We study systems of traveling continuum modeling the web as a thin elastic plate of brittle material, traveling between a system of supports at a constant velocity, and subjected to bending, in-plane tension and small initial cracks. We study crack growth under cyclic in-plane tension and transverse buckling of the web analytically. We seek optimal in-plane tension that maximizes a performance vector function consisting of the number of cycles before fracture, the critical velocity and process effectiveness. The present way of applying optimization in the studies of fracture and stability is new and affords an analytical tool for process analysis.