The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-08-27
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AObettlsm.
AUGUST 27.
The French and German War.

The French and war.
The midnight arrival of the steamship Ajdr,
at 1 O'Clock A. NJ, Sunday morning, with the
mail and dispatches from Berlin, Paris and
London, but ten days old, all agreeing as to the
complete victory of the Germans and the defeat
of the French army, in the first great battle
fought between them-sent a thrill of excitement
through the town, exceeding anything known
here for years. To the Germans, it was a mes
sage of Joy from Faderland, to learn that their
army had gained a great victory, and that, too
ON French soil while for the French nothing
remained but to hear the bad news, and bear up
under the misfortune with true French courage.
Our readers have probably all perused the full
war dispatches given in the extras on Monday,
and republished with corrections and additions
on our fourth page. But it will be well, in
order to have a more clear knowledge of all the
facts. to make some explanations, which will
render the present and next advices more intel
ligible.
4 War was declared TN the 10th of July, by
France against Prussia and all her allies. Imme-
diateIy both powers set to work, with the vast
resources at their command, preparing for the
contest, which was evidently intended from the
first to be an international duel, on a grand
scale. to test the merits of the famed French
chassepot gun against the Prussian needle gun.
Towards the close of July, the army corps of the
two powers began to concentrate in torce-those
of France near or over the boundary separating
her from the Rhenish provinces; extending,
according, to the telegraph from Strasbonrg n"ar
her eastern boundary, to ThiOnville, through the
intermediate towns of Bitsch, and st. Avoid and
CITY of Metz. On the Both of July, when the En-
peror went to the front, it was supposed that
800, 900 French troops were collected in and
between these places.
The German forces were not less active In
forming in their various positions. At the same
date, according to Paris kilograms, the Prussiant
had 300 900 men at Treves, 100 900 in the Black
Forrest, 2OO, 900 around Mayence, 100, 900 ii
Scblesvig on the Danish frontier, and 80 ,00C
near Berlin. This gives a total force of $50 ,OOC
n men. In the triangle formed by Treves, Mayenc'
and the River Toule, forming the German front
there were supposed to be over 100000 troops Oh
the 3lst of July, on which day King William
joined his army.
From Mayence, running south to the Swis'
border. is a range of mountains called the Vosges
The plan of the Prussian Commander-in-Chi
appears to have been to advance his forces a.
three Laroe armies. the first, under Prince ROya
Frederick William, COmmander-in-Chief is cas-
of the Vosges Mountains, along the River Rhine
the second. under General Won Bittenfeld, moves
in a line from Treves to Metz: and the third
under Prince Frederick Charles, is between TIL
other two. The plan adopted for the campaign
is peculiar to Prussian tactics-to divide its arm.
=. - I.-.,;o,s op1 bv ranid m0vampDt fr-
to flank The enemy. This causes the enemy T.
spread out his forces and thus weaken his strength
On the ID of August, the advance forces sud
denly came together at Saarbruken Tor Saar
bridge) in the Rhenish provinces, and only a fev
miles from the French border. After a shor
engagement of two or three hours, the German
retreated, and the French occupied the bridge
Had the French known how weak the German
were at this point at the time, they would prob
ably have pushed forward, and carried the fight
ing on to German soil.
On the 3rd and 4th, a more serious engage
ment took place at Weissenburg, just on tn
French border, and east of the Vosges mountains
The Prussian Crown Prince was in comman
here and won a victory, the French retreating s
rapidly that they left behind them one of thei
wounded Generals, Douay. The Prussians ad
vanced rapidly, and on the 9th, at daylight, cam
up with the French army, and opened the battl
!, of Hagenau, a full description of which is on GU
last page. This was the second defeat OF Genera
, McMahon's army, and created the greatest alarI
i and excitement throughout France.
3 After this battle, and flushed with victory, tn
German troops advanced again, and according t
D the latest kilograms were concentrating IN fore
8 around the city of Metz, where a battle must hay
. been fought about August II to 10, unless I'll
3 French forces retreated. Metz is a city of $500
9 inhabitants, located on the River Moselle, IL
2 miles due east of Paris. 1t will at once be see
s that if the Germans are victorious here. nothin
: will hinder them from marching on to Paris an
] investing the capital. This was feared at Paris
Q the latest advices, and every effort was beir
3 made to fort1fy the city, and place it in a state
defence. But what is done will have to be dor
hastily, as the German army moves with extrao
binary rapidity.
The German army has for its Commanders
Chief. the Crown Prince Frederick William
His Chief of staff are Generals Moltke, Blume
thai, Sparkling and Stehlin. King William
headquarters were at last advices at Mayence, 81
he probably moved forward as the army advance
As we stated before, the main army under {
Crown Prince, was on the upper Rhine, east