The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-24

j.
an almost impossible task TO hold the
| present advanced lines and today
they are explaining TO the public that
IL the allies fall back to their seconu.
ary line along the French fortlfica-
lions, Il will be purely strategic
movement and not an Admiration OF
defeat.
| Meanwhile the work Of preparing
further troops for service 10 being
rushed with great speed. At the con-
centration camps, supplies are being
not In readiness for transport and
the Transports which are back In dock
from the first expedition are being re-
fitted for second move.
High military authorities make no
secret Of the great necessity Of rein
forcing tho force now In the field.
They cay the German advance must
be held at any cost until the armies
Of the car have struck all along the
Austrian-G German line. To hold the
Germans In check 10 admittedly q
task that will test 70 tho utmost the
resources Of the empire. SO Earl
Kitchener 10 rushing hIs raw troops
through the necessary instruction
while he 10 draining the British Isles
Of all available regulars Of every
branch.
Disgusting rumors Of attempts on
the fleet by air craft are circulated.
They 90 90 far 40 to suggest the Ger
mans are preparing to try with their
zsppellns 70 destroy some Of the big
ships Of the line by dropping explo-
sIvea These reports, Of course. are
entirely rumors, but are given Wide
circulation because Of the utter abb
sence Of all authentic news Of the
fleet. Not 4 word regarding Its Ioca-
tion 10 forthcoming and the knoMi-
edge that the North sea 10 full Of
floating mines, naturally adds to the
apprehension.
NOT AT FLOOD YET.
[1y Vim. Philip SImms, United Press
star Correspondence
PARIS, Aug. 24.-Aetina purely on
the defensive, the French and British
allied army continued today to hold
back the enormous German war ma
chine. For three days the tide Of
battle has steadily risen, but today II
10 still far from reaching the flood. AZ
some points the defense wall has been
partly wrecked only to be restored
by rushing endorsements In desper-
ate haste. AZ others, tho German In
fantry, unable to penetrate the with
erIna hail Of explosive shells and the
fire Of the thousands Of machine guns
already In action, has fallen back,
checked but not defeated. The earn
age has been fearful. The chiefs at
the war office calmly said In terse
language that the dead and wounded
already outnumber those Of any battle
In modern times. Figures they admit
are 90 stupendous 40 to mean very
little. Three great German armies,
tho buIwark Of tho kalsers war ma
chine, are advancing steadily In .
determined attempt to break the al
lied line and penetrate French tor
ritory. Behind them are the reserves,
totaIIna more than = million addition
al men. But up to the present time,
the allied lines have held and the war
office official bulletin characterlzes
the general situation as satisfactory"
The German army operating In Lor-
ralne has gained a foothoid In the
decartment Of Meurthe ct Moselle.
LuneviIIe has been occupied. Nancy
10 endangered. One report says It
has already been occupied but this
the war office denies. Germans driv-
en- from Pont A Moisson on Saturday,
reoeeupied the town on Sunday. The
army operating here is that which
came from Metz. Rumors say the
German crown prince Is in personal
command.
Fighting continues In upper Alsaee.
The Germans are hurting fresh forces
at the French army at mulhausen'
commanded by the one armed hero,
General Paul Pau. Fresh troops have
been rushed from strassberg and from
east Of the Rhine. UP to the present,
however, the French army 10 main
tanning the advantage previously gain
ed. Russia's speedy concerted attack
has delighted the French military
authorities. They say that II they can
hold the Germans near the present
positions for another week the worst
would be over n the kaiser must
withdraw part Of his forces to save
his army in eastern Prussia. They
need the most efficient Germans to
hold the Russian army that 10 now in
the field.
JAPAN AT WAR