Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-08-29
aII.iEs ARE ON DEFENSIVE
AGAINST GERMAN ADVANCE

London, Aug. 2s tmidnlght. Fri
day has been day of momentous
news. News OF the gravest character
came from France, where in a single
week the aspects OF the operations
have changed entirely.
Last week the allied armies were
pursuing an offensive campaign on
all the frontiers. Now, according to
official news received from Berlin.
Emperor William is congratulatine
his people on the success Of the Ger
man arms In the task OF putting the
Iron ring around the allied armies
from Cambrai, department of Du
Nord. France, to the Vosges. while
Lord Kitchener, the British war min
ister came into parliament with the
announcement that troops from In
da are being called to help the Brit
ish arms In France. and that the
British army is TO be Immediately
reinforced.
The only consolation offered the
British public was the testimony from
Field Marshal Sir John French that
in the heavy fighting against tre-
mendous odds, the British troops.
who suffered severely, bore Them
selves with conspicuous bravery.
It is already realized that the ter
ribe struggle, as Openly revealed to
Sir William Edward Goschen, then
British ambassador 20 Germany, by
Gottlieb Won Jagow. the German for
eign secretary. as shown by the Of
fetal paper published yesterday
namely, to strike the swiftest and
strongest blow at France. regardless
of Belgium neutrality or any other
hindrance. and then, when France IL
at Germanys feet, for Germany to
turn her attention to the Russian at
tack, Is being carried through ruth
lessly.
The offensive strategy of the allies
Is abandoned. The German army, In
vastly superior numbers. has impos-
ed on the allies a purely defensive
strategy which Is devoted to delaying
as much as possible. what now seems
to be an Inevitable advance on Paris
Little can be gathered from either
British or French official accounts
of the great battles of the last week
In fact more is learned from what
is omitted than from what is settled.
The only thing that IL clear IL that
the allies are fighting on the defensive
on very receding lines, while It Is
becoming increasingly clear that the
desire to make brilliant coup in Al
sace-I lorraine was weak spot In
French strategy
On the side Of the allies. whose
efforts are devoted to gaining time
while the Russian hosts overrun
Prussia. however, is the fact that
their armies are stil intact and that
Germany may run some danger from
their ever lengthening lines Of COM
munication.
That this danger is not neglible Is
shown by the news that Emperor
William has ordered the mobilization
of the last reserves to protect com
munications and occupy Belgium, so
that the troops now engaged In this
work may be released to go to the
front where they are badly needed to
replace Germany's heavy losses in
killed and wounded.
The work of provisioning and sup
plying the German armies is greatly
facilitated by the Germans being
able to draw on Belgium for sup
plies.
The British public is facing the
disappointing news with patient de-
termination. The Spectator says today
In an editorial.
There Is cause for anxiety and
there is cause for stern determine
tom above all there is cause for un-
flagging energy In military prepara-
tion. but there Is no cause for de-
spalr or even dependency. Time is
with us and against our enemies.
on the eastern battlefield the war
news continues favorable to the al
lies. The Russians continue to adj
vance in east Prussia and Poland,
neither German nor the Austrian
forces apparently being able to with
stand them