The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-09-30

motor. To the French peasants the
advance had been terrifying. Their
minds were awed by the never ending
masses.
By September Z, Gen. Won Kluck,
the impossibility OF
investing Paris, undertook to sweep
past the British lines in an attempt
to strike the French army Of Gen.
Won Buelow. Until that time the
character of the German advance had
been as follows:
Gen. Won Kluck, on the right of
the German advance, had sWerVed
past Paris and had advanced to Mont
mirail. He had travelled further and
faster than the German artillery to
the east, as the Anglo-French forces
on the left of the Allies had been
compelled to withdraw more rapidly
than the armies Of the Allies to the
east. Gen. vor Buelow, having occu-
pied Rheims, had proceeded in a
slightly southeasterly direction and
had reached Sezanne. Still further
eastward the third German army,
commanded by Gen. Won Hausen, con-
stituting the German left, where the
Grand Duke Albrecht was present
with a fourth German army, had pen
etrated to Vitry-le-Franeois. East Of
the Ardennes the crown prince was
essaying the capture Of Verdun, and
still further removed from the Marne
field was Gen. Won Heeringen in the
vicinity of Nancy.
The Beginning of the Battle.
On the night of Sunday, Septem-
Der 6, there had been furious fight
ing pretty much along the whole
line, notably at Coulommiers, where
the Fifth French army captured sew
eral villages at the point of the bayo-
net. On the morning of Monday,
September 7, Gen. Won Kluck, having,
as he no doubt assumed, passed the
Anglo-French line at the extreme left
Of the Allied line, attempted his
great stroke of combining with Won
Buelow for a terrific attack upon the
French center.
Having had to remodel their plans
the German general staff had staked
everything upon this essay, hoping to
split the Allied line and drive part
westward upon the Notifications OF
Paris and catch part between Won
Kluck's and Won Buelow's forces on
the one hand and Won Hausen's and
the Crank Duke Albrecht's on the
other.
The commencement of the six days
battle was the general advance of the
Allies, foreshadowed by Gen. Jofre's
order Of the 9Th. and shrewdly de-
signed to wreck the German plans.
Unquestionably the declining factor
of the whole series of battles was the
grand sortie by the Paris army OF
defence.
The 100000 men of that army,
fresh vigorous and moved by fighting
spirit, had been held ready for just
such an opportunity. The moment it
became certain that Won Kluck's
army had swept southwestward past
the Anglo-French forces the Paris
army of 100000 sprang from the
Notifications, interposed itself be-
tween Won Kluck and Won Buelow
(who was hammering at the French
center) caught Won Kluck in one OF
the most cunningly baited military
traps of the centuries.
The German commander was be-
tween two miilstones. On his right
we're the Anglo-Freneh forces. On his
left were the Parisians. The mill
stones were closing upon him. For
two days he fought terrifically and
just managed to squeeze out of the
trap, although suffered immense
losses in killed, wounded and pris-
oners.
Almost simultaneously with his
movement Gen. Pau, with a compare
lively small force of cavalry made a
successful raid upon the German line
of communications at their right, a
raid which had far reaching conse-
quence. Gen. Pau seized long wagon
train Of supplies that the German
troops desperately needed, ammuni-
ton and food.
Won KIuck Barely Escaped
Won Kluck, barely escaping from
the French trap, was compelled to
turn his face to the north and move
with all speed to extricate himself.
This was retreat. There was no
choice left him. 1t was retreat or be
hurled back to the west between
Paris and the sea, there to be sur
rounded and captured. His defeat
was great triumph for the plans of
the French General staff and for
French organization.
Aviators who observed the retreat
of the Germans have reported that
there could have been nothing more
impressive in all history. Hundreds
of thousands of gray uniformed men
were rolling back northward. not
merely over the roads but through
fields and forests, all in desperate
hurry.