The chronicle=news., 1914-08-31
From the Chicago Herald.

From the Chicago Herald.
| Daily the world is awaiting word
that the hour of the greatest battle
in the history OF the world has
struck.
Since the day of the German vic
tory at Li-ege, militarists have pre-
dicted that 1t would take place some
thine during the present week
But cables from Europe, while
bringing reports Of terrific minor
conflicts have been silent with re-
gard to the outbreak OF the great
battle which is to decide the destiny
of nations.
Predictions of the imminence of
such conflict are based solely on
the promise that the entire opposing
forces massed between Basle and
Diest will become engaged in a single
great battle.
And vet such an engagement may
never take place. Instead some one
of the so-called minor battles now
being fought may throw the scales
of fate toward ultimate victory or de-
feat for one side or the other.
| History is full Of similar in
stances. Relatively unimportant bat
ties time and again have changed the
destiny of nations and snatched VIC
tory from almost certain defeat.
Probably no war in history affords
so conclusive proof of this truth as
did the Franco-Prussian war of 1870
and 1871. Not only France. hut the
other nations of the world regarded
the probability of Prussian victory
as extremely small Yet five battles.
the results OF which were out OF all
proportion to their apparent import
ance. threw the tide of victory to the
Germans.
ssenburg,s7The opening en-
gagement> OF tie war. Only hve adj
vance guards of the opposing armies
were engaged. and the conflict was
not regarded as being more than a
skirmish. yet 1t lost to France her
last hope OF Italian Intervention.
Courcelles-The number of men
engaged was less than that now in
volved In Belgium. yet 1t prevented
the union of the two French armies.
and so paved the way for the ulti-
mate defeat of France.
Vionville-prevented the retreat
of the French from Metz to Verdun,
which, II consummated, would have
prolonged the war indefinitely.
Gravelotte-A comparatively un-
Important engagement which had the
effect OF forcing the French to take
refuge in Metz and thus opening the
way to the decisive battle of the war.
Sedan-The Waterloo Of the
war. Previous to the
engagement neither side regarded the
battle as decisive. 1t was unherald-
ed by the Prussians and not feared
by the French. Yet 1t eliminated all
lpossibflity of ultimate victory for
France.
Thus ended Unexpectedly cam.
Ipaign unparalleled In the annals OF
warfare. In less than so days after
the outbreak OF the war-and less
than 40 days after fighting began
France lay at the mercy OF the Prus-
sian soldiery. Paris was threatened
lby three rapidly converging armies
land the fuse set which only a few
days later resulted in the overthrow
|of the empire and the birth of the
French republic.
Such was the experience of the
Franco-Prussian war. Such was the
tlesson of the possibility Of the un'
Iexpected, taught "A years ago.
Well within the range Of possibil
Iity may be a similar denouement ir
1.-THE present conflict. Some "unim
Iportant' engagement Of which WI
Tread today may result In division O.
1.-The armies Of the allies or Of the Ger
lmaps, or may cause one side or thu
Iother to take an unprecedented stel
which shall prove Its undoing or IT.
salvation. . s.
The result of the battle of Sedar
Isurprised the Prussians themselves
Immediately after the battle was owe
the Prussian king. who himself hat
led his forces to victory, sent the fol
lowing message to the queen:
What a course, under the guild
lance of God, events have taken"
When 1t ia remembered that In th,
Ipreyious conflict no effort was mad'
by either side to cover up Its move
iments and plans in impeuetrable Sc
lcrecy another contingency stands out
lat least as q possibility: The new
lof today may contain the story o.
Ian engagement which shall go dowr
lin history as the decisive battle o
1.-THE war of 1914. tl-r.. -I.
Yet in the victorious kings mes
sage to his queen may be found on
|other thousht-the present war II
not tho first in which kings. presi
dents, and ministers have sought II
escape responsibilities by attributini
1.-THE tragedies OF their own making t,
ldivine will,