The sun., 1914-09-12

advance % the line where the INnnrh
always knew they must stand to await
the progress OF Russian advance until
such time us the Eaisers General stan
would have to send army corps east and
then to turn upon the German army.
diminished In numbers By drafts to tho
east wearied by tremendous cNcrtions
ana weakened hy the enormous losses in
cldent to their method of making att cLs
by mass separated by many miles from
theIr railway bases, In "A hostile country.
compelled to dcttch many thousands ~
men 20 guard their communications. this
was French strategy. and tho French
answer 10 the imperious necessity of Ger
man strategy, namely to crush Franco
before Russia came up.
Now Russia has come up. Her vlcto-
rics ia the east have compelled the with
drawal or many thousands OF first line
troops from Frame. Meantime German
losses have been enormous anl ~ vet
no real German StratePicai SUCCESS has
rewarded the magnificent courng, and re-
inarkdble efficiency of the soldiers and
General STAFF But on the other hand
Gernany has reached the point where
France must fight, tho point from which
rrench retreat might lmperil the existence
or French military strength as 1t would
certainly cut her battle line In half
Under these circumstances and chiefly
between Montmirail and Nitry-le- Francois
armies are fighting a desperate and trs-
mendous battle II thr French line holds,
" German advance fails TO break through
French resistance made on a field long
ago selected. prepared, falls TO crush
French armies now certainly equal and
probably superior In numbers possess
ing tho incalculable advantage NJ nght-
| ing near Its own base OF supplies and
! with "A network OF railways behind II
| TO enable speedy reinforcement Of
threatened points, then the whole Ger
man On tnsive must IL would seem not
merely fail but rccoil
| For IL is not sufficient 10 hoid the French
on their present lines Immediately ,he
necessity OF sending more troops east
| ward Will become pressing, ana n tho
! German forces in France cannot win
with the numbers they now possess. what
| chance will they have when reducaI'
As for the allies. defeat will certainly
| mean severe loss of present advantages.
possibly disaster n the Il feat is a rout,
| or II the German victorS are IN cuud
| tion 10 turn and speedily destroy the
F-,rch centre and right In IN" Arronne
| ana the Vosges But even disaster now
will not mean what II would hd,c .lr,c
w,ok, ago when Russia hdu not y
como up and crushed Austrian military
yer
As for the British advance in tho wes
II Is plainly da ring and so far suc-
|
! flank. throw the exhausted army OF Gen
Won kluck back upon the German GEM
tire 10 reach for tho communications of
the whole German force and Icy the pres
sure IL exerts upon IN. German right
compel tho centre and LETT to weaken
their attacking lines hy sending rrcn,
furccm"nts 90 save tn, shattered right
The mpmoutaIN advantage of tho Rritisl
suggests that their venture may succeed
uulcss German rcenforccments from Bel,
Cum arrive in time.
Bu' the outstanding fact is that the
German advance IN frauc. has nov
reached a crisis. French strategy has
succeeded. in delaying the declsiv, en-
counter until the invader IS already wear
cncd by drafts Scut to Russia 10y tire
mcndous losses and by oxertions hithert,
unparalleled iu war. Regard being had
for the situation I'm the east, it IS mo-
dificul: 10 see why Germany must now
win IL tremendous aud crushing victor,
o. aba ndon her uffensiv" and retire r.
defend herself against attack from th'
two fronts, from the Russian as well Al
the French frontier aud perhaps 20
morrow from tho Austrian also