The sun., 1914-09-11
Long Retreat From Sambre to Mae Kept Them From Be
ING Cut in Two or Enveloped by Stronger
German Army

From TUE EvLNISG SuN Of yesterday
While the great contest south of the
Marne. which may decide the fate, not
of France but of the German advance,
continues 10 Is perhaps an opportune time
to review In some detail the whole cam
pagn In France and the battles and
marches which have brought the two
forces to their present positions.
Al the outset IL should be pointed out
that because OF a series OF circumstances
one wing OF the main allied army has en-
gagged the attention OF the world. while
the advance of the Germans against IL
has filled the press for two weeks. This
was natural; first. because the German
thrust here was at Paris and early caused
the withdrawal of the French Govern
ment to bordeaux. asd. second. because 1t
was against the British that the weight Of
| this blow fell-and our sources OF infor-
nation are chiefly British
Thus while many hundreds OF thou
sands of French soldiers have been fight
| ing in a dozen tremendous conflicts the
world has watched Paris and the British.
| Yet Il liz fair TO say that this attention
was warranted Ny the fact that the oper-
alton against the British, supported, as we
now know they were. by French troops
| to the west, was critical, involved the for
tune OF all. the allied forces engaged in
France and II successful might have re-
suited in another Sedan.
| obviously the date to start with IL that
| OF the Mons-Gharleroi battle. when for
the first time the full weight of the Ger
man offensive fell upon the allies. On
that date, which was August 22 accord
1 ing to Sir John Frenchs latest report, the
| allies stood in something like this fash
ion Between Lille and Givct ON the
Meuse the western army faced north from
Lille through Charleroi toward Namur
and then east along the Meuse from Di-
nant to Glvet. Eastward and southwark
on the Meuse and before IL from Mezieres
| to Nerdun a second army. that OF the c-..
| tire. faced east and north guarding the
entrance into France from Belgium and
ILuxemburg South OF Nerdun and to the
Vosges the eastern army faced German
troops coming south from Metz and west
| from Strassburg. Finally about Belfort
| and in German Alsace fourth French
force was fighting toward Muelhausen.
The Army of the Meuse.
Up to the present moment the eastern
army has hardly changed Its position.
| and the French and German troops In
| Alsace have been recalled TO other fields !.
| they may then be eliminated from the
present review The same is true OF one
| half OF the army of the centre about
verdun The other half, to be described
| hereafter as the army OF the Meuse. has
| slightly changed front and position. as
will be indicated.
Now to take the successive steps: On
| Saturday. August 22. the Germans at
| tackled the allied left when the British
| were at Mons, the centre at Charlcroi.
| the left at Givet. At Mons and Charleroi
| the hghting was indccisive. but at Givet
| the French line broke. opening the nank
| and rear of the whole army and com
| pelling general retirement from Bel
gium. This was the first great conflict
and the French fight at Charleroi was the
more serious engagement
The allied retreat brought the three
wings on August % to the following po-
sition: The British on the left stood be-
tween Cambria and Landrecies, the CEN
| tire between Chimay and Avesnes, the
right straight east on this front. until
II touched the army OF the Meuse he
| yond Mezieres. II was NJ this point that
the Germans launched their terrific at
tack upon the British on the left five
corps against two, and in doing this dis
closed their chief strategical design
mainly TO get between Paris and the
allied armies by coming around theii
left flank on this day the British. bear
ing the brunt OF the fighting were com
PEELED to retire. and their retreat com
PEELED the centre and right TO Withdraw
also.
Thus. on August &c. the allies in thei
new position stood the British about 81
Quentin. the centre south of Guise, IN
right at Signy rAbbaye, while the arm!
OF the Meuse still held from Mezieres 4
Verdun, repulsing the desperate effort
made by the Germans under the Crow
Prince to cross the Meuse. ON this da!
the French in the centre took the offen
sive under Gen. Pau and drove four Ger
man corps, including the Guards. bac'
into the Disc with severe loss. But IN
tremendous pressure still exerted by tn
Germans against the British further Yves
and the continuing peril OF German In
terpostion between Paris and the allie
army compelled further Withdrawals, A
, the same time the right about Sign
rAbhaye fought n battle Of which almos
| nothing IL vet known