The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-30
SHADOW OF SEDAN
HUNG OVER ALLIES
French and British Armies May
Have Escaped Enveloping
Net, However.
SUGGEST THE WILDERNESS
Germans Operations Find Par
allcl in Grants Memoir
able 1864 Campaign.
SUGGEST THE WILDERNESS
From THE EvrNrSo srN Of yesterday.

From THE EVENING StN Of yesterday.
Scant as have been the official outgiv-
ings In recent days and all others have
been worthless, the German official state
ment OF yesterday and the French War
Ofice's communidue q last night, viewed
in the light OF the other fragments that
have come to US, suffice to reconstruct
a part at least of the terrific struggle Of
the past ten days and the present postum,
Of the combatants.
To summarize the history briehy-with
full recognition of the hazard Of the un-
dertak ing--so much must be pure specu-
lation. Ten days ago. when the Ger
mans, having occupied Brussels. wIO'led
left for France. the situation was about
as follows On That great battle line
from the English Channel to Switzerland,
so familiar in current news dispatches.
one French army was Standing before the
northern frontier from Lille to Charlefpi
in Belgium. with it's centre about Mons
held by British soldiers, and its right
flank along the Meuse below Namur.
A second army filled the gap lS.ween
the first and the frontier baftier OF
Verdun- Epinal. and a third was fghting
before Nancy on the Lorraine and Alsace
borders.
Coming south the great German Amy.
that Of the Mouse, struck the northern
army of the French and English at Char
leroi at Mons and took Namur to the
north OF 1t. While this phase was going
on half of the German army OF the Mo
selle. east of the Meuse and moving due
west, struck the right flank OF the French
northern army along the Meuse. broke II
up and pursued ii across the Mouse.
When il had achieved this success 1t was
on the flank and rear of the French
and English fighting from Mons to Char
leroi and threatened to interpose between
them and Paris.
1t became necessary for the allies to
retreat and they did rapidly. the French
coming south east of Maubeuge, the
English west. II was a race between the
German army Of Moselle. commanded by
Grand Duke Albrecht and the French
to get control Of the road 10 Paris. As
the English retired they left the cover
of the Maubeuge-Lille line of forts, and
their left wing which was also the left
wing of the whole army. was exposed.
on this flank, then, the Germans. evidently
waiting for this event. flung Ave army
corps--from 22j,000 to $4,000 meD-in
one tremendous rush
Then. at one stage. and the critical
stage OF the operation. the allies were
in this position on the right flank and
/ to the rear WIS the army of the Moselle
moving toward their line of retreat. In
she front was the main German army.
commanded by Gems. Won Hansen and
/ Won Buelow: on the left flank and strik-
/ ing toward their rear were five corps,
commanded by Gen Won K,uck. In other
words. they are In great peril Of being
surrounded by two thanking for~> strik-
/ ing on the flank and rear, Whit faced
with a superior force AT the north.
Here. then. was the imminent shadow
4 of a Sedan far more gigantic than that
/ Of 1870. which might in a single Operation
dispose of some 100000 and thus permit
the victorious army moving south and
east 10 interpose between Paris and the
SAGE and drive them north and eastward
against the Bavarian- Austrian trooSs
about Metz and Strassburg.
such. briefly. was the tremendous en-
/ veloplng movement OF the German stratc-
gists, magnificent expansion Of the
elder Won Moltke's plan which shut one
French army W IN Metz and another in
Sedan in 1870. The purpose was dis
/ closed in the official German statement
success was claimed for II by the German
, Ambassador last night
This morning, however. there is plain
reason for believing that the allied forces
have managed to escape the enveopinR
net The reason is found In the otIic.al
/ French statement The situation on our
front from the Department Of the Somme
TO the Nosges remains the same as yes
! terday." But yesterday" so far as the
"oTlu knew the allies stood at Cambria
with one flank stretching toward Arras
the other toward lie Cateau, the first
| town In the Department of Pas de Calais
the other In the Aisne In that position
both Hanks were open to attack and the
peril Of the enyelopirg movement re.
NAMED.
But II the allied forces are in tn,
Somme then in fact they are back squareI,
on the second line of defence OF tn.
French frontier. are occupying the region
south OF the Somme River. which mill
tary writer's have frequently described
and their right flank has come back full
upon La Fere, the westernmost of tn,
Laon-L.a Fere- ReIms barrier forts, 8,
frequently mentioned recently-the lef
stretches to the Channel along the mar
row deep sunk valley OF the Somme-
and approximately their position on tn,
map Is disclosed by a line from Able