South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-03
ALLIES ARE FACING
CRISIS IN WORLDS
GREATEST BATTLE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE)
and artillery when pressure from the
German right flank became too heavy.
An important section of the German
engagement was fought at Gapaume,
90 miles northeast of Paris This
fight took place in a dense fog. dur
ing which there was danger of soldiers
/ firing upon members of their own
army.
The French were doing bravely un-
til the machine gun fire of the ma
chine guns when British forces arrived
unexpectedly upon the field.
The British soldiers fired into the
/ positions occupied by the French and
the latter retreated being worn out
4 by the fierce onslaughts of the Ger
mans. Although hard pressed by over
whelming numbers, the British put up
/ a magnificent Tear-guard action.
Strung Out i'm Wedge Formation.
The northwest wing of the allied
army is now strung out i'm a wedge
formation with the British forces an
! apex, taking the brunt of the fight.
/ Although the Germans have driven
| back the allies they have not sue
ceeded in crumpling up either side of
/ this angle The allies also have the
advantage Of moving on interior lines.
/ That is 60 say, that being on the in
\ side of the angle, they can move
/ troops more quickly from one point
! TO another than the Germans.
With their strong left wing resting
on the strongly fortified line of the
Paris forts and with their right wing
strength by the defensive line from
| Verndun to Bellaie the allies are in
/ a position of great strength.
/ If the Germans concentrate against
! the left front Of the French and the
| French reserve armies can assemble
west of the Seine, rush forward and
attack the invaders upon the flank.
Push Across Seine.
If in their effort TO continue the
great turning movement the Germans
/ push forward across the Seine and
thereby encircling the forts Paris TO
gain the rear of the allied armies. the
/ French can mass their reserve corps
behind the center at Rheims and push
against the weakened German center.
The Germans along the great battle
| in the north are lighting like
men possessed. and the officers evil
IDENTITY being urged daily by the kaiser
To cut a road through to Paris and to
get to the city without an hours de-
! Law The territory over which the
army is now struggling in the death
grapple. is historic ground.
The old grim ground of the army
/ lies in the forest of Campeigne. ON
the edge of the forest is the palace
| in which Napoleon BOnaparte passed
his honeymoon with Marie Louise. \
mi within the forest stands the
! CHI eau in which John ID. Rockefeller
| lived during his trip TO France some
years ago. Desperate lighting with
! cavalry dashes. infantry charges and
artillery duels is going on with all the
| fury known TO warfare, around THIS
district. Both sides are believed TO be
| losing heavily, although il is Obvly IS
hn
| heavier. owing to the entertainments
/ of the allies.
1 Germans Need Two Millions.
The French military authorities de-
clare that it would require an army of
| 1000, 600 men to invest Paris success
fully on all sides. The creates, rear
of the French and British military
/ commanders is that the Germans. in
| a desperate rush, might break through
/ the allied line, separating the south
ern from the northern army.
/ The editor of a French newspaper,
| discussing the plans of the Germans,
/ says
1T may be the object of Emperor
| William. if ne is able To force an en-
, trance into Paris. to compel the
/ French government TO persuade the
powers of the triple entente to grant
/ an armistice. This might be done
| through threats 10 burn the city.
| Paris Becoming ArIncu lamp.
| Paris is rapidly becoming great
armed camp and preparations 10 re-
! siSt a siege are going or fast and fur
ious The people are becoming hard
! ened To the perils Of war and the
/ presence of German aeroplanes over
| the city and even aerial battles. such
as occurred yesterday, arouse more
curiosity than fear.
Ii is the view o. War Minister Mill
] 4 ~. aranrr a NJ tor
/ of the defensive forces and the other
military authorities that Paris will at
| once become the pivot Of military OPP
erations i'm northern France. The
/ French forces around the city VIII
/ give battle to the German invaders
before the actual siege can begin and
/ the maneuVers OF troops around the
city are expected TO cover extensive
/ territory
! EXPIRES. Clelnenceau. wiring OF the
| present operations and the abandon
| ment OF the capital by the admins
/ trative forces of the government.
! SAYS.
I All these battles without decisive
I result are none the less OF the high
/ est Importance for they are so many
! checks on the march of the German
/ armies upon Paris
No Parallel i'm This Situation.
After the capitulat.on OF Sedan
and the investment Of Metz in the
/ Franco PruSSian war France was
I without an army. There is no parallel
/ between that and the present situa-
! ton. The French army holds the
! field. IL has suffered much. but has
/ inflicted no less cruel losses upon the
| enemy and ours should he more easily
/ made good.
/ individually the army Is standing
/ It's ground everywhere with varying
] fortunes. as is inevitable in all war. II
! being forced back at certain points
| and advancing at others. The strug-
/ sic IS So closely contested that even IL
| We Yield at any particular spot the
| German does not readily recover his