The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1914-08-15

for a Week or ten days, the al.e5-
message said.
Paris, aug. 12.-The French wal
Office this morning issued the follow
ing communiQue:
"Our troops are in contact with the
enemy along almost the whole front
The Germans attacked the French ad
vanced posts at Mangiennes in the
district of Spincourt, northeast of Yer.
dun. The French commenced to re
tire, but our reserves came up and we
again took the offensive. The enemy
was driven back with considerable
losses.
"Our artillery destroyed German
battery. We captured three cannon
three mitrailleuses and two caissons
of munitions"
London, Aug. 1.-TWO great land
battles seem to be imminent, one be
tween the Belgian and French forces
and the German army of the Meuse
on the plains east of Liege, and the
other between the French and the
German army of the Moselle, on the
first line of the French defenses, ex
tending roughly to Longwy, near the
junction of the French, Belgian and
Luxembourg frontiers, and south 20
Spincourt. A third great battle is
possible in Alsace, where the French
army of invasion has been halted and
Co. IL III H.
and is believed to be facing the Ger
man army of defense in it's fortified
position at Neu Briesach.
No figures are available for either
the German army of invasion or for
the French army which is opposing it
but all reports indicate that both are
in great numbers. That the two
armies are nearing each other is indi'
Gated by the receipt of reports OF
skirmishes between advanced guards
and cavalry detachments all along
the line-at Longwy, at Longuyon, a
few miles to the southwest, at Mar
vile and Montyedy, still further west
and at Verdun, half way between
Longwy and MOntvedy and little 70
the north OF them, in the Belgian pro
vince of Luxembourg.
There is ground for the belief that
the Germans have strengthened this
army of the Moselle since it became
evident that the BelgianS were nOt
going to permit the German army O.
the Meuse to cut unopposed through
Belgium. The reports of a German
advance from the frontier towns OF
France north of Verdun would seem
to indicate that the German strate
gists feel that this army of the Mo
selle has been delayed long enough
by the misfortunes in Belgium aud
that if the reported German plan OF
a quick and hard blow at France is
to be carried out, it must be by tbs
army of the Moselle at once, without
waiting longer for support from the
north.
The very scarcity of news from the
front argues that there are big events
in the making. Nothing comes from
Berlin, little from Paris, and less from
the war office here of the movements
of the armies. If the French army
invading Alsace is making a serious
attempt to force through to Strass-
burg at once, a battle may be ex-
pected near Neu Briesach; but there
is a suggestion in the minds of mill
tary authorities that the present
movement in that province has for
its chief object the preventing of a
concentration Of the German forces
now there with those which are invad
ing France by way of the gap north OF
Verdun. If this supposition is true
there may be nothing decisive from
Alsace until the success or failure of
the German invasion of France has
been decided.
The British war Office says nothing
about the whereabouts or the number
of the British troops which are now
in Belgium cooperating with the Bel
gians and French. 1t is understood
that these are now at or near Namur,