The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-12


and so steady this retreatthat q sin.
Isle day OF rest from the German bat
terfng ram spells victory in large let
tiers across the front page OF oul
Idailies. An analysis, however, OF TN
meager reports which filter through
from Paris and London, gives nc
foundation for such hopes. Quite on
She contrary, 1t is becoming more
clear each day that operations arc
under way Of such great magnitude
that a failure on the part OF the AL
lies to hold their present line coulc
we'll mean overwhelming disaster.
The only cheerful news which |
can see from the point OF view OF the
Allies is contained in the report ina
the French have advanced their lelt
wing about ten miles in the genera
direction of Meaux. This left wing
has been retrcatins for the past rev
weeks at an average of seven or eight
miles per day because of the STEADY
German pressure. Apparently this
r~rssurC is no longer being cxertGd
and the French left wing. prcsuma-
big resting on Paris. is advancing
without energetic opposition from the
enemy. Apparently, then. the Cor
mans have abandoned their drive on
Paris in order to establish Il more I'M
partant drive on the French eft cen
3, ter, possibly ear Sc%annc. AS TINS
change Of direction on the Fart OF
the extremely active German rign'
-. F,a, Davis - small hOHN
Of rCar-guard troops was let 10
screen its new advance. 1t is IN"
withdrawal Of these forces that cause
the French claims Of victory.
I,cports arc at hand of cavalry
skirmishcs at NOgCnt-Sur-Scinc ana
even at Troycs. Both of these places
are south and cast of Paris. II ny
any chauce the Germans have been
able to throw any considerable bod
les of troops in the country ABOUT
Troycs they would seriously cndah-
ger the Allies position at Sczannc
and Vitry. IT will he vitality ncccs-
sary for the Allies to hole their pres
ont line, 4 further retreat OF their
left and center would result III th''r
position assuming the shape OF Il"
enormous inverted ~" with Ncrdun
lat the ton, Bclrort at II extreme OF
the fork and Troyrs at the other. INc,
Germans would then be IN Il posi-
ton to force tho II half OF the Al
lied army upon tho other. Apparent
~, Paris will not be invested for the
present. The Germans are conceh-
t:uting their fun strength in an at
tempt to annihilatc the field armies
of the enemy in France.
\ week ago the French line was
rcportcd to hold L.aon and Noycn. To
day they arc fifty miles south oil that
point. There seems to be no good
reason why these strategic retreats
should not continue as there has been
no evidence Of ability on the part oil
tho Allies to check the overwhelming
German advance. The fact that we
DO not understand. at present. inc
precise Significance of the change OF
direction of the German right wing
leads me to believe that an enveI"p-
ing movement on Il grand scale IS I'M
der way, the significance Of which
we shall learn in a few days.
The most important operations OF
1.-The day are probably taking place
between Vcrdun and Nancy. At TINS
lroint tho Germans have masScd the
armics of the Crown Prince and the
Duke of WucrttcmbCrg in an attempt
to pierce the French right center and
drive it back against the advanced
German right. If this attack is sue
Iccgyful. and the history of the war,
Ito date leaves no other conclusion
1.-THE French arc about to suffer their
greatest reverse.
If YOU will take the map In anntl-
or part Of this paper anu mark the
Iroints of Bclfort, Epinal. Nancy, Yer
dun. Vitry, SCZannc and Montmirai
iNnu will obtain a very fair idea oil
sthc line of battle. The first German
army under Gen. n klnck turned
asst frcm Paris and is moving in the
direction Of Montmiral. The second
and third armies under Gen. Won
; Buclow and Gen. Won Hau3cn az"
Ipassing south Of ChaionS TO Nitr%.
lThc fourth and fifth armies under
l;hC Grown Prince anu inc DukC 'l
WucrttCmhcrG arc operating against
Vcrdun. The sixth army under IN"
Grown Prince OF Bavaria Is ATTACK
ing the line between Ncrdnn and
Nancy. The whole front of the Al
lies is based on strongly fortified po-
sitions. 1t will take tho Germans
several days of hard fighting to
.hring about another strategic re-
treat"
Tho report that 100000 Russians
have been landed in Belgium and
France can be consigned to tho rest
of the basclCGs rumorS which letter
the reports from London and Paris.
To transport such enormous bodies OF
troops from Archangcl through Eng
land to France is m undertaking un-
I.tt, " I,n,yn I,nnn nppnNn1iGhT1