The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-14
All German Armies With But One Exception if Reports Are Correct Are Retreating
DARKEST DAY OF THE WAR FOR THE ALLIES WAS SUNDAY WEEK
Battle of the Marne Decided in a Week Is Regarded by Military
 Critics Most Marvellous Reversal of Roles of Two Armies Known

London, September I3.--tio,35 n. m1
 Germany and France. Great Britain and
 Belgium, has brought n vast trnnsfor-
 nation. The pursued arc now the pur-
 suers. The Irresistible sweep of seven
 German armies through Beiginm Into
 France met an immovnbIe force at the
 River Marne
 l The army of General Non ISluclx, which
 So long hattled to turn the allies western
 Hank. was slowly and steadily outflank- ed. It's retirement before the small but hardy British army turned the tide of
 battle
 Germans Retreated Today, if French official reports are correct, all the German armies except that facing yerdun and ,, few miles south east of Paris has retired more than 6n
 miles to the northeast, while on the ex- treme right the army Of the Ravarian crown prince, which was attacking the
 French eastern line from Nancy to Epl-
 nal, has fallen back to the frontiers of Lorraine permitting ths French te re-
 occupy Luneville and several other towns. General Joffre, French commander iu lf.lief. -1'ictnfes fife rAifestt ns bur1iesi. ,s
 not disorderly, with the Germans aban-
 doning prisoners wounded and supplies. 1 Last Sunday was the darSest day of the war for the allies
 | The French government cmigrated from Paris 10 Bordeaux in a long sad process sion of motor cars, An attack on the capital appeared imminent and the main German force had hammered huge wedge into France between Paris and Verdun with it's center some miles south of that line.
 The French people tromhle with ths question whether their ar,ny was not a beaten army; whether the history of 1S70 would repeat itself
 The battle of the Mame. which was decided in a week, is regarded by mil. tary critics us the most marvellous re- yersal of roles of two armies known.
 Tn their view it appears 70 have decided the first phase of the War and to have made impossible the plan which the Ger man staff Is supposed to have had of smashing the French by one comprehen- sible strike and then turning the bulk of the German forces eastward to con- front the Russians.
 
 Military Experts Cautious
 The military experts however, are still cautious. While recognizing the possibility that the German armies may Yet rally and draw strong offensive iins, they recognize also the possi- .bility of the almost complete evaeua- ton of France and Belgium.
 Paris announces that the Germans have evacuated Amiens. The position sof German endorsements of 60,000 re- ported to be marching south on three roads in that neighborhood is not known.
 The Belgian army is credited with the determination to reoccupy Brus- sells and claims to have cut the rail- road between Liege and Brussels thus serving an important German line If communications. It claims to be pusf- ing the scattered German forces, com pose for the most part of reservists, toward the southeast
 Military authorities in France co,i- slider the position of the German arr niles critical The army which was south of the Argonne forest. they ai- que, hardly can retreat eastward. owing to the danger from the strongly held French fortress of Nerdun, while the mountainous. wooded character of the Argonne district renders retreat due
 north impracticable. The left wing of the Germans. they believe. must re- treat in a northwesrer1y direction. They also cherish the hope that the Begians may succeed In .clearing tue Germans out of Brabant, when the en- tire German army would be obliged to retreat on Luxembourg, an Operation (which they liken to the passing of a large stream through a narrow bottle neck.
 l The German version of the battle of Marine Is yet to be heard. The Ger man official wireless tonight Is sllent regarding the operations of the past week in that theatre. It records To- cal success by the army of the Grown Prince which, 1t reports took a forti-
 fled position southwest of Verdun. and
 the beginning of an attack on the forts to the south of verdun with heavy ar tillery No date Is given and the, op- erations may have occurred at an cartier. stage of the battle. German Right Army Retreating
 The position of the troons as sta ts-s in the French reports. is tlat tine Ger
 man right army is retreating beyond the River Vesle. which runs betweeii Rheims and Soissons; that the Ger man forces in the center. which had penetrated fartherest south. are fallinE back north of vitry-Le-F Francois and Seimaize. and have crossed the River Marne. and in the hilly wooded country between Vitry and Verdun the Germans have lost Revigny and Brabant-Le- Roi.
 The French. appear to have taken ths offensive along most of the entire front as indicated by successes in the east be- tween I.uneville and Saint Die where they have retaken several towns they evacuated a fortnight ago. while re- ports from Basel say hard fighting %.