The Washington times., 1914-09-13

ton of Nancy and Luneville is also
made by the war office.
Reports from officers at the front,
stories brought back by the wounded.
and news dispatches from places on the
very edge of the fighting zone, all en-
courage the belief. now general here,
that the German hosts are rapidly be-
coming demoralized and the retreat. so
orderly al first. has developed into a
Iout
The greatest optimism prevails here
and Throughout France away from the
war zone. That all danger of n siege of
I'aris is passed, and that the seat of
government will speedily be returned to
Paris, is the belief on all sides.
One week ago the Germans COM
menced a series of desperate assaults in
an effort to break through the French
center. Today, their efforts having
proved futile, they have abandoned Wit
TE-le-Francois, the pivot of their de-
fenses, and where they had fortified the
already strong natural position. and are
retiring rapidly northward, with the al
lies in hot pursuit
This retirement was made necessary
by the continued retreat of the right
wing, now somewhere northwest of
Rheims, and the overwhelming defeat
SermaiZe, which fell back so rapidly
that the greater part of its war material
and supplies fell into French hands. In
the Argonne district the Germans are
said to be falling back, and this may
have an important bearing on the fight
around Verdun, which the Germans are
reported today to be fiercely lombard
ing
In Lorraine, too. France has won i'm
portant victories. and has occupied vast
portions of the territory east of the for
est of ChampenouX and Saint Die.
The most significant success OF the
French armies to date is the enforced
recession of the Germans in the Ar
gonne region. The fact that fighting
had been reported by the French at
Navincourt, which is but few miles
north Of Barbecue and twenty-five
miles south of Ncrdun, while fully
thirty miles east of Vitry-le-F Francois,
indicated that the Germans had push
ed through the French salient and
made their way to the extreme south
of the Forest of Argonne.
The third French army captured all
the artillery of one German corps, con-
sisting of Is batteries of field guns, 6
batteries of field howitZers, 2 batteries
OF heavy field artillery, about 160
pieces in all, nesides group of ma
chine guns.
Retreat Grows Precipitate.
To the east of Vitry, half way be-
tween this scene of the Germans latest
evacuation, and Bar-le-Duc, two sharp
engagements We're fought at Revigny-
auX-Vachee. and further south at Ser
maize. The result of these battles, in
which the German retreat was so pre-
cipitate that they were forced to aban-
don a great quantity OF war material
and number of wounded, was the
complete abandonment of the German
positions in the valley of the Saulx-
On the French left the Germans have
retreated still further, having been
forced back between the Disc and the
Marne rivers until Friday their lines
extended from scissors to the Rheims
ridge OF mountains, their front inter-
secting the towns Of Braisne and
here has taken on a more orderly char
acter. the cavalry which had failed to
cover the rear in the earlier part OF
the action having assumed its post,
though reports from the front are that
the German troopers seem exhausted
and their mounts in bad condition. The
resistance they offered in the fitful
encounters during the past forty-Cight
hours OF fighting has been exceedingly
weak.
Ammunition Column Taken.
The secret of the failure of the Ger
man right TO offer the usual stubborn
resistance was revealed today in the
report OF capture pN fdu
Of an ammunition column four and
quarter miles long, which he destroyed.
The column was winding its way
through Crepy-en-Ealois, when General
Pau sent cavalry and artillery to inter-
cept it. The guard was too weak TO
cope with the vigorous attack, and the
column was destroyed. This capture
mad an important bearing upon the sub
-sIuent lighting.
Witnesses of the engagements during
he last few days in the vicinity of the
Msrne agree that the proportion killed
is five 10 one of the allies.
In their retirement along the right
flank. as we'll as in the center. the Ger
uans have abandoned much equipment,
leaving their wounded where they lay,
pesides sacrificing many prisoners.
French aviators report that the retreat
% the Germans is rapid and disOrderly.
1t is evident that General Won KIuk
in his dash TO PrOvins Overran his sup
yorting center. and with the dispatch
# the army of defense of Paris TO the
aid Of the British and French left. Won
<Iuk was outnumbered practically two
10 one. and was in grave danger of be-
ing completely annihilated. In his anX
iety 20 escape the trap he was forced to
abandon much of ais supplies, and at
rertain points his retreat assumed III" ,
proportions of a rout. Indeed. good
part Of his force is still in danger of !
heing cut off and captured.
capture 5000 fllSoneIS
That the British first and second
divisions have already been successful
iu cutting off part of these fleeing
forces is indicated by report brought
IN from the front that a large force
Of the enemy had been struck sixty
miles /" the northeast of Paris and
5000 prisoners and Is guns had been
,aptured. The prisoners. who report
I'd the German forces demoraliZec,
were half-starved and ravenously de-
youred the beef and biscuits which
The British troops supplied them with
The most spectacular success during
this fight was that of fifty cyclists.
who broke from the cover of a small
wood and captured $50 of the enemy's
cavalry which had become detached.
Forty other German prisoners, all
wounded by bayOnet thrusts, have ar
rived in Paris. They We're with the
army retreating across the Ourcq and
the Marine Tho Germans were in a
strongly intrenched position, which
General JOffre ordered to be attacked