The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-31
NERDUN RATTlE
gQSInES 0RNAI!.R
Fighting For Shorter
Battle Line And Pres
tige.
BY .. W. Z. MASON.
Noted American Authority On This

Noted American Authority on This
War.
Germany's violent effort to capture
verdun, at such huge cost Of life,
means the kaiser is preparing for the
time when his troops will be compelled
to shorten their western line of de-
tense by evacuating most OF northern
France and Belgium.
The Verdun offensive is In reality
a defensive campaign. I
1t is an effort to secure a vastly i'm
portant point of vantage. which can
treat, IL the war is to be fought to a
condition OF complete exhaustion for
one side or the other.
To hold entertainments under mod
ern conditions OF warfare against at
tacks such as "a be developed by
fighting machines like the British and
French armies, requires a defensive
force between 5000 and 5000 men per
mile.
These figures are the two extremes.
"A fair average Of the number Of men
Germany now has along the western
front is 1000 per mile. In some areas
this number is less and at other points
IT. is more, but, in all probability the
average is approximately 1000 per
mile.
The curving western front from os.
tend to VeTdun measures about $50
miles. To hold this section Of the
western line, Germany must employ
100000 men. That is, the continuous
minimum must be 100000 men. The
number can never be allowed to fall
below that level IL the German de-
lenses are to be made safe against
attack. Casualties must be immedi-
ately replaced by fresh troops and, for
this reason, the drain on the German
manhood must grow more and more
serious as the war proceeds.
There is no certain rule for deter
mining the wastage OF men at tire
front, but 1t was recently stated by the
British government that British units
must BIO completely replaced every six
months. If this holds true for the
Germans as we'll, 100000 new men
must be found each year to hold the
German lines between Ostend and
Verdun.
The time must inevitably come, as
the war progresses, when it will no
longer be feasible for the Germans to
supply 80 huge a number Of their
citizens for the firing line. The allies
are largely superior to the Teutonic
powers in population, and it Is a sim
pie problem in arithmetic as to which
side can better affo-d the wastage of
It's men at the present disquieting
rate.
II the war, therefore, settles down
into a test Of endurance to the very
end-that is, II the allies determine to
risk everything in an effort 10 crush
Germany-the German line in the west
will have to be shortened. By no
other means can Germany retain her
ability to furnish the number of men
necessary for proper defensive oper-
atoms. The $50 miles of trenches be-
tween Ostend and Verdun must be de-
serted and new positions, requiring
far less troops to man then must be
found.
Such a line has unquestionably al
ready been planned in advance by the
German general staff. 1t runs from
Antwerp. through Brussels, Namur,
M%ezeleres and Sedan to Verdun, where
1t joins the present southern German
front extending through Lorraine and
Alsace. Between Antewerp and Yer
dun the distance is about 100 miles.
By moving the battlefront back to
this position, therefore. the Germans
would require only $4,000 men as
their defending army, instead Of the
present force of 1,000,0 00.
But even this number might prove
too many for the Germans to keep con
tinuous1y supplying IL the war were
to go on indefinitely. So a third and
last line Of defense has been prepared.
which runs from the Dutch frontier,
Just nroth OF Gtege, through Liege it.
self, and then almost perpendtcularly
south, to Verdun.
This line measures ITO miles, and
i, would require 440, 900 men for Its de-
tense.
The Dutch ntier-Ltege.Verdun pc.
sition, merging into the present Lor.
raine-Alsace line, Is the final point
which the Germans can hold. It is
a shorter front than the Rhine, be-
cause or the flank. protection afforded
by the neutrality OF Holland, and 1t is
here that the Germans must turn with
their backs to the wall II the wal is
fought to a finish.
The possession of Verdun, II a cur
tailment Of the western front is made
necessary. Will give to the Germans
all the difference between moderate
success and failure. With Verdun In
her grip, Germany can rest on the
LIege-Verdun line, advantageously
placed to discuss terms with the al
lies; without Verdun, the predomf-
nant advantage in the peace confer.
ence would be with the allies.
VerduE guards Germany's most con-
venient direct path OF invasion into
France.
Al the outbreak Of the war, the Ger
mans had to choose between entering
France via the Verdun line, or via
Belgium. They choose the latter way,
but IL ever there Is a next time, the
first road will be taken to a v Ger
many from the moral reproaches Of
neutrals. Verdun, therefore, must be
bought back by France II It falls into
Germany's hands. So, too, must Liege
be bought back by the allies for Bel.
glum.
bly, held by the Germans, the kaiser
would have enormous negotiable pow
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