The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-24
Two Million Men Engaged in
First Pitched Battle
Along u Fighting Line lOO
Miles in Extent.
Flower of Kaiser's Army Con.
fronts the Allies.
Destinies of Europe May Hang
on the Result.

DO0 - HUE Va A@eAA ~
ON the Result.
Iondon. Aug. 24.-Along 100 miles
Of fighting line at least 100000 men
are linked in a death grapple in the
first pitched battle of the war.
Since Saturday the struggle mas
waged-from Mons on the southern
edge of Belgium to the Luxemours
frontier. The English expedltlonary
force has at last emerged into tne
omen and is fighting at the side OF the
French. one million Germans, flower
~ the kaiser's army, are face to face
with the allied troops and with cav
alrv charge and cannonade and hand
to hand encounter OF the infantry' the
destinies of Europe are tremohhs III
the balance. 80 49,.
strife goes are permitted to emerge
from behind the curtain that enVelops
weeks before a decisive result may oe
weekes before decisive result mas
heen attained and the world is permit
ted to know.
And imaRination balks at any at
tempt to picture what is going forward
there on the plains OF Belgium.
battle it has been said to pc, yet ina.
poorly Describes the actual event
which is in reality titantic engage
ment in which half a dozen battles
are simultaneously being fought. any
one of which dwarfs Gettysburg OF
Waterloo by comparison.
At Mons, at Givet, along both banks
of the River Meuse, down at Neu1-
chateau and along toward Arlon the
embattled powers are struggling WITH
varying success.
At Iuttre in Hainault province
where Mons is also located a bloody
battle is in progress. One would say II
was the left wing Of the allies army
that is here engaged since Luttre Is
but ten miles from Mons to the nortn-
east and but five miles distant ITO"
Charleroi.
Again between CharlerOi and Namur
another great struggle is going for
ward with the French on the offensive
II is declared. and meeting with success.
Roar of Siege Guns.
All the while a tremendous bonn
bardment of the Namur forts IS I'M
der way the roar OF the siege guns
shaktng the earth beneath the 1eet OIL
the millions battling for supremacy.
From Namur to Charler0i Is another
Is miles. Along this line the contest
RACES to halt the German ;1a advance ivan, TO- TO-
ward Dinant, but six miles 1roIh Tue
French frontier.
The crisis in the engagement under
way is not expected tor two days at
least Neither France nor Germany
has yet brought up to the battle une
movement develops 1t becomes clear
that Germany is following the plan
which the allies declared they expect
ed and which they insisted would lead
the German forces into trap.
With Brussels captured the Germans
are apparently making no move to-
ward Antwerp. Instead the forces
which occupied Brussels are passing
through the city and moving on down
toward the French border.
that all of northern Belgium seems
to have been evacuated by the Ger
mans: while the Ostend correspondent
of the Daily Mail says:
s~TWo German columns are marching
south toward Valenciennes, one by way
of Ninove. Grammont and Ath, the 9TH
er by way of Hal. Braine-Le-Conte and
Mons"
other dispatches from the north say
that since the war began at least 1,OOO.-
600 Germans have passed through AK
LA-Chappelle en- route to Belgium.
Back to First Plan.
Apparently, therefore. the Germans
having diverted their original plans
for the sally north into Brussels have
now suddenly returned to the original
plan OF campaign and are pouring
southwark In two main columns con-
be made with the German forces which
have advanced to Luxembourg.
Their lines are said to extend from
Tamise near Antwerp. southwest
through Puers and Zele and thence
southeast to Gosselies and Charleroi.
II the above deduction Is correct II
Was at Charleroi that the junction wa
made with the troops which advanced
through Luxembourg, thus completing
tho battle line from Mons to the Lux
emburx frontier which is now raging.
1t viii remain for the Developments
- - q ~
whether tho trap which the allies claim
to have laid for the Germans has been
effective.
A dispatch to the Havas Agency from
Ostend quotes the Belgian minister Of
justice a. declaring that all the fortl
at Liege and Namuf were still in the
hands Of the Belgians. The same OH
cial ID also quoted as saying that It wa
incorrect to say that the Belgian army
had given up all resistance because Of
the superiority Of the enemy.
The Belgian army is in excellent con.
dition," the minister declared, land
every confidence can be placed in the
outcome OF the struggle" If these
facts are correct the sudden turn south
ward of the Germans leaves their real
dangerously exposed to the Belgian
army which has the defenses Of Ant.
werp to fall back upon while their re-
treat is cut of by the Liege forts, and
there stands also the Namur forts eas
OF Mons to hurry them in the desperate
venture upon which they have entered
to force an opening through the allie.
on the way to Paris.
DAMP AND COOLER.
Continued from page ~
Bend and Hutchinson. and light rail-
all the way from Emporia to Kansa