Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-10-06
WHEN THE RHINE is REACHED.

of Marshal Foch.
Yet few have ever seriously con-
sidered what a stupendous project it
is to invade Germany
Of course the casual observer OF
the maps, unfamiliar with topograph>
icaI OUTLAWS and obstacles, only sees
wide sweep of border, and natural
ly conjectures that, once the Allies
break through the Prussian last line
of defenses, they can step over into
German territory at almost any point.
But that cannot be done.
Indeed, there is practically only one
place where the invasion of Germany
may be attempted with any reasona-
BILE degree of success, and even that
particular point would afford almost
insuperable difficulties.
It will be remembered that Germany
marched over PROSTATE Belgium only
because it could not have any other
practical means of entry into France.
Suppose that all of France and Bel
GUM is redeemed, and the Kaiser's
hosts are driven back across the
Rhine In the first place, the Allies
could not follow them along the
route originally followed by the Ger
mans in their victorious onrush of
1914. That lies between the Neither
lands and Luxembourg, following the
Sambre river to Namur. That terri
tory is very mountainous, and affords
numerous strong positions that are
well-night impregnable to frontal at
tacks. North of Luxembourg, then,
the French and Belgian Ardennes are
equally impossible, and on their low
er reaches they are guarded by the
River Meuse. When it is considered
how difficult, how costly in men, it is
to force che passage of even the
smaller streams. it will be apparent
that the broad Mouse would give the
enemy an advantage that could not
be overcome.
There are thus eliminated two pos
sibilities-one an attack from the
west against the gateway to northern
Germany; and one an attack from
the south, by way of Verdun. There
remains, then, only the possibility of
reaching Germany by striking north
and west from the front between
Verdun and the Swiss frontier.
The initial step on the northern
section of this line would be to take
Metz as a base for further operations,
and American guns within only eigh-
teen miles of this strongly fortified
city, are already dropping shells
within its streets, and American
troops, safely entrenched in the St.
Mihiel sector, are substantially ham,
mering at its gates. Undoubtedly, the
offensive would be conducted all
along this line, ranging from Verdun
to the Swiss border and covering
nearly all of Alsace.
Coincident with drive like this by
the Allies, and reckoning on the with
drawal of the Germans from France
and Belgium the possibility must be
entertained of a debacle in the
Kaiser's ranks, due to the rapid re-
treat of so enormous a body of troops.
But should the Germans successfully
retreat, they would then be on their
own soil, with the Rhine in front TO
them The two opposing armies
would face each other, with the Rhine
between, The question then arises,
would the Allies be able to shove its
way over this river and through the
densely packed hordes of Huns? AS
military proposition, it seems inn
possible. Besides, once Germany has
yielded the iron mines of Lorraine and
Briey and Belgium and the coal mines
of France and Belgium, it will have
lost one of the sustaining pillars that