Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-08-10

KAISER TO HEAD ARMY
Great Battle Imminent-Engage geme"t
Said to Be Pending Between
French and Germans.

Paris, August 1O.-Throwing a COL
umn across the Rhine to check
threatened Austrian attack along the
Swiss border, General Jotfre, COM
manding the French army OF lnVas-
lion, is moving into battle with the
German Army of the Upper Rhine at
Neu Briesach.
The Germans arc massed in force
east of Colmar ard south of Strass-
burg.
A general battle is expected today
that may settle the control of Alsace'
while brisk skirmishes are continuing
between the advance guards.
Ferney and Colmar have fallen
before the brilliant advance of the
French invaders, following the re-
markablc coup which gave them the
fortress of Muelhausen.
Ferney is in the department OF
Ain and is is situated at the base OF
.Jura mountain range, only lew
miles from the Swiss border, ana
100 miles southwest Of MuelhauSen.
Another engagement is pending be-
tween French and German troops IN
Lorraine below Saarburg. Baccarat
reported hearing cannonading in the
direction of Montigny. The French
artillery is supporting an attacking
column engaging Germans advancing
from Saarburg.
Baccarat is fifteen miles southeast
OF Luneville and in the department
of Muerthe ct Moselle, the first
French soil Invaded by the Germans.
A third point of attack has been
opened by the French army on the
Lorraine frontier assuming the ag-
gressive by march on Metz.
The Germans are dammnig the Sell
Ic river, a tributary of the Moselle,
which forms part of the boundary Of
Lorraine. in an attempt to check the
French advance.
German cavalry, supported by IN
fantrv mad artillery, have driven tn"
French cavalry patrol from the little
border town of Longuyon, in the de-
partment of Muerthe ct Moseile. The
! German attack, which was in the
nature of a reconnaissance, was not
| persisted in after the French chas-
seurs abandoned the town.
Capture by the French army Of
! Colmar was confirmed today. The
fighting is said to have been desper-
ate with the German losses far in
excess of the French.
With the Belgian successes against
the Germans, the taking Of Colmar
means the outflanking Of the Ger
man invading army.
Desperate fighting marked the
| wrestling from German troops of the
masses at Bonhomme st. Marie, on
the frontier below Muelhausen. War
office reports say the French now
cccupy the village of st. Marie aux
Mines. Fighting continues all along
the line today.
The total French losses in their de-.
feat of the German and capture Of
Altkrich was only 100 killed and
wounded, according to officla! an
rorncement by the war office.
Heavy re-enforcements for the
French advance are already in the
department Of the Vosgea.
Paris, August 10.-kaiser Wilhelm
is reported at Aix-laChappelle, pre-
pared to assume supreme command OF
the German army that is trying to
force the passage of Belgium and
Luxembourg. This means, the mill
tary experts here say, that the real
test of the allies is at hand.
The English, French, and Belgian
armies that have concentrated on
Nan1ur and the line extending from
that point across to point in Lux
cmburg, which is not revealed, will
Lave to check the real German army.
military experts here believe, as the
presence of the Kaiser means that
the crack Prussian infantry, hereto
fore believed to have been in re.
serve, will attempt to push south
! along the Meuse River.
I.iege City is held by the Germans