The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-26
YANKS STRIKE
AT IMPORTANT
). BASEL FOR HUN
Metz, Center of Valuable Iron
Fields Supplying 2-3 Total.
Production.
PRINCIPAL RAIL CENTER
Possession of Strongly Fortified
Point Gives Command of
Communications.

! Offensive operations toward Metz
strike at one of the most important
German, bases in the west The city
and the twenty-eight encircling forts
comprise what has been regarded as
one of the most formidable fortresses
in the world Metz also is the center
fof important iron fields, which before
the war supplied France and Germany
with more than two-thirds of the ore
used by their iron manufactures.
Metz is on the Moselle, 10h miles
west of the French border. The city
lays astride the Moselle river. as we'll
as on both sides of the Seille. Part
of the city is on islands in the Mo-
selle. TO the east. north and north
west are the iron and COAL fields Of
French and German Lorraine. De-
prived Of these fields, Germany could
not conduct the war another three
months, it is asserted
The chief iron field of the Rhine dis
trict is that of Lorraine, including
the Bassin de Briey (the center of
which is the little village of Briey)
the greatest producing region in
the world. 1t is located mainly in
Alsace-Lorraine and overlaps into Bel
GUM and Luxembourg 1t extends
along the FrancO-German frontier for
thirty-fve miles, almost up to Pont-
a-MOusson.
Germany's possession of the major
portion of this productive area follow
ed the signing of the Treaty OF Frank
fort in 1871. Previous to the present
war Germany obtained from the mines
on her side of the frontier 1000, 900
tons of her total annual production
OF 2S,OOO,O0O, while France got 15,000,-
600 out of a total production Of 22,-
100000.
r. Since her occupation In 1914 of the
mines on the French side of the from
tier Germany has added to her min
eral wealth the 15,0OO,OOO tons annu-
ally obtained by the French, bringing
her total production from Lorraine
alone up to 100000 tons a year.
The only practical road to this i'm
portant region, military authorities
agree, is the valley of the Moselle.
At the head Of the valley and barring
the way lies Metz, ranking with
Strassburg as one of the two great
bulWark' of the German southwestern
frontier. Metz is a city of $4,000 pop
ulation, its chief industries being the
manufacturing of weapons, clothes,
shoes and hats.
AS fortress Metz has been import
ant since the Roman era. Since that
time it has never succumbed to 'front.'
al attack Its present system of forti-
GfOf i,ol J1fo NJ, ,1I f<>~
which encircle the city proper The
outer chain Of defenses. built within
the last two decades, and undoubtedly
perfected since the outbreak of the
present war, extend to Thionville on
the north, and Gravelotte on the west.
West and southwest of Metz the
course OF the Moselle is lined with
high, wooded hills. The German fort
ress also is protected by heights and
woods northward. On the south, how
ever, the terrain is more open with
few hills and little wood.
From the American lines southwest
of Metz the nearest forts, are Forts
Haeseler and de Sony. on the right
bank of the Moselle. and Fort kron-
prinz. on the left bank. Fort de Som
my is less than five miles from the
French town of Arnaville. on the
border The forts sur
Metz were similar to those
at Liege, which were notable for their
turrets. German guns.
however, overcame these forts.
Metz also is an important point on
the railway line supplying the German
line eastward from Laon.
The fall Of Metz. not only would
proba bly, seal the fate Of the iron and
coal fields. but, through the severance
of railway lines. imperil the German
line west to Laon and thence north
ward to the Belgian coast. All reports
of possible German retirement in
the west have indicated that Metz
would form one of the bastions of the
German defense
-Buv ". s. S..