South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-31

the CDuAils ltdNlIlE lilS AbNI calm anu
peaceful. The department of Bias de
Calais. from Lille 10 Dieppe is said
TO be free from Germans. Dispatch
bearer, from the front passed through
here sunday afternoon and afterward
the good news was posted that the
German right had been checked and
slightly turned"
French Hold Good Position.
The Paris correspondent Of the
Chronicle wires:
The French army and our troops
are now holding good positions in a
much stronger and closer line and
stemming the tide of the German host
rolling toward Paris
Along the FrancO-Alsatian border
the German army is still striving with
might and main TO break the French
lines. The French troops in that
quarter have been more successful
than those further north.
Writing from Amiens, w. T. Massey,
a correspondent, says:
Great care is being adopted TO see
that the wounded. who are brought
here do not meet and discuss war af-
fairs with civilians. Those who do not
feel themselves bound by this restric-
ton have little TO tell of what occur
red within a limited area. wounded
british huSSar told me that the Brit
ish cavalry was compelled TO change
its position constantly BY the quick
ness of the German movements
Many trenches were dug which were
never occupied.
This hussar described the German
Uniform as very hard to pick out at
long range. even with field glasses
"All through 1 have told of the
fighting Of the French and English in
northeastern France against odds but
the German advance has been stayed
F-1ar
at Marville, "a French force of 5000
men of the second army corps not
merely stemmcd the strong German
tide, but rolled back a force of 20, 900
men for L hours 1t was not until
there was risk that the French would
lose touch with their supports that
,ney retired.
Around CharIevine is a semi-cir-
cJlar sweep of hills. on these the
French artillery posted their guns,
the cannon being placed in holes
scooped out on the hillsides so that
they would not be visible to the eyes
of the German scouts.
(Charleville is on the Meuse, 1870
miles northeast Of Paris and so miles
south of Brussels.)
Germans Are Trapped.
Finally the German advance guard
was seen approaching over three
bridges leading into the town. They
were not opposed and they advanced
rapidly in great numbers Suddenly
the bridges which they had crossed
were blown up. Their retreat was
cut off. The destruction OF the bridges
was the signal 10 the French artillery
men TO open fire. At the same time
French sharpshOoters. who were in
ambush, began 10 pour in effective
volleys.
Into all the town. except around
4 Il
men had secreted themselves, there
was a tornado of bursting shells.
Houses collapsed and the air was
| filled with smoke and Wreckage.
Within 10 minutes the town was de-
| stroyed. Charleville had been a depot
for the captured German cannon and
in the park here were 90 field pieces
taken at God knows what sacrifice
| by the allies"
German prisoners complain that the
/ army transport system is given over
almost entirely TO the carrying of am
| munition; consequently food has been
/ scarce in the German camps ever since
/ the war broke out"
Ashmead Bartlett. another war cor
| respondent, calls this the critical
| week Of the war" and saws that II
/ viii 90 down in German history.
Although the battle line OF the
/ allies in the north has been driven
! back so miles within the past week,
| the British soldiers stand higher in
/ the estimation of the allies than ever"
/ he continues.
Held Straetgical Advantage.
Up TO the present the Germans
! have enjoyed an enormous strategical
advantage. They have strained every
effort 20 gain the maximum profit
| from H. But so far they have sin
gularly failed. They have inflicted no
crushing defeat. nor have they yet
captured the rBitish army, a feat
which they have striven TO ac-
cOmplish since the English soldiers
went 10 the continent They have
pushed back the intact allied line
| from the Sambre to the Somme and
/ they have overrun with masses Of
cavalry all of northeastern France.
| They are even repc rted 10 be in pos
| session OF BOulogne. thus cutting the
| British army's natural line OF COM
munication and forcing Us 10 adopt a
new base.
THAT is the absolute extent OF their
successes. Were Germany fighting
France single-handed and had this
position been reached two weeks ago.
they might have been satisfied. AS il
is they can only regard their position
as desperate. To achieve this result