The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-09-21
Rheims Bombarded
by Germans.
400 CIVILIANS KILLED
Tevu Is IN Flames and Little
Hope Of Saving It
MANY DAILY CONFLICTS
MANY DAILY CONFLICTS
Neither Side is Able to Deliver
a Crushing Blow.

a Crushing Blow.
Paris, Sept. 21.-The battle OF the
Aisne has now become series OF
daily conflicts, in which each side
wins minor successes, but have not
been sble to deliver q crushing blow.
An ohicial statement issued IN
Paris admits that the Germans have
captured Drimont q suburb OF the
city Of Rheims, and bombarded the
city.
A Bordeaux dispatch says:
RHEIMS, one Of the most beautiful
eities In France, with 105,800 popula'
ton. an important link in the French
dofenses, is in flames, following fu'
rious bombardment Of three days by
the Germans, in which 400 civilians
were killed and in which the cathedral
and the greater portion of the city
we're demolished by shells. Many
wounded German soldierse who were
sheltered in the cathedral were killed
BY the IRE from the German cannon.
There Is little hope OF saving the city
from complete destruction"
On both the east and the west ends
Of the firing line the Germans have
been forced to give way. The German
crown prince has been unable to
Withstand the furious attacks Of the
Freach and has been compelled to
retreat farther to the north.
General Won Kluk, at the western
ond Of the line, has been driven back
nix miles from his original position,
north Of the River Aisne, but he still
holds strongly intrenched heights
oeeded In expelling him.
With the terrific pressure on their
right and left wing armies, the Ger.
mans have concentrated large forces
IN . repetition Of their tactics at the
battle Of the Marine to pierce the
Efench center. The most severe fight
1ng II just north of the city OF
RAeims. now destroyed by the Ger.
nan bombardment.
AZ this point of contact Duke Al
beooht Of Wurtemburg commands an
onosmous army Of Germans who hold
- a which elaborate Notifications
~ 6ssH erected. Successive assxddts
~ he French have failed to dislodge
- enemy from these positions, which
aEo within cannon range Of Rheims.
Equally furious counter attacks by
~ Germans also have resulted In
failure, 90 that the battle, 30 far as
the center Of the armies Is concerned,
has resulted only in enormous losses
70 both sides, without gain to either.
The German crown prince is In
the most perilous situation Of any Of
The German invaders. He refused to
admit defeat at vitry-leFrancoic until
Il was too late for him to retreat with
Duke Albrecht Of Wurtemburg to the
northwest.
When he finally gathered together
his beaten columns the only road left
OPEN was to the northeast. He fell
hack eighteen miles to Montfaucon,
where he attempted to make q stand
against the French. only to meet with
. new defeat and be compelled to re-
sumo his fight to the north.
Further retreat by the crown prince
would compel the entire German line
to fall back unless the German attack
on the French at Rheims is success
ful. In that event the French would
- compelled to retreat, thus relieving
the pressure against both the crown
prince and General Won Kluk.
The government issued the follow.
1ng oficial statement in Paris:
First. On our left wing we have
again made slight progress on the
right bank Of the Disc. The honor OF
capturing q new flag (mentioned in
Saturdays statement) belongs to q
division Of Algerian troops. All the
attempts made by the Germans, aided
BY . large amount Of artillery, tcI
break through our front at Craonne
and Rheims have been repulsed
Around the heights of Brimont, q part
of which We had captured. have been
Totaken by the enemy. In revenge We
have captured the hill Of La Pom
pelle. The Germans have worked
themselves into such a fury as to fire
q the cathedral of Rheims, without
Military reason. The cathedral is in
1ames.
Second. In the center, between
Rheims and the Argonne, we have
captured the village of Souain with
. thousand prisoners. On the ives;
side Of the Argonne our advance Is
confirmed. In the Woevre district
there 10 nothing new. On the righ
wing, in Lorraine, the enemy has Ia
len back beyond our frontier, evacuai
ing particularly the region of AYR.
court. In the Vosges the enemy ha
advanced to resume the oeffnsive OF
the outskirts of Sainte Die, but with
out success. Our attacks progress
slowly on this side Of the battle line
because OF the difficulties of the
ground over which the battle is being
fought, the strong defense works Of
the enemy and the bad weather.
third. We have not yet receive;
any sure confirmation of the reduc |
ton of the forts of Maubeuge, which |
weer not destroyed, but the Germas. |
press announces the capture Of this, |
city and asserts even that its foyer |
nor Is prisoner at Torgau.
Fourth. The Saxon army has bee |
driven from its position and the com
nAnder.in-chief, General Won Hansen.
former Saxon minitser OF war, has
been relieved of his command. TIL 1
cavalry division of the same national
lfE which fought in Lorraine at the /
DeGfnniax OF the campaign and then
Ms sent to the Russian frontier, took
ut II the debacle of the Austrian
MDy. II d said to have suffered Sc
nnG0 toaS -