Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-24
THE CITY OF METZ.
Facts About City That the Americans
Are After.


,rons,ve operations toward Metz
strike ut che of the most important
German bases in the west. The CITY
and the twcnty-ciSht cncirciins iof'S
comprise what has been regarded aS
ono of inc most formidable fortresses
in the world. Metz is also tine center
of important iron fields, whicr oelore
the war supplied France and Germany
with more than two-thirds OF tn orc
used by their manufactures.
Metz is on the Moselle. lOl-2
miles west of the French border. Ihe
city lies astride the Moselle river aS
weu AZ on both sides of tie Seille.
Par, of the city is on Islands III
the Mosellc. To the east, north an"
northwest are the iron and coal
fields of French and German Lor-
raine. Deprived of these fields Ger
many could not conduct the war an
other three months. ii is asserted.
The chief iron field Of the Rhine
district is that of Lorraine. including
the Bassin de Briey, (the centre OF
which is the little villag, of Briey)
the greatest iron producing region III
the world. 1t is located mainly IN
Alsace- e-I,orraine and overlaps into
Belgium and LuXcmburg. II eNtendS
along the Franco German frontier for
thirty-fiye miles, almost up to Pont-
IL -Mousson.
Germans possession of the major
portion of this area followed til" sign
ing of the Treaty of Frankfort in 1871.
Previous to the present war Germany
obtained from the mines Oh her side
of the frontier 21,000,00O tons Of her
total annual production of 2S,ooo'ooo
tons. while France got l5.OOo'ooo out
of n total of 22.OOO.000 tons.
Since her occupation in 1914 OF the
mines on the French side of the 'front.'
tier Germany has added to her min
eral wealth the 100000 tons an
nualIy obtained by the French. bring
ing her total production from Lor-
aine alone up TO 100000 tons Il
year.
Tie only practical road to this i'm
portant region. military authorities
agree, is the valley of the Moselle' Al
the head of the valley and barring the
way lies Metz. ranking with Strass-
burg as one of the two great bilwarks
of the German southwestern froatier.
Metz is a city of $4,000 population. Its
chief industries being the maI,hfactur-
ing of weapons. clothes, shoes and
bats.
As n fortress Metz has been import
ant since the Romanera.. Since that
time it has never succumbed to 'front.'
al attack. Its present system OF forti-
fications includes IS detached forts
which encircle the city proper the
outer chain of defenses. built within
the last two decades. and undoubtedly
perfected since the outbreak OF the
present war, extend to Thionville on
the north, and Gravelotte on tn" west
West and southwest of Metz the
course of the Moselle is lined with
high wooded hills. The German for
trrss also is protected by heights and
woods northward. On the south. how
ever. the terrain is more open with
few hills and little woods.
From the American lines southwest
of Metz the nearest forts are Forts
de Sonny on the right bank of the
Mozelle and Fort Kronprinz on the
left bank. Fort de Sonny Is less
than five miles from the French town
of Arnaville. on the Franco-German
border. The forts surrounding Metz
were similar to those at Liege. which
were noted for their disappearing
turrets. German guns. however. over
come these forts.
Metz is an important point on the
railway line supplying thS German
line eastward Of Laon.
The fell Of Metz. not only would
probably seal tho fate Of the iron and
coal fields. hut through the severance
of railway lines, imperil the German
line west of Laon and thence north
ward to the Belgii.n coast. All re-
ports Of a possible German retirement
in the west have indicated that Metz
would form one of the bastions Of the
German defense.