Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1914-09-24
GENERAL FRENCH
TELLS STORY OF
FIGHTING
ENGLISH FIELD MARSHAI.L RE-
PORTS ON STRUGGLE ALONG
THE RIVER AISNE.
TRENCHES FILLED WITH DEAD
Two British Cruisers Sunk by German
Submarines Yesterday-Left Wing X
of Germans Turned by Allies.

A week ago last Sunday was the
darkest day of the war for the allies.
The French government emigrated
from Paris to Bordeaux in long sad
procession of motor cars. An attack
on the capital appeared imminent and
the main German force had hammer
ed huge wedge into France between
Paris and Verdun, with its center some
miles south of the line. The French
people feared that the history of 1870
would be repeated.
The battle of the Marine, which was
decided in a week, is regarded by
military critics as the most marvellous
reversal of two armies known. By it
the plan of the Germans to smash
France in one swift blow SO that the
army of the kaiser could be turned
against the Russians was completely
overturned.
Sunday, the 18th of September, saw
the Germans getting out Of France
faster than they came in. Their re-
treat however was stopped on the
river Aisne where they entrenched to
offer further resistance to the armies
of the allies and the battle has ragged
for eleven days with no sign as yet
of definite outcome.
Yesterdays news reported that two
British cruisers were attacked and
cunk Inv Five Har,oo, ,rh,,c-ro. 1nn
were saved Of the crews but the re-
mainder Of the complement of 2,265
men went down with the ships. It
was also stated in Wednesdays dis
patches that the German right wing
had been turned between Peronne and
st. Quentin and there were nine miles
of dead in the trenches. The Rus
slams are still victorious in the east
so far as known from the few dis
patches giving news from the battle
grounds on the eastern side.
General French has sent in his sec-
ond descriptive account of the fight
ing and the British army's operations
up to September IS, which dispatch
was received from London Sept. %
and contains practically all the news
which has been sent out up to that
date. In part it is as follows:
"General Headquarters, Sept. 49,
At the date of the last narrative,
September ID, the Germans were max
ing determined resistance along the
river Aisne. Opposition which it was
first thought might possibly be Of
rear guard nature, not entailing ma
terial delay to our progress, has de-
veloped and has proved to be more
serious than was anticipated.
"The action now being fought by
the Germans along their line may, it is
true, have been undertaken in order
to gain time for some strategic opera
tion, and may not be their main stand.
But if this is so. the fighting is natur-
ally on a scale which as to the extent
of ground covered and duration of
resistance makes it undistinguish-
able in its progress from what is
known as pitched battle though
the enemy certainly showed signs Of
considerable disorganization during
the earlier days of their retirement
phase.
Whether it was originally intend
ed by them to defend the position they
took up as strenuously as they have
done or whether the delay gained for
them during the 10Th and 18th by
their artillery has enabled them to de-
velop their resistance and force their
line to an extent not originally con-
templated, can not yet be said.
$50 far as we are concerned the
action still being contested is the bat
tie of the Aisne. The foe we are
fighting is just across that river along
the whole of our front to the east
and west. The struggle is not confin-
ed to the valley Of that river, though
it win probably bear its name.
"The progress Of our operations ana
French armies nearest US for the 1lth,
(Confinued ON uara 81 E