Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-09
HISTORIC FIELD
MAY AGAIN STAGE
FRENCH VICTORY
Allies Gradually Close in on
Bapaume, Where Heroes of
Past Have FaIIeni Scene of
FranCO-PruSSian Battle.
lA..ocInLed rre.s Corre.nondence. )

! Paris, Nov. 6.-Tho allies are creep
| ing closer to Bapaumo every day and
! bringing nearer the eventually Of an
| other great battle there where French
heroes of nearly an the ages have
! fought. The town has seen almost
az much war as peronne.
General Faidherbe gaincd there
January 3, 1871, one of the few
French victories of the Franeo-Prus-
sian war defeating General Won Goe-
ben.
The possession of the town had
previously been disputed a half dozen
times bosieged two 81 three, ana
sacked once. Louis Nl besieged It,
took IT, and destroyed it, Charles
Qumt restored It, Francis / hesleRed
It and took It. 1t fell later into the
hands of the Spaniards from whom
il was taken and made French by de
Ia Moilleraye, marshal of France In
iGi5, with the aid Of the musketeors
Of d'Artagnan and the Gascony cadets
OF Cyrano de Bergerac.
For the Germanic coalition today
as for the Prussians in 1870 and the
Spaniards IN i641 Bapaume is po-
siuon OF vital Importance, 1t marks
the limit of the last ridge OF the Ar
itlH MUS ~ W NUN III Al LAY iiAt1t7'h
from the south and west can cling;
After Bapaume come the plans of
Flanders with Cambria, Valencienncs
and Doum in plain sight Rapaume
taken Perouuc becomes untenable
and Saint Quentin an unsafe shelter
for the German staff
Value of Position.
The Germans certainly appreciate
the value Of the position no less than
did Charles Quint and the Spanards,
and they have organized 1t according
ly, but the French i6-meh mortars
are almost within range of the town.
1t was at "a critical period of the
thirty years war that Bapaume be-
came French NJ de la MeilIeraye
had probably more to do with its con
guest than either d'Artnguan or Cy-
rano, but there was less romance In
his role
De Ia Moilleraye had taken Arras
after the famous siege, then turned
60 Bapaume, called tho key 70 Elan
ders There are many analogies be-
tween his campaign and that of the
allies today Today, as then, the
people are finding the war long
Then, as today purlor military critics
picked out the flaws in the plans and
complained Of slowncss and lack of
energy I'm executing them. The army
of the Hapsburgs had dug itself In
around Bapaume as the Germans are
aug In there today
Then. ass now, mettlesomc soldiers
OF France chafed In the trenches, /
Like the poims Of 1916, they wal |
lowed In mud when in the open and /
waded waist deep when underground |
Marshal De Ia Molleraye was then as
have been generals m the present
war criticized FOR dnatory tactics /
and his laurcls gained at Arr8s. had I
begun to fade, he saw the shadow OF
disgrace falling upon him. Cardinal /
Etghrlieu, impatient and imperious /
insisted upon greater activity and en- |
crEN Then, as today, the reply was !
moro cannon. more ammunition |
Nchehou sent more cannon. more !
ammunition, with an order to attack |
Council OF War
pc Ia Mciuer0yc assembled his |
lieutenant generals, de LorgucH and I
Harcourt lu e council Of war To de- |
eide whether they should risk the |
assault
II know iu the resimept Of the |
Guard said N. de Lorgueu, "a most
capable officer and a man OF spirit f,
and resources. He came to me lately. |
returning from duty, and told me
SoIne thing that Impressed me. Call
him IN, marshal, he viii repeat bet /
ter than I what he observed"
The officer Of cadets came in, aud