Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-27


The Hague, Oct. 10.-Though official
predictions that the battle in eastern
and northwestern France would come
to an end within this or that number
of days have been many so far none
of them have been borne out. That
either the French left wing, or the
German right wing would finally be
enveloped and crushed has been as
serted by the various general head
quarters time and again, but so far
this has not been done. The same
applies to attempts made to break the
centers of the two opposing armies.
After herculean efforts up and down
the tremendous battle line, from Al
bert to Belfort. conditions at this
writing are virtually those of Septem-
Der 10.
But official dispatches indicate that
the two armies have more or less
worn themselves out by the incessant
attacks and counter attacks, and
French, German and English military
writer's have come to accept as GER
tain that whichever side retreats from
the positions at present occupied will
be in sorry plight. especially If the
victor should be able to put in the
field fresh troops at the critical mo-
ment.
The rigid restrictions of the French
and British censorship have made it
impossible to cable in any detail the
day by day developments of this stu
pendous action or to point out the
significance of certain events. The
meagre official statement from Lon
IAv De-, "a
what it is desired to disclose and the
review is designed to present the
situation as it stands today and to in.
dictate such events as have had inf1u-
ence upon the final outcome, what
ever it may be, of this series of bat
ties
The effort expended by the French
and German armies in offensive ana
defensive operations is about equal.
While the Germans in northeastern
France, the right center and right
wing, have made desperate efforts to
gain new ground by continued often
sive operations the French forces OPP
posing them have done the same in an
effort to clear France of the invader
This has led to one of the strang-
est series of offensive defensive
maneuvers known in military history.
| While the French have hurled tnem-
| selves against the German entrenched
| positions, the Germans have followed
up each failure of the allied troops to
take part of the German defense line.
only to learn that ground So taken
| had to be surrendered again as soon
as reinforcements appeared on the
scene. To this there are only two
exceptions. The German right wing
has advanced from Bapaume to Roye.
while the center behind the Verdun-
Toul fort line has succeeded in break
ing through at st. Mihiel, Les
Paroches and Camp de Romantics.
To the determination on both sides
not to surrender ground gained is due
the protraction of the struggle The
Germans admit that break of theif
present line would transfer the
theatre of war to German territory.
and the French seem to realize that
without the support of the Verdun-
Toul- Epinal- Belfort defense line OIL
Notifications their difficulties would
be greatly increased. At this mo-
n1ent the Notifications in question still.
CenlTal
France, and their reduction would
mean, of course, that the French line
would be considerably thinned out if
in addition to stemming the German
tide in northeastern France it would
have to meet an advance from AIsace-
Lorraine in the open field While
the French field forces have success
fully discounted the break on the
Verdun- Toul line, widening of this
breach might lead to a condition nos
so easily disposed Of
1t is at least strange coincidence.
as Dutch and Italian military writers
have pointed out, that the German
right wing should have been able to
stand it's ground better and even adj
vance slightly, just as soon as St.
Mihiel, Les Paroches and Camp de
Romaines fell in the hands Of the
Germans. Italian and Swiss cor
respondents profess to know that a
further turning of the German right
wing was prevented by the breaking
OF the Verdun- Toul line, because it
became necessary to mass large
French forces opposite the breach
and in so doing the French were
obliged to shift their entire left CEN