LAND AND WATER 
October 24, 1914 
PLAN SHOWINO DANQEB Or 0»BMAN ADTANO ALONa THB COAST TO THEIR MAIN LIX. OF COMmiNICATIONS. 
Nothing but a similar answer can be given to the 
proposal to go on westward along the coast to the 
Straits of Dover in the face of such large forces of 
the Allies pushed forward eastward and below as far 
as Menin and Eoullers. To pursue the advance by 
the level road along the sands to Dunkirk, to Calais, 
and ultimately across the Grisnez hills to Boulogne 
with this big enemy-force on their left flank is 
impossible to the Germans. It is a march which 
simply cannot be undertaken until the Allies are 
pushed back from that flank. And to attempt it at 
all can only mean that the occupation of the coast 
immediately opposite Great Britain has in the eyes of 
the German Government (not of the German General 
Staff) some particular political value. Of strategical 
value it has none. 
The occupation of Lille, and the vigorous 
defence of the German positions south of Lille and in 
front of Douai (where the French have already 
reached the trenches), has a very real strategical 
meaning, as have had all the Gennan efforts upon 
this line from between Douai and Arras right down 
south to the corner of the old line of the Aisne near 
Compiegne. The strategical meaning of it is the 
defence of the main Gennan line of communications, 
and even a pushing back of the Allies from these, 
until the Germans shall feel perfectly secure. But 
the isolated Gennan thrust along the maritime belt 
is a waste of effort until or unless very much larger 
forces than anything hitherto brought to bear by the 
enemy should appear. Meanwhile, the advance of the 
wedge thrust by the Allies between these two German 
efforts, east and west of Lille, continues. 
It maybe of service here to give in some detail 
a sketch map of the district in which this double 
effort is being made by the enemy^ and to describe the 
fortunes of the fight during the last few days in 
detail; for quite probably in this field something 
decisive will be achieved by the one opponent or the 
other in the next few days. 
In possession oF Allies 
before the ^movement. 
Further Belt occupied hy 
Allies since movement began. 
The change of dispositions as we have learnt 
them from the official communiques of the French, 
the English, and the Germans upon this decisive area, 
the Franco-Belgian frontier, during the last few days, 
are as follows : — 
Following upon the fall of Antwerp it was 
generally expected that there would come a German. 
10* 
