The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-08-14


in Alsace, which was reported yes
terday, according to direct wireless
dispatches via Tuckerton station
from Eilvese. near Hamburg. was a
crushing defeat of the French in
vaders. Among the LOO prisoners
are 120 officers. Four batteries also
were captured near Muelhausen. By
II understood that the above dispatch
was the first communication from
Germany direct and had not been
subjected to censorship by the allied
powers. As the Germans, II they
make any report at ell, never were
known to exaggerate their achieve
rents. but on the contrary. are
ready to back them UP by exact fig
ures. says the Stats Zeitung. it
may be taken for granted that. Par
isian reports Notwithstanding, the
French have been routed out Of
upper Alsace.
The wireless also states that an
other loo French and forty-hve Of
fcers were captured by the Ger
mans at Longwy. on the Belgo-
French frontier.
The same paper is authority for
the intelligence that there has been
a sea fight between sixty German
torpedo boats and the English North
Sea feet, when four British dread
noughts and six cruisers Of the first
class were sunk of Hull. Berlin
candidly adds that it cost the Ger
man navy nineteen torpedo boats to
achieve this brilliant victory.
Analysis of London Report.
The news from London, said to
have been furnished by the British
war news. bureau, established for
the purpose of aiding the allied
forces, by disseminating news items
derogatory to the German arms, that
the bulk of the invading forces in
Belgium. concentrated between
Liege and Luxembourg. has been re-
enforced by reservists, and that the
army on the Russian frontier can
only be guarded by forces composed
entirely Of reservists and Landwehr,
goes to show how unscrupulously,
not to say foolishly, the allies go
about sending out war news.
How this London strategic expert
figures 1t out that an entire new
army corps or two are to consist al
together of reServists Is incompre-
staff is composed Of dilettants in
stead of seasoned experts.
To set this to rights, let it be
known that the following German
army corps are the advance guard
toward the Russian frontier. First
Army Corps, OF East Prussia; Sec
ond, of Pommerania; Fifth, of Po-
sen; Sixth, of Sflesia; Seventeenth,
of West Prussia, and the Twentieth,
a newly created Second East Prus-
sian corps.
The reader will see at a glance
how shrewdly this advance has been
for not a single corps
had to do any marching to any ex-
tent, all of the corps mentioned be-
ing garrisoned at or near the Rus
sian boundary. Germany, having
grenadiers facing the Muskov1tes'
need not worry about sending any
reservists to aid them
The German Design.
II becomes daily more and more
manifest that it is the design Of the
Germans to repeat their trick OF
1870, namely. to leave the enemys
fortresses undisturbed, marching
around them, with perhaps a small
force to watch their garrisons, but
keeping the main force in close touch
with the main body Of the invaders
Why this was not done at Liege,
and why General Won Emmich allow
ed himself to be drawn into several
and why he tried to take
the forts by storm instead of fol-
lowing the usual German tactics. no
doubt will be explained some day,
perhaps to his cost. The readers
may recoIlect the fate of the famous
General Won Steinmetz, commander
stead of circling the Spicheren
Heights, took them by force. sacri-
fcing one-half Of a crack regiment
Cthe Eighteenth. of Posen) in the
q achievement. What was the result?
He delayed operations a whole day,
and was promptly sent back to his
garrison, way back in the city OF
Posen. where he died of a broken
heart
To set to right the many guesses
on the part Of military experts in
this country by what lines the Ger
mans advance into France, let II De
said authoritatively that these are
the routes: The army of the Mas
CMeuseD river consisting of the Sew
enth Westphalian corps; Ninth Hans
and Tenth Hanover has advanced
through Belgium to Liege. which Is
being used as a base OF operations.
This force is on its way northward
toward Brussels direct.
The first army of the Moselle, con-
sisting Of the Fourth army corps OF
Saxony, Eighth Rhenish Twelfth,
Nineteenth Royal Saxony and the Sec
ond Rayarian passed through Lux
emburg into Belgium and at pres.
ent is encamped between Dinant ana
7 .aroche, the northern flank leaning
toward Bastogne.
On Historic Ground.
The second army OF the Moselle
has crossed the Duchy of Luxem-
burg and has reached Longwy and
I,onguyon on French soil and has
pushed it's front all the way to Ste
nay.
The army Of the Rhine. Prussian
Guard corps, Fifteenth Baden, Eigh-
teenth Hesse Thirteenth Wuettem-
berg and the First Bavarian corps,
has crossed the French frontier near
Pcnt-a- Musson on its way to Nancy
sur Marine, thus crossing through
the so-called hole" in the first
French line of fortresses CVerdun,
Tout. Epinal Belfort, Besancon.)
II may be recalled that on the same
srot. in 1870, the Prussians made their
crossing under the late Frederick
Charles Of Prussia.
The fifth German army operates
in upper AIssce, which the French
had invaded from Belfort, investing
Muelhausen. Their repulse has been
by France. though of
course in a highly coIored anti
German report. Their idea was n
good one had they been permitted