Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-31
FRENCH MASTERY
IN THEIR RETREAT
Germans Won Valley of the
Meuse at Terrible Cost
of Life.
COURAGE OF THE TEUTONS
WINS PRAISE FROM FOES
That Invaders Should Advance Is
Declared in Accordance With
French War Plans.

LONDON. August s1.-An Amiens
dispatch to the Daily Chronicle says:
The French retirement before the
German horde advancing from Namur
down the valley of the Meuse was
mastery. The Germans won their way
at a cost in human life as great as
in defeat; yet they won their way.
For France that retirement Is as
glorious a story as anything in her
annals.
cit was nearly a fortnight ago that
the Germans began concentrating their
heaviest forces on Namur. pressing
southwark over the Mouse valley. Al
ter the battle of Dinant, the French
army was heavily outnumbered and
fell back gradually in order to gain
time for re1nforcements to come to Its
support
THE French artillery was posted on
the heights above the river and swept
the advancing Germans with a storm
of fire. On the right bank the French
infantry was intrenched. supported by
field guns and mitrailleuses. The in
fantry did deadly work, holding the
positions with great tenacfty and drop
ping back only to occupy new posi-
lions Just rs doggedly.
THE Germans showed heroic cour-
age: they were reckless Of their lives
THE most desperate fighting took
place for possession of the bridges, but
the French engineers succeeded in
blowing them up one after another as
the French retired to the south. Thir
tythree bridges were destroyed in this
way.
1.-The fighting extended for a consider
able distance on both sides Of the Mouse
and many side engagements were fought
by the cavalry. There was a memorable
encounter at Marville. where 5000 French
men resisted 10000 German infantry.
Despite their inferior numbers the
French dash was SO splendid that they
beat back the enemy for twelve hours. 1t
was only for fear of getting too far
away from the main army that the
French then retired.
"In accordance with the general plan
decided upon by the French general staff
the Germans were allowed gradually to
Mouse as far as Mezieres This Is in the
neighborhood of Sedan. The French were
determined that there should be no repi-
tition Of the tragedy which occurred in
this valley in 1870, when the French
army was caught in a trap here. So that
the town of Charleville, across the river
from Mezieres was evacuated last Mon
day and the French took up magnificent
pOSlllOflS COIIIildHoiuS lio to"h duu
bridges
Faced Their Own Gums.
Guns mounted on the heights and in
abandoned houses were awaiting the
enemey's arrival. Among these guns
were ninety-flve which had been taken
from the enemy during the retreat up the
river.
1.-THE German advance reached Charlie
Vile Tuesday They were allowed to ride
quietly across the bridges into an ap-
parently deserted town. Then sudden
ly their lines Of retreat were cut Off
Three Of the bridges were blown up
simultaneously by contact mines and
the guns hidden on the heights began
playing on the German cavalry. 1t
was for a while sheer massacre, but
the Germans quickly formed and began
fighting with extraordinary tenacity,
mounting their quick frers and reply
ing shot for shot.
when the main German advance
came down the valley the French ar
tillery raked them with terrific fire.
but the Germans with incredible cool
ness began erecting pontoon bridges
and although hundreds of men died on
the bank they succeeded in their en-
deavor while their artillery searched
the hills for the hidden gunners,
quickly forcing the French to re-
treat.
Defense Line More Compact.
This long retirement by the French
has enabled the allies to draw closer
together and to form a solid front,
sweeping in a crescent. On the map,
of course, it is an unhappy thing to
see the whole of France north of
Amiens open to the enemy. but one
should realize that in order to lure
the Germans to their own destruction
it was almost necessary to maneuver
them into the position they now oc-
cupy.
THE long-drawn-out nature of this
campaign emphasizes the difficulty of
grasping the significance of the whole
campaign from isolated Incidents The
psychological effect of its being mixed
up with a merely local panic or dis
orderly retreat is tremendous.
The feeling in Amiens when l
of the panic. Reports were current
that the railways had been cut and
that there had been mysterious move
ments of troops out of the town bar
racks. Hardly man in uniform was
to be seen. Only a few persons real
lied what this meant-namely, that
Am1ens was being made an undefended
town. open to the Germans whenever
they wished it.
Hold Stronger Positions.
The French army and our English
troops are now holding good positions in
much stronger and closer line, and
stemming the tide of the German hordes
rolling up to Paris.
Gen Paul Pau, the hero of this war;
after his swift return from the east front,
where he repaired the deadly check at
Muelhausen. has dealt smashing blow
at the German army corps which was
striking to the heart Of France. Paris
is still safe for the time being. with the
great army of the allied forces drawn
across the country as barrier which
surely will not he broken by the enemy
II have been all through this war zone
during the past fortnight. and nothing l
have seen or heard from either the Brit
ish or the French leads me to believe
that our army has been smashed or that
the allies are demoraliZed.
Retreats which seem fatal when seen
close at hand are not altogether disas-
trous in their effect when viewed from
the proper perspective AS d matter of
fact, the German audacity of attack is
leading them into a position from which
there will be no retreat if their lines are
cut
Found Lille Abandoned.