Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-20

with Verdun by the Meuse and Hlr-
son. over this battle-ground OF the
ages have been fought most OF the
famous campaigns Of northern
France In past centuries.
A retreat to this front would in
volve the abandonment OF five -sixths
OF that part of France now held by
the enemy. but Belgium would re-
main In the grip of the invader. The
brutal logic OF militarism, II this re-
treat is carried out, Will almost
certainly lay waste the country over
which the Germans pass, with the
object OF not only terrorism. but of
greatly impeding the allied pursuit.
When roads, bridges and railways
have to be rebuilt. portable huts
transported into regions where not
a wall is left undynamited. and wa
ter piped or carried In tank cars
into regions where no we'll Is left
Imprisoned, the task OF an army
passing through artificial deserts
after an enemy who has behind his
own back as he retreats, roads, rail-
ways, intact buildings for billets, and
good water, becomes increasingly
difficult the further back the enemy
goes
lIZation will hope to the last, that
fear of vengeance will prevent the
Germans from carrying out this most
terrible crime. But military men
have little hope that the great gem
eral staff will scruple to destroy
thousand towns ana many fair cities
before the cannon begin In earnest
for the final campaign OF the war.
More Terrible Things.
And II the Germans fail to hold
the line suggested an even more ter
rible probability looms up. The next
line upon which they would pre-
sumably retreat involves the cession
of the richest and most densely pop
ulated part OF Belgium. II would
base It's right flank upon the forti-
fled circle OF Antwerp. extend to
cover Brussels, and thence pass along
the railway to the river Meuse at
Namur, down the Meuse TO Nerdun,
and 80 probably before Metz and
Strassburg to the Rhine. yielding
most OF Alsace-Lorraine The Ger
mans believe that their line could
safely be brought back TO Metz ana
Strassburg without opening the faith
erland TO serious danger OF Invasion
over the upper Rhine, because the
allied army attempting TINS Feat,
without violating the neutrality OF
Switzerland, would find itself In the
wilds OF the Black forest, and GER
many knows we will not violate
Swiss soil, though we could not feel
so confident were the conditions re-
Versed
II the Germans retreat TO the
second line according to plan" and
burn Bruges. Ghent, Brussels, Lille
and half dozen other great cities.
probably fifty times the material
and artistic damage will be done In
the closing phase OF the war than
has resulted from four years OF
fighting Here, again, the world
can only hold it's breath and wait.
trusting that there are politicians
In Germany with enough intelligence,
IL not humanity, TO RESTRAIN their
army leaders from perpetratinE
crimes beside which anything Ger
many has done would pale.
The line sketohed last represents
the final defensive positions Luden-
dorff or his successor could take
up before the war was carried on
German soil. and in military opinion.
when this Antwerp Metz line Is once
broken, the end will be in sight, for
there are no further natural de-
fenses until the heart Of tho great
industrial country OF Westphalia is
overrun, and 1t is unthinkable that a
German army which could not hold