Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-26
FRENCH PREPARE
FOR GREAT BATTLE
French Heroes Fell in All Ages
at Bapaume, Which Ger.
mans Hold.
IT Is KEY TO FLANDERS

Correspondence of The Associated Press,)
Paris, Nov. 6.-The allies are
creeping closer to Bapaume every
day and bringing nearer the eventu.
atty of another great battle there
where French heroes of nearly all the
ages have fought. The town has seen
almost as much war as Peronne.
General Faidherbe gained there
January 3, 1871, one of the few French
victories of the Franco Prussian war
defeating General Won Goeben.
The possession of the town has
previously been disputed half dozen
times, besieged two or three, and
sacked once. Louis XI besieged it,
took it. and destroyed it. Charles
Quint restored it. Francois | be-
sieged it and took it. 1t fell later into
the hands OF the Spaniards, from
/ whom it was taken and made French
by de Ia Meilleraye, marshal OF
France in l645, with the aid of the
musketeers dArtagnan and the Gas
cony cadets Of Cyrano de Bergerac,
For the Germanic coalition today,
as for the Prussians in 1870 and the
Spaniards in l64l, Bapaume is a po-
sition of vital importance; 1t marks
the limit of the last ridge OF the Ar
tots hills, to which an army pressed
from the south and west can cling;
after Bapaume come the plains OF
Flanders, with Cambria, Valenciennes
and Douai in plain sight. Bapaume
taken, Peronne becomes untenable
and Saint Quentin an unsafe shelter
for the German staff.
The Germans certainly appreciate
the value OF the position no less than
did Charles Quint and the Spaniards,
and they have organized it accord
ingly, but the French sixteen-inch
mortars arc now almost within range
of the town.
1t was at critical period of the
thirty years war that Bapaume be-
came French. M. de la Meilleraye
had probably more to do with its
conquest than either d'Artagnan or
| Cyrano, but there was less romance
in his role.
De la Meilleraye had taken Arras
after the famous siege, then turned
to Bapaume, called the "key to Fland-
ers." There are many analogies be-
tween his 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
planned Of slowness and lack of en-
ergy 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, mettlesome soldiers
of France chafed in the trenches. Like
the poilus of 1916, they wallowed in
mud when in the open and waded
waist deep when underground. Mar
shall de la Meillcraye was then, as
have been generals in the present wa7
criticized for dilatory tactics, and his
laurels, gained at Arras, had begun
to fade; he saw the shadow OF dis
grace falling upon him. Cardinal
Richelieu, impatient and imperious,
insisted upon greater activity and
energy. Then, as today, the reply
was, more cannon, more ammuni-
ton" Richelicu sent more cannon,
more ammunition, with an order to
attack.
De la Mcllcraye assembled his
lieutenant generals, de Lorgueil and
Harcourt, in council of war to de-
eide whether they should risk the as
sault.
Il know i'll the regiment of the
guard said M. de Lorgueil, "a most
capable officer and man of spirit
and resources. H9came to me lately,
returning from duty. and told me
something that impressed me- Call
him in, marshal; he will repeat bet
ter than | what he observed"
The officer of cadets came in, and
with the accent of Armagnac told