The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-02
Hard Fighting At Mons

London Cable to the New ork Sun.
 Writing to his brother in England, Sergeant Loftus tells of his experiences at Mons. He says
 'It came unexpectedly at a time when we had given up any hope of seeing the Germans. Just after re- veille our cavalry pickets fell back( re- porting the approach of the enemy in force.
 "As we lay in the trenches our ar tillery opened on them in fine style and soon they returned the compliment. They were a long time finding the range. After about half an hour their infantry came into view. They were in solid squares, standing out sharply against the sky line. You could not help hitting them.
 We lay in our trenches without a sound and they crept nearer and nearer. Then our officers gave the word, a sheet of flame fliclxered along the trenches, and stream of bullets tore through the advancing mass. They seemed to stagger like drunken men, suddenly hit between the eyes, and then made a run at us Halfway across the open another volley tore through their ranks
 By this time our artillery began dropping shells among them, and then they broke into open formation, rush
 
 our left the Germans fell back in con fusion and lay down wherever cover was available. We gave them no rest and soon they were again in flight.
 Rush Follows Rush "Then came more furious smelling of our trenches and another mad rush across the open on our front. This time they were strongly supported by cav airy who suffered terribly, but came fright up to our lines.
 "We received them in the good old way, the front ranks with the bayonet, and the rear ranks keeping up an inces- sant fire, and after hard tussel they retired hastily. Just as they thought themselves safe our mounted men swooped down on them, cutting right and left.
 ''This sort of thing went on through the whole day without bringing the Germans any nearer to shifting us.
 After the last attack, we lay down to sleep in our clothes, but before sun : rise were told to abandon our posi- tion Nobody knew why we had to, but we obeyed without a murmur. The enemys cavalry evidently misunder- standing our action, came down on us again In force, but our men behaved very we'll, and the Germans gave it up as a bad job"
 The Dd1ly Mali Sdlu eultoTltlly t1iS morning:
 ''The concentration of the Germans 1n immense strength to crush the small British force is now an established fact. The result of the fighting which followed this concentration is not yet fully known The latest report only brings eventsf to Wednesday, on which date our two army corps were engaged by no fewer than five German corps and two cavalry di- visions These were stupendous odds as each individual German corps is stronger than British corps.
 Fight At Odds to 1 odds of three to one can only be with stood by the superlative valor which the British have shown and good fortune which no human courage can guarantee Endorsements are essential and in abun. dant numbers, as it Is evident that the strength of the German armies has been markedly underestimated. The Germans are known to have called on every avail able man, and Germany is now believed to have thrown a very large part of heI enormous forces in Belgium into northern France.
 "The Indian troops who have been sent to France will not go very far The whole energy of the British race must be employed. The nation must arm and prepare on a colossal scale and send every man and gun that can be spared here and now to the decisive point in France"