The chronicle=news., 1914-09-29
which at once conveyed him to hos

"
pital.
Against this may be set off the
fact that another of our flyers ex-
ploded bomb among some artillery
horses killing several and stamped
ing the others.
"On Thursday. September "a. the
fine weather continued, as did the
lull in the action. the heavy German
shells falling mostly near Parnge,
IL miles south southeast of Laon.
On both> Wednesday and Thurs
day the weather was so fine that
many flights were made by the avia-
ltors-French, British and German.
These produced corresponding ac-
tivity among the anti-ajrcraft guns.
So still and clear was the air towards
evening on Wednesday and during
the whole Of Thursday, that to those
not especially on the lookout the
presence of airships high up above
them was first made known by the
bursting of the projectiles aimed at
them. The puifs CT smoke from the
shells hung In the air for minutes
on end like balls OF fleecy cotton
wool before they slowly expanded
and were dissipated
From the places mentioned as be-
ing the chief targets for the enemy's
heavy howitzers, it Will be seen that
the Germans are now inclined to con-
centrate their fire systematically on
definite areas in which their aviators
think they have located our guns or
on villages where it Is imagined our
troops may be billeted. The result
will be to give work to local build
ers.
THE growing resemblance OF this
battle to siege warfare already has
been pointed out. The fact that the
latter actions OF the Russo-Japanese
war assumed similar character was
thought by many to have been due
to exceptional causes. such as the
narrowness Of the theatre of opera
tions between the Chinese frontier
on the west and the mountainous
country OF northern Korea on the
east; the lack Of roads which limited
the extent of ground over which It
was possible for the rival armies to
maneuver and 1.-The fact that both
forces were tied to one line of rail-
road. Such factors are not exerting
any influence on the present battle.
Nevertheless a similar situation has
been produced owing firstly to the
immediate power of resistance pos
sessed by an army which is amply
equipped with heavy artillery and
has sufficient time to fortify itself.
end secondly. to the vast size of the
forces engaged which at the present
time stretch more than half way
across France. The extent of the
(countlv covered is SO great as to rem
der slow any efforts to maneuver and
march around to a flank in order to
escape the expedient of frontal at
tack and heavily fortified possession.
That the method OF the attack
must approximate closely to those OF
siege warfare the greater the resem
blance of the defenses to those of
fortress, is a platitude, but 1t is one
which will bear repetition of it in
any way assists to make the present
situation clear.
There is no doubt that the posi-
tion of the Aisne was not hastily Sc
lected by the German staff after the
retreat. From the circle of Germans
and the care with which the field
fire has been arranged to cover all
possible avenues of approach and
from the amount of work already car
ried out. it is clear that the contin-
gency of having to act on the de-
fensive was not overlooked when the
details of the strategic movement of
the offensive campaigns were ar
ranged"