Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-09-25
Only Preliminary Stages
Of Big Battle Fought
GERMANS POSITION FORM.
IDABLE AND GROWING
STRONGER.
enforcement SCIENTIFIC
Remarkable Examples of High
est Art Of Modern War
fare.

LOnQOn, sept z4.-lntereSt IN Cne
fighting today centers in WOevre
says the Bordeaux correspondent o1
the Times, where the enemy is max
ing a serious effort to pierce the line
of forts linking Verdun and Toul
ITO the northeast OF Verdun." the
correspondent continues, least Of the
Meuse Heights and in the direction OF
Mouilly and Dampierre in the result
Of the battle. Let there be no mis-
take the enemy is going to give ser
ious trouble along the line, where with
striking recuperative power, they
-1&faged to gather their routed
shordes, fleeing from the battle of the
Marne.
"A week has elapsed since it first
became clear that, although forced to
abandon successive positions prepar-
ed for defense, the enemy had found
to north of the Aisne, north-north-
west of Rheims, formidably prepared
fortified positions upon which they
might hope to maintain themselves
for many days while their own troops
were recovering from the retreat and
while the fire of victory among the
allies was burning out.
Positions Are Strong.
The positions, enormously strong
by nature and dominating the valleys
and the towns, have been turned into
regular fortresses. The line OF
trenches, built with science and the
solidity of permanent works, are GOV
cred by thanking trenches brisltling
with Mitrailleuses and reinforced by
Mazes of barbed wire and blockhous-
es whose quick fires and Mitrailleus-
es sweep the whole front. To the
rear of these works the heavy artil-
lery is placed in position and from it's
fire such places as Scissors and
Rheims have suffered great damage
Gallant Rushes Made.
4 Most of the work IN this line was
finished while the battle Of the Mar
ne was still in progress. The Allies
did their best to prevent its compile
tion and there has been some desper-
ate fighting along the Aisne. Gallant
rushes have been made toward the
trenches and fierce hand4to ?hand
struggles have taken place upon the
top CT the Graonne plateau, the side
of which rises like cliff against the
allies.
':Attack and counter-attack succeed
ed one another while the endangered
crown princes army has been picking
a way out of difficult country into
a still more awkward position. On
cur right the enemy's army has been
seeking for an opening or weak link
in the chain Of forts between Toul
and Verdun.
Progressing Slowly.
1.-THE allies for their part have been
progressing slowly upon tho enemy's
right, pushing up a wedge into the
center between Rheims and Argonne.
Still the actual battle of the Aisne has
not yet begun There has already
been enough enough fighting to constitute
liminary STAGES of the big struggle
have been reached. The railways on
both sides are massing troops along
the front, the Germans coming from
Lorraine, the British from the whole
empire and the French from the south
and west.
Meanwhile the siege operations
continue. The deceptive lull which
preceded the battle of ,Liao-Yang has
fallen upon the field. The situation
remains unchanged in spite. of the fur
icus cannonadfng and the desperate
fighting but with each fresh engage
ment the situation becomes more
clear, the plan of the staff more def
mite and the day of its realization
more imminent"