The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-19
THE WAR SITUATION FROM DAY
TO DAY. j
by HERMAN RIppER

The hour is at hand when the
prophecies and expectations OF many
years are to be quito the test. we
are shortly to deal with hard facts.
The voice of the big guns will 81.
lence idle conjecture. In Belgium.
the scene Of so many great engage.
ments, the armies are preparing for
the greatest of all battles. The his
tory Of Europe depends upon the out
come.
The German General Staff, when
face to face with the desperate situa.
ton of fighting Russia and France,
decided promptly, that an invasion,
of Belgium was an absolute ncces!
sity under the circumstances. France
had prepared for a Similar step.
It is true, that Germany violated
the neutrality of both Belgium and
Luxembourg. Bismarck. who welded
the German Empire together with
blood and iron. maintained, that treat.
les and compacts in the hour of dan
ger were not worth the paper they
were written on. "Das viele Blut
wiseht die. Tinte aus" as we say in
German.
The Keystone of the whole plan OF
the General STAFF against France is
the occupation of Belgium. The Ger
mans could not have anticipated the
desperate courage with which the
Belgians entered upon defense Of
their frontier. But. nevertheless, the
rlans have been carried out with
grim determination. Belgium has
won the admiration of friend and foe,
but the German advance continues
step by step, day by day. with ire
sistible force. The lines have been
drawn and the first engagement of
the long series of battles will be
fought to determine II tho way to
Paris via Maubcrgc or Lille Is open
to the German army.
1t is apparent from the reports
from Brussels, Paris and London. mis-.
leading and biased as they generally
appear, that the Germans have mass.
ed an enormous army for It's often
sive operations in the north. We as
sumo the concentration Of tho Army
Of the Mouse. which operated against
Liege, the first army OF the Moselle,
which operated against Luxembourg.
and the second army of the Moscllc,
which passing through Luxembourg,
headed directly west into Belgium.
shows that a combined army Of
French, Belgian and English troops
has been gathered to oppose the In
yading forces. 1t is difficult to cx-
plain the failure Of reports Of vic
tories OF the English troops except by
the assumption. that they have no,
IS yet arrived on the scene.
1t has been reported viasLondon
hat the Germans will attempt
turning movement around the lef
flank of the enemy in order to fore
hcirslcft wing back upon Drussc'
md Antwerp. However, the caviar
Green thrown out by the Gcncrr
staff would cfrectualIy hide thci
,lans. 1t cannot be definitely state,
hat such turning movement is an
der way.
:, The German front extends fror
icge on the north to Mulhausen f.
Nlsace.in the south. Against this ca
rene left wing Of tho German arm
he French started an .offcnsiy
rovcment from Belfort for the par
'ose Of seizing and holding the passc'
through the vosgcs mountains. Til
Trench were turned back in two bat
les fought near Mulhauscn. Coir
ldent with the. advance on the paI
e the French from Belfort, an at
,cking army. with headquarters a
s'pinal,, marched through the saale
uses in tho vosgcs and anothe
rom Nancy had Strassburg as its oh
rctive. Paris has reported a numbe
e victories" in connection withsth
Sdvance OF these troops. In all prob