The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-24
From Yesterdays EvExINo srN.

From Yesterdays EvENING SUN.
Whether historians hereafter decide
that the battle OF the Marine or the bat
tie OF the Aisne was the decisive engage
ment of the present phase OF the European
war. the turning point In the fortunes of
the great German offensive. there can be
no question but that they vii. regard the
battle OF the Aisne as a far greater mill
tary operation. "a contest hitherto un-
clualled In extent of territory affected.
numbers engaged duration Of lighting and
probably In magnitude OF casualty lists
Patiently now. this battle Is passing
into It's final stage--the decision in the
ten days struggle between 100000 men
lighting from the Mouse ~ the Disc, from
the Belgian frontier to the German. over
"A front OF nearly goo miles. cannot
long be delayed. II is. then, perhaps
a fitting moment to review tho whole
Situation along thc extended lines. in
some little detail. with a view TO the pos
slbilltles Of the immediate future.
Let us start, then, with the positions
Of the forces north and enst OF the
Mouse In the original plan OF the Ger
man campaign the army OF the Crown
Prince was to cross the Meuse az Stenay,
turn south as the main German invasion
advanced. cut Nerdun of from Paris, be-
siege H. aided 10y German troops moving
west from Metz. take Il and thus open a
short road from Germany to northern
France. permitting the evacuation ot
western Belgium and the reduction OF the
army OF occupation, whose regiments
were needed on the battle line.
This operation failed because the re-
treat OF Won Kluck far to the west COM
PEELED the general withdrawal of the
German forces all through France. with
some difficulty the Cro~a Prince eNtrl-
faFI no, he N.r "
to Montfaucon. thus protecting his line
Of retreat across the Meuse at Stenay
toward Luxembourg Meantime the Ger
mans coming west from Metz have made
repeated attacks south OF Nerdun. These
continue but are apparently lltte more
than attempts TO prevent the French from
withdrawing troops to other nelds. In
the field east OF tho Argonne and on both
sides OF the Mouse the operations seem
20 have become uuimportan,.
slowly Driven BACK.
Operating west OF the Argonne are the
German army corps forming the left
wing OF the main German army In the
western field. They we're defeated at
the battle Of the Marine after desperate
attempts 20 break the French line be-
tween Vitry-lc- Francois and Camp de
Mailly. Since then they have been slowly
but steadily driven back. Their latest
retreat was from Souan. which Is mid
way between Rheims and the Argonne
In general they occupy fortified positions
along the Plain Of Chalons, from which
they are being driven slowly. Here too
the fighting does not seem TO be Of first
Importance
North and west NJ Rheims to the Disc
the situation Il wholly different Here
the armies Of Won Buelow and Won Kluck
are engaged IN a desperate attempt to
break the French centre and left centre
From east TO west the French position
here, starting from the city Of Rheims
goes north across the Aisne near Berry
au Bac, then west 20 the Disc along the
edge Of the Craonne Plateau. THIS pia-
teau ls a narrow RIDE between the A'sne
and tho Lctte and here for ten DAYS the
fighting has been OF tho most desperate
character.
Al Rheims and along The Craonne Pla-
teau the whole strength OF tho German