The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-02
FALLING BACK
TO THE RHINE
Allies Declare That Is the
Real Hindenburg
Line
IF THERE EVER WAS
SUCH A THING
Early Retirement from Bel
GUM Is Now Predicted
by the Entente

Providence, r. t. April 2.-The Provi,
dence Journal prints the following:
The journal is in receipt of intorma-
ton from entente sources which purports
to give, and which undoubtedly does give,
the actual views of the British and
French commanders with regard to the
German retreat. This statement is as
follows:
eve have no illusions as to the real
meaning of the retreat of the Germans.
In the first place, there 10 no such thing
as Hindenburg line, or il there is, 1t
shifts with every "a hours at the viii OF
the German commanders. The real Him
denburg line. and the line toward which
the German troops are gradually retreat
ing and will continue to retreat, is the
Rhine.
''We have positive knowledge that this
retreat is the beginning of continuous
movement back to the borders OF Ger
many itself, and that within very few
DAYS the plan will be seen to comprehend
also the same method of retirement from
Belgium.
Reports from our aerial scouts and
other sources of information within the
last four or five days make it possible
that this retirement in Belgium is about
to begin.
"The explanations given by the Ger
man war minister for the retreat are Just
as ridiculous as every explanation given
in every German official statement for
every official German act since the begin
ming OF the war In the first place, we
are told that this ia mastery strategic
retreat, the primary purpose Of which is
To shorten the German line. OF course,
the shortening OF the German line au-
tomatically shortens our line IN equal
proportion. with result that at the
points already vacated we are able TO
bring into action over double the artll-
lery strength we had before the retreat
along the same terrain.
"The second reason given is that after
allowing us to stack up immense quantl-
ties of munitions and great bodies OF re-
serves and supplies, Germany has made
all our preparations futile and made us
a laughing stock by retreating and Civ
ing us no opportunity to begin the smash,
ing shock of this great advance move
ment Such reasoning as this is almost
too ridiculous to discuss. 1t Is plain, or
should be plain, to everybody, that If our
accumulation of great masses of supplies
and munitions has brought about the re-
suit aimed at without immense losses on
our side, the Joke of the situation is one
that can only be discovered by German
official brain.
''The retreat at this time is forced for
three reasons The first is that Germany
knows that her positions, with the APP.
proach of spring and the hardening OF
the ground were fast becoming unten-
able and that unless she moved back OF
her own volition she would be forced
back and probably outfianked in the
movement.
''The second reason is that she finds
herself compelled to retreat to her short
est possible line of defense in order to
accede to the demands Of the emperor
and his party that every skilled soldier
possible shall be relieved from duty on
the western front and transferred to the
Russian front
"The third and most important reason
Of all. and in which is to be found the
keynote OF the entire retreat, is the fact
that the emperor and his advisers have
finally decided to withdraw their troops
from both France and Belgium and to
take their stand along the line OF their
own almost impregnable Notifications on
the Rhine Once having reached this
point. where their wonderful chain of de-
fenses can be manned by the fewest
possible number OF men, the purpose is
to make great final attack on the Rus
sian lines with the intention of forcing
Russia, if possible to re-establsh the
car or a new car on the throne.
at is not hard to find the policy which
has brought about this determination to
continue Germany's military enterprise
in the manner stated. The kaiser and
the protagonists of autocracy in Ger
many are well aware that kaiserism can
not live without czarism and that unless
the monarchical form is established in
Russia the death of unlimited monarchy
in Germany is fast approaching.
"The Russian revolution was possibly
the greatest shock that the German i'm
perialistic power has yet experienced in
this war But German intrigue has by
no means given up its efforts TO choke off
Russian democracy. The next move in
this direction will be an attempt 10 cut
Russia's armies to pieces in order to
bring czarism back into power out OF the
chaos that would result from great de-
feats for Russia.
This is the entire truth about the
present situation and compasses the real
reason for Germany's retreat to her own