The Washington times., 1918-02-10
reat German West Front OfensiveWhere and How Hard
OML YFOUR PLACES
IN WHICH DRIVE
CAN BE EXPECTED

tack on q sector where hundreds OF
miles of road and railways have come
into being behind the French lines
through that great battle, and where
the best points for concentration
whether for munltlonments or men
are known by heart and have all been
tested by experience. It would be at
tackIng over ground broken by the
original enormous struggle.
What Is thus true OF Verdun IL true
OF every sector in which one Of the
great actions Of the west has taken
place The argument against an at
tack in the st. Quentin sector is that
an advance there would take the
enemy over ground he has himself
ravased and desolated during the re-
treat from Noyon. 1t has In It's favor.
however. the fact that II Is the juno
ton place OF the two allied armies
and. politically, that an advance there
would be q direct threat to Paris
In the maritime sector the fullest
effort or the Germans was made and
failed long ago. when they were i'm
mensely stronger In proportion 70 the
allies than they are now. II Is a sec
tor Of peculiarly difficult ground,
from Its intersection with watercOurs-
IS and from being subject to inunaa-
ton.
There remain the sector OF CAM
brai, the open sector between the
Meuse and the Yosges. between -4sty
and Toul, which may be called the
sector OF Nancy; the sector OF Lille,
and the sector OF Upper Alsaee.
Cambria Il Best
Served for COmmunIeatton.
Cambrai has the advantage that Il
ls the best served in the way Of
communications OF all points on the
enemy front There can be. gathered
most rapidly and most continuously
the re-enforcements Necessary FOR 4
great action The sector Immediately
to the nOrth-the sector Of Lille
comes second In this respect. Both are
admirably served with roads and rail-
ways behind the German front and
stand nearest the German western
centers OF supply. In each case, OF
course, the attack would come upon
the British line.
OF the two Alternative points upon
the French line the argument against
the choice OF Alsace Is the extreme
OF the ground. while the
tax OF turning the line around BY .
SWitzeriand-though everything is
possible In war-is not convincing.
Denies through Swiss territory here
are difficult. and this is hardly the
moment In the war for the German
empire to commit a new breach Of or
binary morals. The fact that this
movement was widely advertised by
the Germans a year ago was almost
enough to make US rule II out.
For the remaining French sector OF
Nancy much more may be said. Il
las great base behind 1t at AIstz, -
. open country, and Il threatens q
itch town which the French would
be expected TO cover and
ave. II has not yet been the theater
'I any great action since the war OF
ceasd in the west and siege
Ines were established. ! see NJ Tar
lieu has written suggesting tI4at this
rector may most probably attract lns
enemy. His words always have
weight, and his summary OF reasons
8 strong.
In conclusion we must remember
hat such a list as / have given here
las no relation to forecastinE or %
he stupid form OF sensationalism
which pretends to have unmasked the
senmy's design. It Is merely a very
,rief summary OF the calculabls els-
nents for and against the various
'arts OF the line as to the theater OF
he enemy's operations this year. We
must also remember that, since sur
rise is an essential OF success, he
must depend more upon tactical nov
ilty In weapons or method OF attack
han on the choice OF ground when all
sround is continuously covered and