New-York tribune., 1916-04-27

tho way through the French trenches
here u would be quite as serious as If
they broke through az other points, but
no more so. There was no fortress OF
Verlun and ,he Nerdun position com
manded nothing
The Battle OF Nerdun. as 1t - dis
closed 70 an observer who stands on
Fort de Ia Chaumc. q mile or two ives
and above NcrGun and IN the mouth oil
the trough we have described. was tins:
On the west bank Of the Meuse. four or
FIVE miles northwest Of tho town. tnere
is steep ridge going east and west and
perhaps / 100 feet high. This is the crest
of Charny, and il rise- sharply from
the fat valley and marches 20 the west
without a break for some miles. On
il are the old forts OF the rim.
Charny Ridge, Essential Point.
Three or four miles still 10 the north
5 line Of hills which are separated
from each other by deep ravines leading
north and south. Two Of these hills.
lie Mort Homme Dead Mans Hill and
Hill 30A, have been steadily in the re-
ports for many weeks. They are the
present front Of the French. Between
one and two miles still 10 the north
are other confused and tangled hills
facing north, and II was here that the
French lines ran when the great attack
began in the third week Of February.
On this side the Germans have ad-
vanced rather less than two miles; they
have not reached the Charny ridge,
which is the true and last line Of de-
fence Of the Nerdun position. and they
have not captured the two hills - the
north. which are the advanced position.
now the first line.
When | was IN Paris before ! went TO
Nerdun there was general oelei
that the French might ultimately aban-
don the two outer hills. Dead NAN
and 3O4. and como back 10 the Charny
Ridge. which is wall running from the
river west without a break for miles.
Apparently this has not been found
necessary. but what IS worth noting is
that II these hills we're evacuated IT
would not mean the withdrawal from
Nerdun but only 20 the best line of de-
fence tthe last line. 10 be sure), which
includes me town itself.
Commanding Woevre Plain.
Vow. cast of the river the situation
is materially different Between the
Neuse and the lcvel pl;kesu. which sp-
neare in the dispatches from the front
as the Woevre. IS a long. narrow ridge
running from north 20 south for per
hans thirty-ivc or forty miles. ms
/. the Cote dc Meuse, or. translated
the Hills Of the Mcuse. The range Is
never more than ten miles wide and al
manv poinis less than half as VIDE. On
The west il rises very sharply from the
uc,sc and on the east II breaks down
ouite As abruptly into the Woevre Plain.
II cannot be effectively approached
rom the Woevre because the Noeyre
ia an exceedingly marsny plain. "itn
much subsurfsce water and IN spring
? mass OF liquid clay
Now. the French, when the German
drive began. stood on this ridge some
eicht miles. rather less. perhaps, 10 the
rorth Of the town Of Nerdun; their line
ran from the Meuse straight east along
fbf. Ridge and then turned al rght
angles and came south slong the
eastern edge OF the Meuse Hills ana
,bc shore Of the Wocvre Plain unit!
B. touched the river again a. -. Mihiel'
,vycnfv miles 20 the south. where the
Germans had broken through the Meuse
nils and reached the river. Tne Ger
man attack came south along the crest
~ this ridge because the German heavy