Omaha daily bee., 1914-11-01

resume OF the actions since September
70 are here presented
on September ! the German forces IN
the western thoater OF war formed n
line reaching from the immediate cast
OF Belfort TO near Polk about twenty
miles southwest Of Amiens in northwest
ern France. In the south and so far as
Verdun. this line occupied the territory
between the German border and the Bel.
fort-E pinal-Toul-Verd fortress line OF
the French. a position which during the
recent heavy fighting has never materi-
ally changed. North OF Verdun the Ger
man line formed a semicircle. extending
along the valley Of the Meuse and the
border Of Belgium, and then. taking a
sharp turn to the west at Mczierts, Il
passed St quentin onward to Polk.
Vcrdun Made Pivot.
In the subsequent operations Verdun
became the pivot, as Il were, though for
time the German center and right wins
advanced and were later driven back,
the troops east and south Of Verdun
never changed their position to any great
or important extent. and today most OF
them occupy the ground then taken.
Forced marches brought the Germans
on September very near Paris. with
verdun on the left of the forces which
had taken up the pursuit Of the French
troops. the Germans changed their posi-
tions I'm the north so that on September
their line had true east and west d.
rect'on. extending from Immediately
north OF Yerdun TO Rheims and a point
between Beauvnls and Meru. directly
north of Paris The many attempts OF
the French left wing In which fought
the English expeditionary forces, TO check
the German advance proved futile st.
Quentin had been lost by the French ana
the La Fere-Laon-Rheims line Of forti-
flcations had been reduced by the Ger
mans with surprisingly little resistance
on the part Of the French. La Fere and
Laon surrendered quickly. and Rheims
was defended Tho prospects that Paris
would be invested had become so threat
ening that the French government moved
to Bordeaux.
For several days no material change
In the location Of the two opposing arr
mics took place. on September the
Germans reached the valley Of the Marine
north OF Chateau Thierry, and the first
contact actions with the French troops
lying before Paris took place
on the following day French and Eng.
lish reports claimed that for some ur-
known reason the German right wing
was contracting and that the body in
general was moving in southwesterly
direction. Little credence was at first
given this report, but on September I
inferentlal confirmation came from the
German general headquarters. What the
purpose of this movement could be was
at FIRST not understood, but II was learned
afterward that not alone have the Ger
mans transferred a large force to rein
force the troops opposing the Russians
In East Prussia. but that there had been
serious difficulty i'm the supply arrange
ments, the troops in France lacking both
food and ammunition.
German Right wing Contracted.
On September the German right wing
had contracted 20 such an extent that
It's army corps were no longer north OF
Paris, but east OF II. Back OF the ad-
vanced German right wing were the
forces which had bcen occupied with the
reduction of French Notifications, but
these could not be employed In field OPP
erations, being hampered with the care
OF the German heavy siege park. Off
clal reports from the following day
showed that the Germans passed Cha
Ions crossed the valley OF the Marine be
tween La Ferte and sezanne ana were
about to roach the valley Of the Seine
southeast Of Paris
mi. IL.
neuver has been learned from German
sources. the impression prevails that tho
Germans intended 10 follow up the re-
treating French forces by passing Paris
on the south and In so doing separate
the troops in the capital from those OF
the field army There Is no doubt that
had this movement boon successful the
German main force would have pressed
on, leaving the reduction OF the Paris
forts to the troops which had been en-.
gagged IN similar work at Maubeugc
Longwy, Givet and Mamur.
Prepared Flank Move.
IL appears, however that while the
Germans advanced on Paris, demanding
superhuman exertlons from their famous
right wing, tho French government
NNuHAlilk Ri AIt res SUNK NhputlAN VI INV
Belfort-V crdun defense line OF fortified.
TONS quietly withdrew large part OF
it's field forces In that part of the ter.
rain. and shipping II past Paris on the
west. prepared for "A flank movement
against the German right wing. On Sep
TENDER II THIS maneuver began to be
felt by the German troops north of the
Marine valley--the folding back .of the
German right wing had begun. with
Verdun still the extreme of the German
troops affected by the maneuver. theil
line was bent back, until with some
ground gained I'm the Marine valley, Il
formed semicircle the ends of which
rested on La Fere-Iaon defense line and
Verdun. On September ~ the German
right wing spread out again In a north
westerly direction, and on the Same day
the German center fell back byond Cha
Ions. reaching on the next day the
strongly fortified positions about whicl
since September 10 has RACED one OF tbs
most desperate struggles In military his
| tory. Rheims had been reoccupied by
the French. and the German line oocu
Piled more or less the terrain In which
found itself on September g. retaining
however, the fort line OF La Fere-Laon.
Tcutons Resist Attempt.
A..