Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-25
LINES IDEA" AIRED
IN GERMAN PAPERS
Recalls Frontier Wall Built
Across Southern Germany
by Old Romans.
FORTIFIED LINE IN THE WEST
Claim Made That 1t Could Be
Defended With Few Classes
Of Reserves.
FORTIFIED LINE IN THE WEST

ZURICH, August 24.-There has been
a grand shake-up In the German high
command. That much Is known here.
It's extent and effects are gucsswork.
Ever anxious to keep the slightest in
ternal trouble from the knowledge OF
the outside world, the Berlin censor is
WORKING his blue pencil overtime in
frantic ende3vor to cover up the great
house cleaning" that was precipitatcd
by the M-rnc hasco. and Intensified
and extended after the collapse of the
German Picardy wedge.
One thing seems certain-IIinden
burg Is back in the saddle
That fact-if 1t is fact-oyer-
shadows in Importance the question
whether Grown Prince Jinx," as some
OF the best-behayed neutral cartoonists
liam ever since verdun. has actually
been shelvcd or whether for dynastic
reasons he remains nominally in COM
mahd OF the German center on the
west front.
CROWN PRINCE FIGUREHEAD
If HINDENBURG IS RESTORED
Certain it is that IL Hindenburg has
tull sway once more the Kaiser's eldest
son Will hereafter be an ornamental
fiEurehead.
1t was under Ludendorn's regime that
the heir to the German throne thrived
The. story goes that 1t was Frederick
Williams influence that lifted IIinden-
hurg's original amanuensis to the
throne of military Caesar. and that
had TO give his young patron free
hand, even against his better judg-
ment.
But the question OF questions that
for the moment monopolizes the inter
est IF Europe's military observers is
What Will be Hindenourg's new
"DEFENSIvE IN WEST"
SUGGESTED BY CRITICS
Defensive in west" is the answer
suggested by nearly all the foremost
denburg'S maxim from the outset of the
war has been attack In the east. hold
out in the west"
In this connection the follow
ing highly interesting article ap-
pears in the Neue zuricher Zeitung:
In the existing circumstances the
OF the fact that the achievement Of
certain str:tesic aims has failed to
bring abou, the III. honsd ,tor result, name
entirely different means for the con
6nR sns1FaS Re ahg na.!iad IDEAS ra''q That have
been aired OF late In the German press.
some 50 Of ,;,,i then, Highly adyenturous.
others quite plausible. Is. the lines
.1The word lines recalls the frontier
waiLItilmes) which the old Romans
with it's turtets, castles and fortified
camps this wall was to ward on the
attacks OF the Teutohs.' constantly at
war with the Roman .legions.
The modern 'lin,es, which the ad-
vocates of this project in Germany
visuaiite, tls,,, is you'd be fortified line
from the Alps to the Adriatic: a line
equipped with all the devices of modern
technique. with ,bombproof dngouts,
subterranean, routes, of communication.
extensive foreheld fortifcations
For the defense Of this line. ac-
cording to the lines idea only few
That would make il possible to de-
mobilize at least three-quarters OF
Germany's armed strength and to turn
these huge forces of fighting men into
a gigantic army of workers. engaged
in peaceful pursuits in the midst of
the war.
PROJECT PRECLUDES
THOUGHT OF OFFENSIVE:
The project. of course, prccludcs
every thought of future ci,.man
offensive The presupposition is that
all enemy offensives shall be broken
in the forefeld fortifications In fact
such onensives would be rendered
impossible by artificial swamps and
foundations over vast stretches in front
of the foreheld line.
Aerial lighting and U-boat warfare.
so the aGitatorS of this plan argue,
would give the enemy plenty II do
"On the other hand the erection Of
in a position to devote themselves to
the great internal problems and to
economic expansion in Eastern Europe
as we'll as Western and Northern Asia.
by means of economic agreements
with these wide areas in the East,
and through vast economic and COM
mercial expansion. the central powers
could. despite the continuance Of the
war. create a well-founded basis of
transition from war to peace. They
could bring the so-far neglected pro-
duction Of raw ms terials in the east
ern countries to its utmost height and
thus. partially at least. lead commerce
and industry back in.o the channels
Of peace
Naturally even this lines idea
would not create an ideal situation
for the central powers. IT. chief ad-
vantage would lie in calmly awaiting
the development of things"
York school Drops German.
YORK. PA. August 24.-German as
a study. has been dropped from the