The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-09-17
ALLIES GAIN Big VICTORY
BATTLE OF MARINE WON BY THE
FRENCH AND BRITISH.
Has Eeen Considered the Decisive
Battle of the European
War.

France, Great Britain and Belgium,
has brought vast transformation.
The pursued are now the pursuers.
The irresistible sweep of seven Ger
man armies through Belgium into
France met an immovable force at
the River Marne.
The army of Gen. Won Kluck,
which so long battled to turn the al
lies western flank, was slowly and
steadily outfanked. Its retirement
before the small but hardy British
army turned the tide of battle.
Today, if French official reports
are correct, all the German armies,
except that facing Verdun and a few
miles southwest, are retreating.
Gen. Won Kluck's army, which
week ago was a few miles southeast
of Paris, has retired more than sixty
miles to the southeast, while on the
extreme right the army of the Bava-
rian crown prince, which was attack
ing the French eastern line from
Nancy to Epinal, has fallen back to
the frontiers of Lorraine, permitting
the French to reoccupy Luneville
and several other towns.
Retreat Hurried, Says Joffre.
Gen. Joffre, French commander-in-
chief. pictures the retreat as hurried,
if not disorderly, with the Germans
abandoning prisoners, wounded and
supplies.
Last Sunday was the darkest day
of the war for the allies. The French
government emigrated from Paris to
Bordeaux in long, sad procession
of motor cars. An attack on the cap
ital appeared imminent and the main
German force had hammered a huge
wedge into France between Paris and
Verdun, with it's centre some miles
south of that line.
The French people trembled with
the question whether their army was
not a beaten army; whether the his
tory of 1870 would repeat itself.
The battle Of the Marne, which
was decided in a week, is regarded
by military critics as the most mar
vellous reversal of roles of two arm
les known.
German Plan Frustrated.
In their view it appears to have
decided the first phase of the war and
to have made impossible the plan
which the German staff is supposed
to have had of smashing the French
by one comprehensive stroke. and
then turning the bulk of the German
forces eastward to confront the Rus
slams.
The military experts, however, are
still cautious. While recognizing the
possibility that the German armies
may yet rally and draw strong de-
fensive line, they recognize also the
possibility Of the almost complete
evacuation of France and Belgium.
Paris announces that the Germans
have evacuated Amiens. The position
Of $4,000 German reinforcements re-
ported marching south on three roads
in that neighborhood is not known.
Belgians Want Brussels Back.
The Belgian army is credited with
the determination to reoccupy Brus-
sells and claims to have cut the rail-
road between Liege and Brussels,
thus severing an important German
line of communication. 1t claims to
be pushing the scattered German
forces, composed for the most part
of reservists, toward the southeast.
Military authorities in France con-
slider the position of the German arm
les critical. The army which was
south of the Argonne forest, they
argue, hardly can retreat eastward
owing to the danger from the strong
ly held French fortress Of Verdun,
while the mountainous, wooded char
acter of the Argonne district rem
ders retreat due north impracticable.
The left wing Of the Germans, they
believe, must retreat in a northwest
erly direction.
Nothing Yet From Germany.
They also cherish the hope that
the Belgians may succeed in clearing
the Germans out of Brabant, when
the entire German army would be
obliged to retreat on Luxembourg, an
operation which they liken to the
passing Of a large stream through
a narrow bottle neck.
The German version of the battle
of Marne is yet to be heard. The
German official wireless tonight is 81
lent regarding the operations of the
past week in that theatre. 1t records
a local success by the army of the
crown prince, which it reports, too,