Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-10-06
One of the Most Formidable Fortresses in the Entire
 World at Present.
1O1a MILES FROM
 FRENCH BORDER,
Ic Center of Important Iron Fields Supplied France
 and Germany.

Offensive operations toward Metz strike at one of the most important German bases ln the West. The city and the twenty eight encircling forts comprise what has been re- garded as one of the most formid- able fortresses in the world. Metz also is the center of important iron fields, which before the war supplied twOt thirds of the ore used by their iron manufactures.
 Metz is on the Moselle, 10 1-2 miles wes. of the French border. The city layG astride the Moselle rievr as well as on both sides of the Seille. Part of the city is on islands in the Mos ellie. To the east, north and north west are the iron and coal fields of French and Gerl1an Lorraine. De- prived of these fields Germany could not conduct the war another three months, it is asserted.
 The chief iron field of the Rhine district is that of Lorraine. includ- 1 ing the Bassin de Briey. (the centre of which is the little village of Bri- 1 cyl the greatest iron producing reg | ion in the world. It is located main- i ly in Alsace-Lorraine and overlaps l into Begium a LuXembug. It eX- extends along the Franco-German frontier for thirty-five miles, almost
 up to Pont -aMousson. Germany's possession of the major
 portion of this productive area fold l 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
 21.000,000 tons of her total annual production of 2S,000000. while France
 got 15,000,000 out Of total produc-
 tior of 22000,0o0.
 Since her occupation in 1914 of the, mines on tue French side of the
 frontier Germany has added to her
 mineral wealth the 15,000,G00 tons
 annually obtained by the French.
 bringing her total production from
 Lorraine alone up to 43,00o.O00 tons year.
 The only practical road to this l important region, military authcxities agree, is the valley of the Moselle
 At the head of the valley and bar
 ring the way lies Metz, ranking with Strassburg as one of the two great 1 tulwarks of the German southwest ern frontier. Metz, is a city of co., 900 population, it chief industries be- ing the manufacture of weapons, clo- thes, shoes and hats.
 As a fortress Metz has been i'm portant since the Romanera. Since that time it has never succumbed to frontal attack. It's present system of Notifications includes 2S detached forts which encircle the city proper The outer chain of defenses, built within the last two decades, and un- doubtedly perfected since the out break of the present war, extend to Thionville on the north, and Crave lotto on the west.
 West and southwest of Metz the course of the Moselle is lined with high wooded hills. The German fort ress also is protected by heights and words northward. On the south, how ever, the terrain, is more open with few hills and little wood.
 From the American lines southwest of Metz the nearest forts are Forts Haeseler and De Sommy on the right bank of the Moselle and Fort Kronen- ring on the left bank. Fort de Sommy is less than five miles from the French town of Anaville. on the Franco German border. The forts surrounding Metz were similar to those at Liege, which were notable for their disappearing turrets. German guns, however, overcame these forts. Metz also is an important point on the railway line supplying the Ger man line eastward from Laon.
 The fall of Metz, not only probably seals the fate of the iron and coal fields, but through the severance of railway lines, imperial the German line west to Laon and thence north ward to the Belgium coast. All re- ports of possible German retirement in the west have indicated that Metz would form one of the bastions of the German defense