The Cordova daily times., 1916-12-06
BAP AUME GOAL ALLIES WANT
 ID ATTAIN

PARIS, Dec. 6. - The allies are creeping closer to Bapaume every day and bringing nearer the eventuality Of another great battle there where French heroes of nearly all the ages have fought. The town has seen al most as much war as Peronne.
 General Fraidherbe gained there on January 3, 1871, one of the few French victories of the Franco Prussian war. defeating General vOn G0eben
 The possession of the town had pre- viously been disputed half dozen times, besieged two or three times and sacked once. Louis XI besieged it, took it, destroyed 1t Charles Quint restored it. Francois besieged it and took it. It fell later into the hands of the Spaniards, from whom it was taken and made French by de la Neil leraye, marshal of France in 1645, with the aid of the musketeers 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 1641, Bapaume is a posi- tiOn of vital importance; it marks the limit of the last ridge of the Artois hills to which an army pressed from the south and west can cling: after Bapaume come the plains of Flanders With Cambrai, Nalenciennes and Douai in plain sight. Bapaume taken Peronne becomes untenable and Saint Quentin unsafe shelter for the Ger man staff.
 The Germans certainly appreciate the value of the position no less than did Charles Quaint and the Spaniards and they have organized it according ly, but the French 16-inch mortars are now almost within range of the town
 It was critical period of the thirty years war that Bapaume became French. NJ. de la Meilleraye had pro. bably more to do with it's conquest than either d'Artagnan or Cyrano de Bergerac, but there was less romance in his role.
 De la Meilleraye had taken Arras af- ter the famous siege, then turned to Bapaume, called the key to Elan. ders." There are many analogies be tween this campaign and that of the allies today. Today, as then, the peo- pie are finding the war long" Then, as today, parlOr military critics picked out the flaws in the plans and com plained of slOwness and lack of energy in executing them. The army of the Hapsburgs had dug itself in around | Bapaume as the Germans are dug in there today.
 Then, as now, the mettles0me sol diers of France chafed in the trenches. l Like the poilus of 1916, they widowed in mud when in the open and waded waist deep when underground. Mar shal de la Meilleraye was then, as have been generals in the present var. criticised for dilatory tactics, and his laurels, gained at Arras, had begun to fade; he saw the shadow of disgrace falling upon him. Cardinal Richelieu, impatient and imperious, insisted upon greater activity and energy Then, as today, the reply was more cannon, more ammunitiOn; Richelieu sent more cannon, more ammunition, with an order to attack.
 De la Meilleraye assembled his lieu tenant generals, de Lorgueil and liar court, in a council of war, to decide whether they should risk the assault.
 'I know in the regiment of the Guard" said M. de Lorgueil, "a most capable officer and a man of spirit and resources. He came to me lately, re. turning from duty, and told me some thing that impressed me. Call him in, marshal; he will repeat better than l what he observed
 The officer of cadets came in, and with the accent of ArlagnaC, told how he had noticed a portion of the town wall at the suburb of Saint Pierre that was not so we'll defended as the rest. Simulate an attack in force upon an other part of the ramparts," he said, and give me a company of my com rades from GascOny; l promise you I'll get into the place.
 Well, sir" said the marshal, T will