Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-09-03
GERMANY FACES PERIL
Allies, 1t ls Believed. VIII Soon Be
Bombarding The Rhine Cities.

As . Washngto correspondent OBJ
serves, the Hindeuiurg Line is no
longer the immediate objective of the
Victorious Allied armies. 1t is no long
er the goal which Marshal Foch hopes
to achieve before Writer renders cam
p&igning on 4 large scale difficult, if
rot impossible. 1t may have been,
three months, even six weeks, ago.
Tut it is not now.
The Supreme Commander is looking
beyond that barrier of concrete, stone
and steel with its labyrinth of trenches,
It's elaborate system Of wire entangle-
ncnts, its railroads, It's highways and
its convenient proximity to the sources
of German war materials. He is look
iEg to the valley OF the Rhine and,
unless the enemy is able to hold the
cnrushing legions which he commands,
the Hindenburg Line will be put to
the rear of the Allied armies before
the first snow flies.
And if this comes to pass, many
millions of the German people will
feel the horrors OF war in 4 manner
unknown to them before. If Luden-
! dorf is compelled by resistless pres
sure to withdraw his forces to 4 point
or or even near the German frontier
The Allied artillery will begin bonn
bardment of the Rhine country that
will dcsolate it as the Germans have
lcsolated hundreds Of square miles of
French territory.
It is by no means sure that Sd
cannonade as just described cal,
carried out from positions south
IIindenburg line. Upon this there
difference Of opinion among !
military doubt that if the Gel
armies are unable tomake Il sue
fui stand along the line which t.
held at the beginin" Of their offensn
in March and are compelled to drop
back upon their frontier, practically
every city on the Rhine will be wreck
I'd before the winter IS over.
And when this she!ling begins, many
millions of Germans will begin to un-
lcrstand what it means for an enemy
tc train its guns upoa cities.
Already the Rhino country is in a
STATE of terror Mannheim, Cologne,
Frankfort and other large ce7ters o.
population have been repeatedly bcmb-
I'd by Allied airmen. Mass meetings
are being held to :iWplorc the German
Genera! Staff for protection. The !
ncoplc are dcm0raliacd and are clam 4
o"ing wildly for cessation Of the :
kind of warfare whlch' their highly 4
!vilizcd government iilauguYatcd when
t began its air raids over London ard
It's long-distancc bombardmcnt Of
Paris. But Berlin knows no. way to
safeguard these cities and contents it.
self with abusing Their frightened peo-.
ple because of their loss of courage.
But once these cities become the
targets for the high explosive shells
of the British, French and American
artielry, the people III them will re-
aixe that air bombing was mere chi!d's
riay. They will either have to seek
refuge in the interior Of Germany or
else remain behind and take an in
finite scvcrer measure of punishment
,han their ruthless war lords inflicted
lpon the civil population Of Paris.
It is not the terrorism which Mar
.hal Foch would spread among the
acoplc of the Rhine country, however,
tt,at would count heaviest in the bal
lnecs of war. 1t is the damage which
he would visit upon the great war in
dustries which the Germans have con-
lceptratcd in that se5tlcn In order to
save transportation and to effect the
swiftest delivery Of materials, the
German government located hundreds
Of vital munitions plants along the
Rhine. They are only a few hours re-
moved from the field armies and trey
rive the German general staff an
enormous advantage over the English,
who have to draw their supplies from
across the Channel; over the frencn,
who have to draw theirs from remote
sections of the republic, and over the
Americans. who get theirs 5000 miles
away.