The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-21

- lSUHbIuuGu Il EDIk 4 age Ii o.
reach the front where the Germans
will stand at bay.
The German defensive lines re-
semble tree with three main
branches. The trunk Of this tree"
has its root at the Swiss frontier and
continues as far as Metz, where it
divides into two branches. The
westerly branch runs to the north
west as far as the Mouse river, where
1t separates, one limb" crossing the
Meuse and running westward, after
which it sweeps to the north on a.
long curve. The other follows the
Mouse down as far as Namur,
whence it runs to Brussels and Ant
werp, and thence to the Dutch from
tier.
The branch that crosses the Meuse
is the first that must be broken by
the allies. In fact, recent British
and Belgian victories in Belgian
Flanders, seem to have rendered a
large part of this line untenable as
a permanent defensive position.
This line crosses the Meuse at
Dun, goes through the Argonne for
est and then follows the Aisne river
as far as Rethel, where it turns
north and passes near Guise and
Solesr1es. 1t continues north past
Valenciennes and reaches the Scheldt
at Condo. 1t runs along the Scheldt
past Journal and Client. where it
turns to the eastward and reaches
Antwerp. This is the "Hunding line"
The Second Line.
The second line, known as the
Line Of the Meuse." is established
on the east bank of the Mouse river
northward from Dun. 1t passes Sc
dan and Mezieres and enters Bel
GUM just TO the southwest Of DinanI.
AT Namur it Ieayes the river and
runs to Brussels, continues on to
Antwerp, where it joins the ''Hunding
Line" and continues on to the Dutch
frontier.
The third line is the original de-
Tense zone along the German from
tier. South of Metz, it is centered
around the 81 permanent forts about
Strassburg. It runs over the high
land and precipituous hills -un the
Vosges mountains and is several
miles deep.
At Metz the Germans have con-
structed 20 great forts which are so
located as to command all approaches
and, at the same time capable of
concentrating their fire on any one
fort which happens to be entered by
the allies.
s.. One GFeat Fortress.
Northwest OF Metz is the great
iron field of Briey. The Importance
Of this iron deposit has compelled
the Germans to convert the whole.
country there into a veritable for
tress. This line runs along the boun-
Diary between France and Germany,
bending to the northeast until it
reaches the Luxembourg line.
If this belt should be, pierced, the
Germans may fall back to the Saar-
brucken and Kaiserslautern regions,
which are interlfned by rivers and
high wooded hills, which lend them
selves admirably to defensive opera
tons.
East OF Luxembourg, it is reported,
the Germans have devoteda great deal
Of time and labor to the construc-
ton Of permanent Notifications.
cobIenz the Key.
The country along the Belgium
frontier between Luxembourg and
Holland is dominated by Coblenz,
which Marshal Foch considers the
key to Germany. In this area is
Bonn, a fortress of the first class;
Cologne, which is protected by d
broad belt of entrenchmehts, and a
series Of strongholds running along
the western side of the Rhine until
| that river passes into Holland.
Should the three lines mentioned
be broken, or if the allies should
break through between Metz and the
Swiss frontier, the Germans would
be compelled to fall back into Ger
many proper or to the south, to cross
the Rhine. This historic river is
really the western moat of the leu
tonic castle. It's whole eastern bank
is strongly fortified and would be
capable of a protracted defense This
line of resistance begins at Lehr and
runs down the Rhine thrCEgh Often
burg, Rastatt. where American pris-
oners of war are chartered; KARLSRUHE,
Mannheim, Damstadt. Wiesbaden,
Bendorf. Kalk. Densburg and Vessel.
In their retirement from their pres
ent positions the Germans will be
able to shorten their lines materially
and thus increase the number of men
available for resistance along their
new fronts. The Hunding line is
about 70 miles shorter than the Hin
denburg system, which IS now but a
would shorten the front by 20 miles
more, while the Germans, if they
should retire to their own frontier,
would be able to still shorten their
front by 35 miles.
This shortening of the line will be
Of tremendous Importance in future
operations by the allies, It would
make up, to large degree, for the
heavy losses inflicted upon the Ger
mans during the campaign of the
past summer and give them man
power that would be formidable
barrier to an allied advance. \
The Mouse, the Aisne and the
Scheldt rivers and the canals in Bel
GUM, in the vicinity of Brussels and
Antwerp, will also be valuable adj
juncts to the conduct of the defen-
siye fighting by the Germans With
the development OF the tank as an
offensive weapon, a FLYER as a first