The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-10-08
nike Their Attacks Singing and
With Drums Beating Says
One Correspondent.
THRILLING STORY OF BATTLE
,...rotion of the Retreat Of the Ger
nsns to the Aisne and the Des-
rcrate Fighting That Accom-
nanied and Followed 1t.
Nv HERBERT TEMPLE.
suronean Manager Of the lnternation'
al News Service.


smooean Manager Of the lnternation-
a! News Service.
COMMITTEEMAN troops are dying
!, the music of their regimental bands
" tho valley of death along the Aisne
by day and night.
Their losses are colossal, says an
rnosh correspondent who sends his
.+orv from La Ferte-M ilon, south of
scissors.
describing a counter-attack made by
the Germans, he says:
mTbpy came on singing, with their
drums beating behind them. Even at
,igbt thaT had their bands to play
them on to attack.
I'VE met them in the holes they
had themselves dug, and, as a French
soldier who told the story, said: You
tnow in fight like that we had
them at a disadvantage, for our bay
onets are longer than theirs, only all
these straps about our chests and
shoulders get in our way and him
dor our movements. The Germans
are better off in that respect and so
are your soldiers, as they can use
their arms freely. The Germans
would break for while and go back,
but as soon as we sent them back
another lot would come on, and SO 1t
went, time after time
Sees Waste of Battles
The same correspondent sends this
substituting story of the battle that
had entered it's second week:
Prom the battlefield of Marine
worked my way northward through
ChantiIIy and Senlis to Cropy-en.
Valois % this valley of death. I came
by night, through lands wasted by the
feet Of tens Of thousands of armed
men and by innumerable wheels OF
the worlds greatest armies.
1T was a strange, terrible expert
ence All along the route I saw
death and destruction. / saw dead
men and dead horses, villages in ruin
and railway rolling stock scattered
over bare fields. A great water tank
hurled from its base, was lying dere.
Ict amongst ruined hay stacks.
saw transport wagon, it's wheels
smashed, leaning dizzily over the
bodies Of the brave men who failed
to save it from destruction, and who
refused to leave it.
y have seen on this road sights
that convince me that the retreat
was not only swift, but precipitated
to a point of actual panic.
Reasons for Retreat.
1T was Aisne or destruction. It Is
necessary to realize that just as the
allied army, on it's way from Mons
to Paris, was in danger of the Ger
man fanking movement which threat
ened to overwhelm it, so was General
Won Kluck's right flank, in it's re
treat from Paris to Aisne, in extreme
danger, To avoid humiliation, he fed
10 position of tremendous strength
toward the west. 1t was absolutely
essential to his safety to gain the
position Of Aisne
One must not lose sight of the SUI
pfeme fact of the present situation
mat just as the junction of the OurcQ
and Marine at Meaux made that town
Tue key of encounter last week, sc
We Junction of the Disc and the Aisne
al CorDeigne has endowed the lat
Nr with cardinal Importance. Once
GROSS the Aisne, the German army
aao the River Disc on it's right, and
"f tn moment, the danger of being
unmarked was averted.
THIS vas the position on Sunday
september Is, the first day of the
sreat frontal battle.
IN the right the army was pro
'sesed by the forests of Aigle and by
ue River Disc, which descends al
uOsF due south from Noyon. 1t was
suu IS an extremely strong position
@uu one capable of only a frontal at
tack.
Open Attack on Sunday.
q II was clear from the outset that
ueSe fortified positions must be
s0usnt for and taken, no matter how
s'eat the effort or how terrible the
:" racrlnce. Happily, the time afforded
asleral Won Kluck's army for prep
nS'lon was short, due to the fact that
W.T. ms allies, although tired by the long
pursuit of the 9th, 10th, 18th and 18th
"'t no time in opening the attack
% Sunday.
sunday proved to be day of ire
sOnoous Importance. With the ex
Spion OF one small structure and
h,,l railway bridge girder, all the
,;uses across the river near this
, Sa had been blown up. It was OBJ.
MUS NUS that pontoon bridges must be
ns u''Tucted, and, to work out this
Sa ' an artillery duel was begun with
Ns4 Germans, whose position was such
NO. 1a' they commanded the river dur.
thu d greater part Of it's course in
tip, Great Artillery Duel.
ss,,' e artillery battle that began
Ss Sunday and lasted throughout
s'eater portion Of the day. was