Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-21
London Hears 100000
Men Are Left to Cover
Backing Movement.
ASSAULTS AFTER DARK
General Won KIuCk Reported to
Have Received Heavy Re-
Inducements.

Paris. (afternoon), Sept. 21.-An Off
cial statement says: "On our left wing
on the right bank of the River Disc,
we have advanced as far as the heighth
of Lassigny west on Noyon. East of
the Oise and north of the River Aisne,
the Germans show renewed activity
The region OF Craonne has been the
scene of violent encounters which did
not stop short OF bayonet charges.
The enemy everywhere was repulsed.
In the country around Rheims the
enemy is confning itself to artillery
fire from heavy guns. In the center,
in the Champagne country. and on the
western slopes of the Argonne river,
we have taken Mesnilles, Sur-Lus and
Massignes. In the Woevre district the
enemy still holds the region of
Thiausourt and has cannonaded Has
sonchateL On our right wing in Lor-
raine and the VOsges there is nothing
new"
London, Sept 21.-while the for
tunes of battle luctuate between the
lines along the center of an extended
front in France, a desperate effort is
DtlAb 4ldut ~ GACNANC NLA I'LL > A4AOhC-
ments on both fianks.
Ths Anglo-French left wing is exert |
ing every ounce of its strength TO turn :
the flank of German General Won |
Kluck, who Is reported to have received !
heavy reinforcements, while the Ger
man left, according to a cautiously |
worded announcement from Berlin, is !
making equally strenuous efforts to /
Verdun.
Under ordinary weather conditions
the allies task would be the easier for
the reason that Verdun, heavily forti-
fed, must fall before the French right
can be seriously threatened, but on the
German right heavy rains have made
such a morass of the valley of the
Disc that the Anglo-French are not
likely to move along what would be
their natural course until the German
front north of scissors has been
driven back
The high ground between Noyon and
Chauny has been heavily fortified by
Won Kluck and it dominates the whole
valley of the Disc. That the Germans
chose their present defensive position
is indicated by the fact
that their heavy artillery rests on a
cement foundation which it must have
taken time to construct. Also the
had been allowed time to set.
Germans on Way to Border.
More or less definite rumors con-
tinue to circulate in London that the
Germans are preparing great retreat
from France on their own border for
.incations The latest OF these is the
story of a French officer who has re-
turned TO Paris. The Frenchman de-
,lares an aeroplane reconnaissance has
sfven rise to a conviction that a large
portion of the Germans are retiring. I
by trains Of heavy stores,
eaying only 100000 men TO cover their
retreat. One reason for the dearth of
news from the battle front is bad
weather, which has rendered signall-
ng and aeroplane scouting unreliable.
Stories now hltering through set
orth that the Germans made desperate
.fforts the middle OF last week to re-
.aDture ground they had lost along
he River Aisne. Day and night as
.aults continued. The Germans. play
ID into action by bands rendering mill
ary airs, hurled masses of men on
Iastily constructed entertainments
where allies had dug themselves in, as
. protection against the pitiless ar =
fllery concealed on the heighths
.bove them. 1t was cold steel against
old steel. with the allies holding their
won positions
Russian Advance Checked.
Rheims, where the ruins OF the fam
us cathedral is still smoking. is likely
o prove an object OF controversy long g
fter the military forces now in the
eld have ceased TO contend for its +
ossessfon. The Germans claim the
athedral was in the line OF fire. but
was impossible to save ii in spite OF
heir Instructions to spare the build y
~.
AS anticipated a check has been o
iyen to operations OF the victorious u