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Now, aside from the military aspect of this terrain in its relation to Laon, already dwelt upon, there is also, as an ever-present rule of action in all that the Crown Prince does, the political as- pect. And it has been said on high au- thority that, somehow, somewhere, his Imperial Highness had to secure a strik- ing victory which would affect the mal- contents at home, in the Reichstag, and elsewhere. Whether the end which he had in view was purely a military one or not, the net result is that he has lost very large numbers of men without gain- ing anything in the way of observation pests or a tithe of the area which rep- resented his permanent achievements against Verdun. From the right bank of the Meuse the French lines still threaten Metz across the plain of the Woevre; still the French from the Chemin des Dames and the Craonne Ridge can see the cathedral of Laon. Offensive Against Russia The Teutonic offensive against the southern end of the eastern front, where it drops from Bukowina into Rumania, seems like an attempt to capture a doubtful outpost while the citadel itself lies exposed the citadel in this case being the road to Petrograd or to Mos- cow. prev next |