance between
the two points is but thirty miles. The
original German idea was to drive
southwark down the west bank OF the
Mouse, cut the main railroad supply
ing verdun aud link up with the Ger
man forces az st. Mhiel. by thus
together the strap and the
buckle Nordun would be completely
invested This was the reason adj
for the futile attacks Of the
crown prince IN the Argonne some
time ago and IS logically correct Cor
tainly Il would seem Il much less OK
pensiyc operation than TO pound j
way through by frontal attacks 4
straight line is not always the short
ast distance between two points. The
country is very open and generally Z
less favorable for the defense. Al
though there . a chain OF seven forts
lust west Of Verdun and running par
lllel To the river. they are not nearly
50 strong as those on the opposite I
bank and are not so favorably stu
itcd with respect to each other or TO I
he direction Of attack. In fact. ev-
ny detail Of terrain and of defense
would indicate that II Ncrdun were to
be an objective, the attack would
'ome between the Argonne and the
deuse. This very fact, however. is
4 very good reason why the attack
Nas delivered elsewhere.
What the result will be II the Ger
mans succeed in taking yerdun is
iard % estimate Il Is certainly the