The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-02

Actual fghting on the line OF the Aisne
began on Saturday September IL. near
Scissors. on the following day the Brit
lsh and French before and about Sois-
sons forced the passage OF the river.
effected a lodgment on the first hills above
the town. which form the southern edge
OF the Craonne Plateau Further advance
was checked by the German heavy ar
tillery which was discovered solidly
placed on cement platforms and pro-
tected by maze of trenches and earth
works
Since September 49, when tho battle
OF the Alsne opened, there have been
number OF phases which have In turn
been the central circumstances in ter
rife conflicts. They may be summed
up In the statement that at the outset
or the conflict the allied purpose was
10 prevent the Germans from taking
root In France about tho Champa2 ne
lilDs; this having failed there followed
more struggles provoked by the Efforts
or the Germans having reorgsnized their
FORCES after retreat to retake the often
sive and resume their march to Paris
In these earlier phases there was ter
rife lighting north and east OF Scissors
on the Craonne Plateau and about
Rheims, In their attempt the Germans.
Ike the allies, failed and In the opera
ton two parallel lines OF intrenchments
from the Disc to the Meuse were stretched
straight across northern France.
The next major operation. beginning
about ten days ago was the French
thrust at Won kluck's right nank. In
the pursuit of the Germans from the
Marnc the army OF Paris had been on
Won klucks right flank until It reached
Noyon. Here Notifications on the Noyon
HIS and along the Somme in front OF
81. Quentin and Peronne temporarily
checked the thanking movement Fur
ther delay was caused by the condition
OF the roads.
This operation was not abandoned. how
ever, and last week London dispatches
described the advance OF the French.
coming round by the lower Somme,
through Amiens and then turning east
toward St Quentin. lie Catelet and Roisel.
to all or which they are described as hsv-
Ing advanced. Reaching these towns
they were squarely on one line OF the rail-
roads supplying Won Kluck and were
stretching out toward the second, and
In fact the life line OF the Germans de-
scending from Belgium to Laon. Could
this advantage be pressed II was clear
Won Kluck would b. cut off from western
Belgium driven east toward Won Bue-
lows army and away from his line OF
supplies
Germans Take Offensive.
But at this point tho Germans. bring
ing up new army corps took the often
sive vigorously from Noyon to lie Catelet
and drove the allies back upon Amiens
Albert and beyond Bspaume on tho west.
while an offensive from Noyon pushed
the allied forces before this town be-
vond Lassigny. which had been captured
by the allies. and back upon Roye to the
west and Rlbecourt to the south In
sum. this German operation temporarily
blocked the great thanking move OF the
allies and gained from ten to twenty miles
on front Of some nifty west OF the Ger
man line OF communication
What forces the allies have remains n
profound secret. There were reports of
| fresh British force presumably lnclud-
ng Indian troops. which had been landed
AT Boulogne, Ca'ais and even Ostend
and sent east and south Gen d'Amade.
commanding the French contingent. was
also described as having been heavily
reinforced But after several DAYS OF
confidence, disclosed In optimistic Paris
and London dispatches. II is plain that
things on this field took a bad turn for
the allies. The hoped for success was not
achieved and the ground gained was lost
Meantime. far 10 the east. the Ger
mans broke out with n thanking move
ment OF their own. The army of the
Crown Prince north OF Verdun moved
'outh between the Argonne and the Mouse
TO cut Nerdun or on that side and reached
Narennes and Clermont. At the same
time the Bavarian army. moving out
from Metz and toward the forts OF the
Meuse south Of Verdun. succeeded in fore
ng passage OF the Mouse between Yer
lun and Toul and taking one OF the bar
rer forts near 81. Mlhel
Such an advantage, II pressed, would