The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-10-01

Thursday Of character that fal
eclipses anything il the present war
Dead and wcIuded litter the muddy
ground. Many IL III: wounded must
perish where they lie as it is impos
'l5le FOR eithe: SIC 20 remove them
The battle to the north Of Paris, on
, the extreme western end of the battle
line, centers chiefly in the half circle
formed by the Somme river from St.
Quentine, sweeping around just north
OF Ham through Peronne to Belfanne
ad along the Disc to the west OF La
Fere. Here heavy French reinforce
ments and a new British division are
battling iwth the Germans.
Wounded from this particular Sec
ton reaching Paris last night are re-
ported to have said that both sides
have seemingly thrown strategy to the
winds and are battling like two ex-
hausted pugilists. Attack and coun-
terattacks follow each other as fast as
the men can be moved.
The French are simply moving the
Germans with their machine guns, but
the enemy keeps coming. At times it
is stated that only by the use of the
bayonet and in hand-to-hand fighting
has 1t been possible to check the rush
es. But even although the Germans
have been driven backward, at no
point as yet have the French been
able to break through their line, al
though here this is believed certain
to come soon. Every available soldier
that can be spared from the army of
the defense Of Paris has been sent to
reinforce the line at this point.
In the triangle Of the Aisne- Disc
there has been little fighting, The
Germans are SO strongly entrenched in |
their stone quarry positions that it is !
to dislodge them by 'front.' |
al attack and, while the main British
forces, are held in front to prevent a |
sudden dash, such as took place early
Friday, the British and French batter
les are pouring shrapnel and explos-
I've shells into their trenches. From
SCISSORS to east of Rheims, this state
of affairs prevails.
Real confidence is in evnden,o It
the British war Office today. Officials
in close touch with the situation de.
clared the day again had been saved
by the army Of Paris, which, aided by
a British force that landed at Bou-
logne, was rushed into action in time
to drive the Germans back on Noyon
with enormous losses. While it may
be several days yet before the COM
plete fruits Of victory will be secured,
it is stated, there are indications that
the German position is already one
from which it will require quick think.
ing for Won Kluck to extricate himself,
General Won Boehm, whose troops
form the point of the fshhook line
that curves north from Scissors, ex-
tending from St. Quentin to Mons, is
being hard pressed in the vicinity of
st. Quentin. His lines of communica-
ton are already in danger and, if they
can be cut, Won Kluck may be thrown
back on Won Buelow's army, which
holds the lines towards Rheims.
There is not a single crack regi.
ment in the British service that has
not lost a quarter of it's strength.
While the gaps in the lines are being
filled, it is hard to keep them full,
Two out of every five officers in the
British army have been kelled, wound
ed or captured since the war began.
Moreover the losses of officers is a
very serious problem now that a new
army is being raised.
! With the army covering itself with
glory, there is more and more i'm.
patience for action by the navy. The
balance of performance lies very heavy
with the Germans to date. True, the
British have sunk three small scout
cruisers, mine-layer and some aux
iliary warships, but the complete de-
struction of three great 10000 ton ar
mored cruisers in less than an hou,
rankles in the British breast. The de
mand for revenge is universal and Il
is heartily concurred in by the British
admiralty chiefs. There are signs II
the air that real action impends. Wha'
it is, no one can say. Winston Chur
chill, first lord Of the admiralty, ha'
declared If the English cannot NEE
their foes on the open seas, they vii