The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-08-13
FRENCH REPULSED
| IN ALSACE FIGHT
MueIhausen Is Recaptured by
the German Army.
PARIS HOLDS UP LOSSES
Polnoars's Troops Win First Fight on
Home SoIl-Not a Teuton Soldier
Lsft In Country According
20 Paris Papers.

tween the Germans ana tne FT6uCh
and Belgians, which has been impend'
ing for days on the northern border
now seems imminent. If indeed ii is
not already in progress. Desultory
fighting was reported all day along a
battle front of twenty miles up and
down the MoseIle river. where Ger.
many is massing an enormous force
and where the French have for days
been preparing to meet them.
The French have suffered reverse
in AIsaee, where the Germans have
driven them from MueIhausen. The
war ONCE admits this. but tells moth
ing OF the severity OF the fighting or
the loss on either side.
French Win on Own SOIL.
The first battle fought on French
soil in this war was a French vic
tory at Spincourt, in the department
OF the Mouse, where German cavalry,
with an artillery support, crossed the
border and clashed with French cav
airy The Germans were driven back.
Other battles are reported from the
French Notifications at Longwy and
Montmedy, at Longuyon. in the de-
partment OF Meurthe ct Moselle; at
Marville, in the department of Mouse,
and as far north as Virton in Bel
GUM.
Germans Unload Troops.
Other dispatches from half a dozen
sources declare that the Germans are
unloading troops by the thousand
along a line from Gerolstein, in Rhen-
fish Prussia, all the way down to Thi-
onyille and Metz. These troops are
taking their places in the line fronting
the French frontier. and wherever the
outposts Of the two armies collide
there is fighting on a small scale.
The Germans attacked two French
outposts near Hannon-Villers, but sew
eral French batteries were sent
against them, and they were driven
on Many German troops are report
ed close to Blamont, in the depart
Inent OF Meurthe ct Moselle.
The Petit Pdrisien declares that the
Germans tried TO carry the positions
occupied by French troops around
MnelhauseD, but that they. did not sue
coed.
The Matin asserts that there is not
q single German soldier in France.
One of the German columns ad-
vaneed east Of Longuyon, where ii
struck a battalion Of French chas-
seurs and drove them back by force
of numbers.
Nothing the Germans do is hidden
from the war department, for focks
Of French aeroplanes are constantly
scouting the border and making dar
ing flights over the German advance
regardless Of the shells fired at them.
They keep the general STAFF fully in
formed OF the concentration Of Ger
man troops, and It lie impossible to
spring q surprise on the French while
they have this aerial scouting serv-
ice.
Whether or not the German occupa-
ton OF TongFes, north Of Lege, in
dicates a fanking movement around
the north and west of that fortress
there is now no doubt that an i'm
mense army Of invasion Is lining up
along the east bank OF the Maselte
river. Its left wing is very far south,
as Blamont is almost exactly west
OF Strassburg, the capital Of Alsace-
Lorraine. Just what connection this
great movement has with the cam
paign in Alsace, where General Joffre
the commander-in-ehief of the French
armies, is leading his troops, has not
yet been developed.
Advantage With the Germans.
In the campaign for possession Of
Alsace, which is a matter OF senti-
fnent with the French and stern
business with the Germans, the ad.
vantage today lay with the Germans
even by admission of the war once
here. The people we're greatly
wrought up when General Joffres
men unanswered so brilliantly and
fought so calamity that they drove
the Germans from AItkirch with
heavy losses, took in quick success.
sion the towns Muelhausen and Kol-
mar and seemed ready 10 march on
StTassburg. " tt
But, as was then pointed out, none
Of these places is at all vital, and the
taking OF Strassburg would be a mat.
ter OF many months OF regular siege.
Moreover, tins French had no hope OF
holding what they had won ~ the
Germans cared to move In force to re.
take II.
Today the Germans did SO move
in force, and the war once admits
that General Joffre was compelled
TO fall back from Mueihausen In the
face of an attack by an oyerwhelm.
ing force" How serious the Sight.
fng has been. nobody knows, for the
censorship has frightened up SO that
scarcely a line OF real news comes
through. D5ff
The German army, which 10 now
advancing on General gofre. is said
70 comprise 100000 troops =
Say Food VIII last Year.
London. England, AUG. aa--A spe-
sal eomnlsAioR appointed By Germany
a. "a. q ,-ss- SeGt-.F