The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-13
Battle Believed to Have
Started Near Belgian
Capital.
GERMANY TO MAKE
SUPREME EFFORT
London Thinks Enemy De-
termined to Strike France
With All Her Might.

Npccift 'dbte DcsDdfch 10 TnT SIS
LONDON. Aug. IL.
The battle Of millions of soldiers,
which To all appearance will eclipse
any conflict of men in the worlds his
tory. seems to have been begun.
Each side has more than million
men. The German line Is 300 miles
long, the whole IT the first line ~ the
KaiSdr'S army being flung upon the
RelgianS and French I'm an effort 10 do
Stroy them swiftly before Russia
can throw her millions Of troops over
the eastern frontier Of Germany.
The main attack seems for the
moment To 10 directed on the line from
Ncmur to Nerdun. Until one side
gains some decided advantage no
reliable Information can he expected
from either army, as there are no war
correspondents in the field and all
telegraph aud other possible lines ~
communication with the world are "
the vigorous grasp of thousands or
vigllant censors.
II is therefore impossible Ia indicate
the exact nature or progress Of the
operations Occasional brief messages
/ from Belgian aud French sources claim
! successes here ana there hut none of
these Is of crucial Importance and ~
! the passing Of every hour must oh.
| vluusly alter the face of battle and
/ probably produce alternating advan
tages none of such reports can he ,;
much consequences
} Speculation is even more Valuclcss
ana would not lead To a clearer con-
ccption of what is happening than
could he derived from the thunder of
many guns, which is shaking the
houses of Maastricht and other towns
in the ncighborhood
Germans Have 20 Army Corps.
\ statement given out by the official
bureau of the War Ofnce regarding
the disposition OF the twenty-six Ger
man corps comprising the army of the
Meuse between Lege and Luxembourg
is the most authoritative Information
available. The position of the main
forces of the KaiSers troops is of far
greater Importance than the reports
Of cavalry engagements and other pre-
liminary operations which have been
the only news received IN the In It Tow
days
The Information gathered BY the hu-
reau seems to show that the Keiser's
General STAFF still holds 70 the atrcmrt
] . Ill.
in the hope of crushing her before Rus
sa can move her men over the border
in force. The German frontier in the
east is only lightly guarded. Their"
does not seem To he any intention ~ i
serious effort against the Notifications
on the FrHnco-German frontier
Everything Is being stalled hy the
Germans on the success NJ the move
mcnt in enormous strength through
Belgium and LHXcmhurg. Thus the
fight there, which will undoubtedly he
the greatest battle in history, may h"
expected 10 he wngcd between Metz
and Brussels The battle fronts viii
he more than 100 miles long AMI the
forces engaged about million men on
. each side
= Unofficial opinion here varies rs %
, which side will have prenonderatirg
strength IN this battle hut Il IS be
p ieycd that IN regard 70 numbers hey
4 will he about equal
A Great battle VIII Last for nnyA
The disiointei dispatches telling ct
cavalry engagements AMI other Skin
mishes must he taken as simply the
, first getting In touch of the hostile
t forces. 1t may be expected that tho
great battle will continue for several
p days II will decide If mn army com
d posing million men in the field can he
fed or handled as q machine.
While persons whose opinion ~ ~
. great weight hold that battle on such
n huge scale might end the way ~
n once. military men generally heh'v"
that such Is not the ease. \ damaging
Iblow 10 Germany might not be decisive
n as between Germany and her western
q foes. hu, with Russia almost ready I"
j. strike serious defeat in Beg'uh ~