The Washington times., 1914-10-04
Last Month Marked BY Steady
Fighting, Without Decisive Results
German Hosts Advanced Far
Toward Paris, Then Re-
treated Eastward.

The second month of the great Euro
pean war has passed, a month without
the dramatic Incidents and surprises of
the first, but marked by the fact that
the German war machine reached its
highest point Of efficiency and that one
great battle was fought and another be-
gun. These engagements will be re-
ferred to when the history of the war Is
written as signal examples OF strategy
by commanding officers and Of wonder
full fighting qualities of the soldiers en-
gagged.
1t was a month less Of swift move
ments Of troops and Of advances and
retreats than Of sturdy. bulldog fight
ing from trench to trench upon field
of comparatively limited area
The Germans. upon their right wing.
the part Of their army which haSs6een
followed with the greatest interest. had
swung we'll down into France after their
rapid passage through Belgium and
across the French border. They had
left troops behind in the Belgian ter
ritory and at places had attempted to
establish German government. and
they had isolated the fortifications at
Maubeuge.
BY the third of the month they had
reached Montdidier, had occupied
Amiens, and their cavalry was operat-
ing in the neighborhood Of Compeigne
and Anizy-le-Chateau. Paris was await
ing news Of a great battle that 1t was
expected would take place around the
outlying fortifications. The capital was
removed to Bordeaux. thousands OF the
people took advantage Of the free trains
TO get beyond the military zone. and
General Galieni began the construction
Of new defenses to the north of Paris.
Germans Turn from Paris.
But. to the surprise of Paris and OF
the world, which had been watching the
advance. the great German right wing
under General Won Kluck, instead of
continuing on toward the French capi-
tai. made a swift turning movement 10
the east and south.
On September the battle line Of the
Marne had become quite clearly marked.
1t extended from -Haudonin
through Meux, Sezanne. Vitry-le-Fran-
co.'s. Verdun and on to Lothnngen into
the Vosges in length about l50 miles
1t soon became evident that the tactics
of the allied forces was to crumple back
the German right wing. Day and night
the French and British FORCES oatterea
away, driving General Won Kluck back
from position to position. gaining each
day slight advantages. until on the sew
enth day the right wing was back on
the Aisne river.
The German center had been pushed
norfhward from Sezanne and Vitry-le-
Francois to the region Of Rheims and
the Arxonne Forest and the left had
been established through the Woevre
district, with Verdun and Nancy, upon
which there had been en- Violent sntb attacks Ss..
successes had wonderful effect In reha-
bilitatine the French courage and con-
fldence In their army. NOT only was
Paris saved. but also the self-respect OF
the French nation
Aisne began. The two armies had taken
a breathing spell on the 18th and had
STRENGTHENED their positions. Ihe Ger
mans had fallen back upon intrencn-
ments and defenses that had been pre-
pared for them and they were thus on
abled to present strong front II was
evident almost nom the first that the
French were to try the tactics thar mao
proved so successful in the pattIe ot
the Marne and would direct their AT
tacks with especial violence against the
German right wing.
A French force. which 1t was SAID was
from the defense of Paris. managed 70
force its wav around Amiens. whicn mao
heen evacuated by the Germans. and 10
the north of the swamps of the Somme.
This force began an attack upon tho
German line Of communications In tho
region of st. Quentin. It was joined by
other French forces and battles were
fought with great violence In the region
NJ a. Quentin and in the triangle be-
tween the Oise and the Aisne. 30 In
tense was the struggle here that the
opposing forces along about thirty miies
Of the front obtained possession OF
strong positions not more than NV
miles apart and held them in spite or
attacks made by their foes.
The Germans. In order to divert at
tentlon of the allies from their right.