Evening star., 1914-09-24

PARIS, September "a, 7:05 am
I The formidable force the Germans
! threw against the allies left Is still
/; finchfng. according to the official COM
| munication. under the unreiehtins
| blows of the Franco-English batterine
| ram. Even the famous guards. as In
| the battle of the Marne. are unable 10
stand the pressure. and are giving
little more ground every day.
The diversion attempted in Lorraine
having proved Intellectual, the Germans
are now making a fierce drive in the
Woeyre district, northeast of Verdun.
The object, no doubt, is to cut of the
army operating around Nancy. but the
Germans already had tried to make an
| opening between Verdun and Toul, be-
| sieging Troyon at the same time.
I The maneuver constitutes grave
I menace to the allies, who are reslstlns
| desperately. and have thus 1ar fepuiseo
attacks with heavy losses
Germans Lose Heavily on Right.
That the Germans are losing heavliy
. on their right is also attested oy 'he
: constant arrival here of prisoners anu
I wounded Early this morning many
7, automobiles were seen with wounoeo'
both German and allies. passing along
the streets, but some of these were
convalescents returning from the sea
shore and rejoining their corps;
The steady progress of the allies ie1t
fortifies confidence here. This morn
ing's press is unanimous tnat the ua
tie of the Aisne cannot last much
longer, for the steady retirement OF
the German right must entail weak
ening of the center elbow that the Ger
mans threw out along the hiVeF oise
to prevent being turned.
Official Comment on Battle.
The French official communication is
sued last night, after announcing that
there had been no change in the situa-
tion on the battle front since the issu-
ance of the previous communication,
made some comment on the battle OF
the Aisne.
The text of the announcement IS as
follows: There has been no change IN
the situation since the last commuhi-
.srhe battle which is in progress along
The Aisne has extended over eight
days, but it should cause no surprlse
If one recalls the Russo-Japahese war
'sThe battle of the Marine was an ac-
tion undertaken in the open field which
began with a general resumption OF
the offensive by the French army
against the enemy, who did nor ex-
meet it and had not time seriously 70
preanize defensive positions. The, same
cannnt he said of the battle of the
Aisne, where the adversary, VINO WIS
retracing, stopped and took posatnons pna
which, by the nature of the grouno,
are very substantial in themselves IN
many plaees,~.and which he mas oeeh
able gradually, to improve as to organ
A-War by Assault =
.Fhis battle Of the Aisne. therefore'
of
the character of war by assault similar
to the operations in Manchuria-
.It might be added that the excep-
tiona1 power of the artillery facing
each other-the heavy German artl-
lery against the French rs centimer
cannons-giyes a particular value TO
the temporary fortiications which the
.Fhe task is, therefore, to take whole
rows of intrenchments, each one pro-
tected by very close defenses, par
ticularly rows of bar6ed WIRE, win
mitraiIIeuses in concealed positions.
IN these circumstances. progress OF
necessity must be slow. It often hap
pens that the progress OF the attacks
only amounts to from Sou meters 70
ment ends
Situation ON Western Wing.
Cen. Joffre, the eommander-in-chisf-
of the French army. is devoting much
attention to the western wing on the
battle line, where the dghting has been
incessant night and day. The allies.
since the beginning of the battle Of the
Aisne, have pushed back the Germans
a distance of nearly eleven miles. fore
ing them to seek a further defensive
position on the p1ateaus and in the
rough country, which, however. offer
excellent opportunities for intrench-
ment.
The headquarters staff has been en-
ab1ed to make long movement for
ward toward the north. The town Of
GUS German bombardment for nine
days The cannonade starts each day
at dawn and continues until o'clock
in the morning. 1t then ceases and be-
It'll in the evening. The cathedral and
s-ether buildings have been greatly dam
aged
The German artillery is posted to the
northeast of the town. while the French
guns occupy an emplacement to the
southeast. There appears no necessity
for the shells to fall on the town itself,
as the French troops are stationed a
considerable distance from it.
Noiyon Cathedral Escapes So Far.
Noiyon is also suffering from the Ger
man gunfire. but the fine cathedral up
to the present has escaped.
Yesterdays advance of the allied
troops entailed very severe fighting, in
which the artillery played a large part.
The combat had lasted for twenty-four
hours. but eventually the Germans
yielded ground after losing heavily The
bulance trains have left the front for
provincial cities, carrying German and