The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1915-08-14
FIRST YEAR OF THE
WAR IN The WEST

d. WIFI IN I'LL WIZ
Tho first month and a half of the
western campaign was made up OF
startling. swift moves. On September
~. after the defeat on the Marne, the
Germans took up defensive positions
dong the Aisne river The ten and q
hAlf months since then have seen a
long deadlock.
The battle line Of the Aisne and the
Disc quickly extended northeast to the
sea. Fighting has been continuous.
With tremendous losses. The general
situation has remained unchanged.
galns of few miles for one side at
ohe point Offset by minor gains for
the. enemy In other sectors.
At the beginning of August the
kaiser took possession of the, little
state Of Luxembourg and demanded
passage through Belgium to the Fran
co-Belgian frontier
Formulation to pass denied. Won
Eipem attacked Liege tAugust -,
while other German armies passed
around the city and swept over the
level Belgian roads at q terrific rate.
THO little Belgian army yielded Brus-
sells and fell back to Antwerp and
Client.
First Big Engagement.
mot until the Germans had almost
feached the French border did the
nrst important engagement take place
This Ii generally known as the battle
Of Mons-C Chartered tabout August 20
2o). but at the same time there was
severe lighting along the whole line
through Thionville' In Lorraine and
along the vosges In upper Alsace.
which the French had invaded with
temporary success.
This battle resulted in defeat for the
French and English.
While obtaining some successes In
counter-attacks on the advancing Ger
mans at Peronne and at Guise. the
French were obliged to fall back rap
IDLY to the line Of the River Marine
On the left the French had with
drawn to below Paris and the western
most German army, under Won Kiuck.
followed.
The garrison Of Paris was put In
Thousands Of motor cars and hurled ON
Won Kluck's flank. The latter was not
taken entirely unawares and met the
attack strongly. but at the same time
the army of General Foch attacked the
German army on Won Kluck's left and
drove II back. ~,
81 Driven Back From Paris.
The Germans had begun the battle
with nve armies In line. The with
drAwal Of the two. farthest west now
cansed the retreat OF the third, fourth
and NTH In that order. each In turn
nnding its flank exposed by the with
drawal Of the troops on its right. At
the same time the movement on the
east end Of the German line was &C
CELEBRATED by strong attack from the
French fortified zone of Verdun.
The German retreat was as orderly
- that Of the French and English had
been. The invaders took up an ad-
mirable defensive position. 1t ran
just north of the Aisne river, on
series Of bluffs. then just north of
Chalons and through the wooded.
rough regions of the Argonne and the
Wosvrs. Joining hands here with the
troops besieging Verdun. The allies
have tried this line In vain ever since.
Both combatants now tried to turn
the west flank. Enormous bodies Of
cGvalry. On the part of the French
F1Anders. On the part Of the French
there was largely the desire to link up
with the Belgian0, now being attacked
In Antwerp. The mighty siege guns
OF the Germans made short work OF
the Belgian seaport, however, and II
fen on October 8. The remnants of
the Belgian army retreated along the
sea coast and the Germans in fnaI
rash reached Ostend October l5).
Line Extended to the Sea.
= The battle line of the Aisne was now
extended 10 the sea, the Germans hold
~ the important French city Of Lille,
NJ lille the allies kept Ypres in Belgium
and. partly by flooding the lowlands,
held the position Of the User river and
canal.
From October 1s to November 10
pas fought the desperate frst battle