Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1918-09-23

(By Associated Rresal
LONDON, Sept. 2S.-The British
independent air force dropped nearly
sixteen tons of bombs on German
aidrdromes and blast furnaces In the
Metz region Saturday night.
tHy Associated PressJ
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
of important iron fields, which be-
fore the war supplied France and
Germany with more than two-thirds
of the ore used by their iron manu-
factories.
Metz is on the MozelIe. 101k miles
west of the French border. The city
lays astride the Moselle river as
well as on both sides Of the Seille.
Part Of the city is on islands in the
Moselle. TO the east, north and
northwest are the iron and coal
fields Of French and German Lor-
raine. Deprived of these fields Ger
many could not conduct the war
another three months, 1t Is asserted.
The chief iron field OF the Rhine
district is that Of Lorraine. including
the Basin de Briey (tne center of
which is the little village Of Brieyn
the greatest iron producing region in
the world. 1t is located mainly In
Alsace-Lorraine and overlaps into
Belgium and Luxembourg. It extends
along the Franco-German frontier for
thirty-five miles. almost up to Pont-
a.Mousson.
Germanys possession of the major
portion of this productive area fol-
lowed the signing of the treaty OF
Frankfort in 1871. Previous to the
present war Germany obtained from
the mines on her side of the frontier
21 100000 tons of her total annual
production of 2S,OOO,OOO. while France
got 15,OOO,OOO out of total produc-
tion of 22.OOO,OOO.
Since her occupation in 1914 of the
mines on the French side Of the
frontier Germany has added to her
mineral wealth the 15.0OO,O00 tons
annually obtained by the French,
bringing her total production from
Lorraine alone up to 43,O00,O00.
The only practical road to this Inn
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
bulworks of the German southwest
ern frontier. Metz is city Of $4,000
population. its chief industries being
the manufacturing OF weapons
clothes. shoes and hats
As a fortress Metz has been im
portant since the Roman era. Since
that time it has never suecumbed to
frontal attack. Its present system
of Notifications includes twenty-eighi
detached forts which encircle the
city proper. The outer chain Of de
fenses, built within the last two de
cades. and undoubtedly perfected
since the outbreak Of the present
war, extend to Thionville on th'
north. and Gravelotte on the west
West and southwest OF Metz thu
course of the Moselle is lined will
high, wooded hills. The German fort
ress also is protected by heights an
woods northward. On the south, how
ever. the terrain is more open wit
few hills and little wood.
From the American lines soutl
, west OF Metz the nearest forts ar
) forts Haeseler and de Sonny on III
, right bank OF the Moselle and Fol
J Kronprinz on the left bank. Fol
de Sommy Is less than five mils
y CCoutinued On Pags FOuEJ