The Washington herald., 1914-08-26
ALLIES MASS
ON RIVER MEUSE
coNrINuED FRoM PAGE oNE.

ipeditionary force at Mons, said that they
had been for thirty-slx hours in contact
with a superior force Of Germans. but
maintained the tradition Of British SOL
diers, and behaved with the utmost gal
lantry."
That war council, attanded by mem
bers Of the cabinet, was held at the resi-
dence OF Premier Asquith at a. m.
following the receipt OF official news of
the falling back Of the French and
English forces in Belgium, became
known this evening
Lord Kitchener took an active part in
the council and is expected to take
energetic action.
Germans on the Offensive.
The French war Office announced this
afternoon that the German troops had
taken the offensive and are engaged in
battle with the allied French and Brit
ish forces; that the Belgian army had
made a sortie from Antwerp. and that
the reports OF the recapture OF Muelhau-
sen by the Germans were untrue.
An official statement issued at p. m
said:
In the north the Germans appear 10
have resumed the offensive. which had
been arrested yesterday. They are en-
gagged with our forces, which are united
with the British troops.
THE Belgian army, making q sortie
from Antwerp and taking by surprise the
first lines of the Germans, threw them
back past Malines.
In Lorraine. following the counter
ATTACKS OF yesterday, our forces have
taken up their position on the mountain
which follows the course of the Meuthe
from LUneville to Nancy.
I'm Alsace our troops have repulsed
numerous counter attacks by the Ger
mans directed toward Colmar. The re-
port which has been current of the re-
capture Of ,Muelhausen by the Germans
is denied.
THE theater of operations in Alsace IS
really Of a secondary consideration"
Secret War Council Held.
An extraordinary council OF war was
held at Elysee Palace, the residence
OF President Poincare. early today. What
transpired there is known only to those
present, who included the Ministers of
War and Interior. II is said that three
general staff officers arrived from the
front and participated in the conference
and that at its conclusion they hurried
back to their commands.
Paris is in gloom today. The admis-
sion by the war office that the Germans.
have forced the allies to withdraw from
Belgium. have captured Namur and Ia
ken Nancy, Luneville and Dieuloard in
the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle
have caused a feeling q fear to sweep
over the city, despite this additional
statement:
The ordeal is inevitable. but tempo
rary. Our valiant people will know how
to find courage to support this trial with
unfailing faith in final success, which l.
not to be debated" i
The action of the war office IN letting
the people know of reverses is in marked
contrast with the policy followed in $50,
when slight successes for French arms
were magnified officially in great tri-
umphs and severe reverses were kept hid
den as long as possible.
Developments of the last twenty-four
hours have shown that the German left
wing, extending from Luxembourg to-
Switzerland. comprises three armies.
They are the army of the MoselIe, led
by Crown Prince frederick William; the
army Of the Saar. led by Crown Prince
Rupprecht of Bavaria. and the army OF
the Rhine, led by Grand Duke Albrecht
of Wurttemberg.