Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-09-24
DESCRIBES ACTION
OF BRITISH FORCES
Sir John French Gives Account Of
Fighting Since September
Eighteen
BATTLE NOT IN VALLEY ALONE
All Counter Attacks OF Germans
Fail and In some Places They
Are RepuIsed Half "A
Dozen Times.

LONDON, Sept 23.-The following de-
scriptive account from Field Marshal Sir
John French's headquarters OF the British
army's operations up to September Is, was
issued tonight;
General Headquarters. sept. IS. 1914
at the date Of the last narrative Sep
TENDER "a, the Germans were making de
tormined resistance along the River Aisne.
Opposition, which It was at first thought
might possibly be of a rear guard nature.
not entailing material delay to our prog
ress, has developed and has proved to be
more serious than was anticipated.
The action now being fought by the
Germans along their line, may, II is true,
have been undertaken In order to gain
time for some strategic operation or move,
and may not be their main stand. But II
that is so. the fighting is naturally on
scale. which as to what extent of ground
covered and duration Of resistance, makes
II neutrality-suspicious. in its progress from
what is known as pitched battle though
the enemy certainly showed signs OF con-
siderable disorsapization during the earlier
DAYS of the retirement phase.
Cannot Yet he said.
Whether It was originally intended by
them to defend the position they took up
as strenuously as they have done, or
whether the delay gained for them during
the 18th and 18th by their artillery has
enabled them to develop their resistance
! and force their line to an extent not orig
inally contemplated, cannot yet he said.
! so far as We are concerned the action
still being contested is the battle Of the
/ Aisne. The foe we are fighting is just
across that river along the whole OF our
! front to the east and TO the west. Tho
struggle is not confined to the valley of
that river, though II will probably bear its
name.
The progress Of our operations and the
French armies nearest us for the 14th
! 18th, 10th and 18th will now be described
Hold Their Footing.
ION Monday, the 14th those of ouI
troops which had on the previous day
crossed the Aisne after driving In the
German rear guards on that evening
found portions OF the enemys forces II
prepared defensive positions on the right
bank and could do little more than get
footing north OF the river This. however
they maintained in spite of two counter
attacks delivered at dusk and 10 p. m. IL
which the fighting was severe
During the 18th strong reinforcement,
OF our troops were passed to the nortl
bank, the troops crossing by ferry, b!
pontoon bridges and by the remains o
permanent bridges Close cooperation
with the French forces was maintaine,
and the general progress made was good
although the opposition was vigorous an,
the state OF the roads after the heav
rain, made movements slow.
"One division alone failed to secure tn
ground 1t expected to.
= Take six Hundred Prisoners.
The First army corps, after repulsin
repeated attacks captured 600 prisoner
and twelve guns. The cavalry also tool
number of prisoners. Many OF tn
Germans taken belong to the reserve an
landwehr formations, which fact appear
to indicate that the enemy is compelle
to draw on other classes of soldiers I
fill the gaps Ia its ranks.
There was a heavy rain Throughout
the night OF September H-l5 and durin
the 18th the situation of the BIRTHS
, forces underwent no essential change
But 1t became more and more eviden
that the defensive preparations made b
the enemy were more extensive than wa
J at first apparent.
"ln order to counter balance thes'
. measures were taken by us to economic
= our troops and to secure protection froI
. the hostile artillery fire, which was yer
r fierce, and our men continued to impro,
a their own entertainments The German
- bombarded our lines nearly all day, usin
. heavy guns brought. no doubt, from b.
n fore Maubeuge, as we'll as those wit
v the corps.
1 Counter Attacks Fail.
Y "All their counter attacks, howeve
e failed, although in some places they wei
8 repeated six times. One made on II
2 Fourth guards brigade was repulsed wit
o heavy slaughter.
d IAN attempt to advance slightly, mat
- by part OF our line, was unsuccessful
ragor1, gaI, 90 yronpd hut Iaa q, ~