South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-18
BRITAIN'S FORCE
AT FRONT COUNTS
EVEN 100000 MEN

tHllilfI over va lDNb railway INES,
the officers and men did not know
their destination. much less the public
at large.
A number of important harbors,
where in mercantile shipping war
ships or transports have been gathered
are closed.
For days the ports OF Dublin, Sheer
ness, Bristol and Southampton have
been packed with troops who were
embarking upon ships to carry them
to an unknown destination. However.
the most OF the soldiers guessed that
their destination was either France or
Belgium.
Most Of the British soldiers were
landed at Dunkirk and BoulOgne.
Was Like ClOckwork.
Thus far the first time in "a century
English troops were encamped on the
heights behind Boulogne under the
shadow Of the monument erected 10
mark the camp Of the great French
army when Napoleon invaded Eng
land. With the movement everything
moved like clockwork precision.
There was not a single hitch nor &C
cident in carrying out the caste scheme
and not one scrap OF information
relative TO the movement of the
troops reached German headquarters.
the war office believes.
a tremendous ovation. Officers, sol
diers and noncombatants took part in
the welcome. The French women
were particularly demOnstrative and
on every side was heard favorable
comment upon the gallant bearing,
physique and conduct of the English
troops.
Preparations are rapidly going for
ward to send more troops into France
ii tho activity rlpnvrQilA6 qf
the war office today.
The field force Of the English ex-
peditionary army is composed of
three army corps, each comprising
two divisions. and there is an extra
cavalry division under command of
Mai Gen Edmund Allenby.
Each army corps is formed Of "a
infantry battalions six cavalry regi-
ments, eight batteries of horse artil-
lery of six guns each. IS batteries Of
field artillery, each having six guns
engineers signal corps, army service
corps, and other details.
Lid on Newspaper Men.
The first army corps is commanded
by Lieut.. Gen. Sir Douglas Haig and
the third by Maj Gen w. z. Pultney.
The command OF the second had
been given to Lieut. Gen. Sir James
Grierson, who died suddenly on a
train yesterday.
No newspaper correspondents will
be permitted to further accompany
the eXpeditiOnary force at this time,
the British army council has decided
Passes which had been issued to sew
eral writer's have been revoked.
Announcing it's decision the council
states that the French officials have
also decided not to allow war cOrre-
spondents to march with the forces.
Strain OF Secrecy Hard.
The stress and strain of immediate
events not only preparing but pro-
ceeding along the entire war line is
like the silent but enormous pressure
of water before breaking a great dam.
While today's news suggests little or
no change of Importance there is no
doubt that the struggle for the mast
cry OF western Europe has fairly
opened.
This week will decide in great
measure the fortunes of war and the
future course of European history.
Three simultaneous and connected
battles have already opened. The bat
tie for control Of northern Belgium,
the battle for Ardennis and the battle
for Lorraine are at widely separated
points Usually one looks for the de-
cisive conflict at the center, but this
contest may prove entirely different.
The German advance through Ar
dennis will be difficult because of the
rugged. wooded nature of the coun-
try, which is also crossed by deep
streams.
The allies fate will undoubtedly be
decided on their right and left wings
lin the wide plains around Brussels
and in the Lorraine basin
Allies Are Anxious.
The one thing that the allies are
anxious TO learn is whether the Ger
mans will strike full force In one or
the other Of these arenas, or whether
they will feel it necessary TO act in
both simultaneously.
British military experts say they
may be compelled by the French
initiative, and the desperate urgency
OF their own fight against time to do
this.
Though the heavy armies of the
car have begun to roll against the
eastern German frontier. the first in
terest in events belongs to Belgium.
Piecing together the scraps of infor-
nation that have evaded the censor
ship we can form a pretty certain
opinion that the German pressure up
on the Belgium battle front is already
wider and more severe than the Off
cial statements suggest
Reports from Brussels suggest that
though the Lege forts held out Won
derfully both above and below that
city, the Germans possess consider
able facilities for moving it's large
army and massive artillery.
Alsace Situation Grave.
There is no doubt that the French
initiative In Alsace has created a sit
uation that must be reckoned with by
the Germans. The French invasion
between Metz and StrassbUrg will
menace the whole network of railway
connections with central Germany un-
less il Is repealed.
The French claim TO be complete
masters of the heights Of the Vosges
and all the chief valleys and say that
the troops Of the republic look down
from Mt. DOMAIN both Of Alsace to the
east and Lorraine to the north and
west. Mt. DOMAIN, more than 5000
feet high, is the bold sentinel of the
Vosges and from its summit can be
seen large part OF the provinces lost
by France and the network OF rail-
way communication vital to the Ger
man wing.
One SchOO1 Of T0rapCh ovnar+S has