The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-18

army were really SO excellent and
effective a. talked CT on the Partisan
boulevards and in the New York
newspapers, why are not the horrors
Of the war carried to German soil?
The outer forts OF Longwy have al
ready fallen. German vanguards are
marching through Montmedy, Pont-a-
Mousson and Luneville. All Belgian
fortresses were constructed by French
engineers. The French acted as mill
tary instructors Of the Belgians in all
important matters. Would it not
have been military suicide for Ger
many II she had not anticipated the
arising danger and occupied Belgium
before France?
Strong French attachments took
possession of Alsace on the tenth OF
August after having successfully made
their way through the passes Of the
Vosges and Overpowering the German
vanguard at Muhlhausen. A glance at
the war map will show that the de-
Tense of these passes was impossible
since Belfort, according to the treaty
of Frankfort, was left In the hands OF
the French.
Mulhausen Is Unprotected.
"Mulhausen, Germany's stronghold
of the SOUTH" 1t Is in reality an I'M
protected city. the German fortified
tons being across the Rhine. After
the French had made themselves at
home in Alsace and the mourning that
had hung on the bronze statue in the
Place de la Concorde for "A years had
been torn down, the 14th. Baden corps
started its attack. Fifteen hundred
French prisoners were made, four can
non taken and a report of great loss
to the enemy confirmed. and even IL
this big German victory should be of
no Importance in the further develop
ment Of the war and is in no way de-
cisive. it serves as a good illustration
of German tactics and their prepar-
edness to meet emergencies.
From well-informed quarters it Is
assured that the Austrian crack corps,
the picked sons of the Tyrolese noun
tains. will join the left wing of the
German army to show the world that
it is ready to defend TeutOnism.
Ready for Advance.
Shortly the south wing of the army
will begin offensive operations. The
advance is steady, but the big deci-
sions that are expected from the GEN.
trail army will not be made for a few
days.
While the operations of the land
forces are being slowly but surely di-
rected to carry out far-reaching pur-
poses and activities, the German fleet
has made movements significant for
the final outcome.
English Defeat on Sea.
1nsistent reports have been spread
that a flotilla of German torpedo boats
attacked four or five English dread
and two cruisers with the re-
suit that all of the English ships were
sunk. The captain of the Danish
steamer Hulda Maerks saw masts on
the Humber near Hull and judged
they were parts of German ships. But
If they were really German such good
news would not have been kept back
by England.
1t is more than plausible that the
first (and never contradictory report
Of the actual occurrence was true and
not given out by England, who feared
that her prestige as the foremost sea
power of the world would be greatly
damaged thereby.
There is a precedent for this, estab-
lished in a similar case during the
Russo Japanese war. Japan guarded
It as an important secret, not made
known until after the war. that one
Of her best warships had been sunk by
the Russians on the very first day OF
the opening of hostilities.
Not satisfied to have won, as the
against TeutOnism In
all militant Slavic nations,
England is looking for an ally In the
Far East, among the sworn enemies
Of western culture. She succeeded in
Japan to make preparations
to attack Kiau-Tschau. the German
colony in Asia. Just to impress the
nations of the Far East with England's
''allmightiness'' among the worlds
powers, the small German detach-
ments which will defend the colonies
must be overpowered by Mongolians.
of Englishmen believe that the de-
vastation of the small colonies in Asia
will have q decisive influence on the
war in Europe?