The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-10-15
Hun is Preparing His Lines
For Winters Stand in Bel6ium
Foch Seeks, by Series of At
tacks on Meuse. to Break Series
Before Occupied-No Thought
at Washington That Complete
Evacuation of Invaded Terri
tory is Contemplated by Ger
mans.
BY a, e. GELDHOF. r..
IN. E. A. Washington Bureau, 1880
32.34 Munsey BLDG, Washington

There is much talk these days of
the complete evacuation OF Belgium
by the GERMANS before Christmas.
You don't hear that sort Of talk in
Washington.
Military authorities here recognize
that, while the early evacuation of
the eBlgian coast cities and Bruges,
as well as most of northern France,
is a foregone conclusion, the Germans
have a series of three strong forti-
fled lines in Belgium on which they
will make stand for the winter.
The opinion here is that. unless the
kaiser agrees to evacuate all occupied
, territory, the allies will have to drive
the Germans from Belgium in the
spring.
There is little hope that Wilhelm
will answer any Of the president S
! inquiries in a direct and unevasiye
way. and It, is considered certain that
he will refuse to .evacuate the soil
his hordes have grabbed. To do that
would be too much Of a shock for the
Hohenzollern dynasty to Withstand at
this critical period in Germany.
Junker Party Active. BE.
The Junker party already has its
hammers out for Prince Max, and if
Wilhelm the Damned should capitu-
late before making one more effort
to hold Belgium the Junkers will make
it so uncomfortable for him that he
will be damned in this world as we'll
as in the next
1t is likely, therefore. that when
spring comes we will find the Ger
mans attempting to stand on one of
three fortified lines running from Bel.
GUM into northern France. From
unimpeachable authoritative sources 1
learn that these lines are as follows:
ONE-F'rom Client straight south
through Andenarde, RenaiX, and I.ueze
to Nalenciennes, in France Here the
line turns east to Maubeuge. whence
1t runs southeast to the Meuse at
MeZieres. From MeZieres it follows
the Meuse to Verdun.
TWO-1f the Germans are driven
from this line before, winter they will
retire to, Antwerp. From Antwerp
ward through Malines and Louyain
~ ->oHul IOui -SdIUuT IL lOllUNS
the Meuse and connects UP with the
first line at Mezieres. Retreat to this
line would mean giving up Brussels
and even half of Belgium.
" THEEE-The third line has been
prepared in anticipation of forced
withdrawal from nearly all OF Belgium.
1t starts at Antwerp and runs south
eastward TO Diest and Hasselt. thence
AK la Chapelle. This is the last line
OF resistance in Belgium. n
Antwerp is Vital Point.
It will be noted that all Of these
lines" contemplate the holdip Of Ant
Werp and the Scheldt river Germany
viii hold on until the last minute to
her chance of getting a port on the
North sea. The possession Of Ant
werp, however. is vital to the allies
from a military as well as political
standpoint. and the HUNS will have
a job on their hands to hold it.
rochs strategy contemplates
breaking this series of defense lines
before the Germans are forced to re-,
tire to them, This is evident in the
terrific assaults Pershing's first army
has launched against the Germans
along the Meuse east of Yerdun. If
Foch can break through the Meuse
inc and advance as far as the Ger
nan OF Luxembourg border, the HUNS
viii have to start fortifying new