Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-30
disgorged fighting men and fighting equip


ment.
Regiments of infantry, lean and hard.
swung down the gangplanks and marched
away with the long, mile eating stride OF
| the trained soldier. The piers echoed with
the clatter of hoofs as the cavalry dis
embarked, shook with the rumble of guns.
All day trains pulled out for the north.
carrying the army to meet the gray flood
rolling south through Belgium
The first clash came quickly. Two days
after they arrived in France the English
| felt the shock Of German masses. The
British leaders called the result re
tirement in the face of superior forces"
Berlin reported victory. Both state
fering only in phrasng.
Anyhow, the English were driven
back. with a gray host at their heels.
their TANKS harried by Uhlans, their
ranks constantly showered with high
explosives dropped from dove sha ped
flying things-German aeroplanes of
the Rumpler type.
Perfectly organized was the German
army, and. directed by master
strategist, it's blows were machine-like
in precision. Always Gen. Won kluck's
right wing reached and fumbled, try
ing to encircle the allies left like
wrestler seeking a decisive grip.
AT Cambria and at Maubeuge the
English narrowly escaped disaster, but
Gen. French declined to be cooped up
and always managed to hack his way
through an enveloping column. or to
evade the deadly hold.
But there was no stopping the Ger
man rush between the Belgian border
and the outer forts of Paris. Not for
an instant even did Won kluck hesitate.
Battles were repetition of the same
tactics-the swift swing of a thanking
ment, the forward drive of close
ranked thousands. then the inevitable
retirement of the British and French.
The greatest of, military machines
daily proved Its right to o., the oi title: o,,o
the tide of battle. and daily the re-
sistance of the allies became more
stubborn. The British and French re-
treated with chin on shoulder. turning
more often to wither the ranks of their
pursuers with rife and cannon. On the
right Gen. Joffre and the one-armed
hero, Gen. Pau. held the barrier forts.
and the defending line swung toward
Paris like giant pendulum hinged on
Verdun.
There were days of rear guard ac-
tions, of sharp fights to hold positions
of vantage while guns and supply
trains were removed to safety; nights
of battling to repulse desperate at
tacks while calm harvest moon sill
vered puffs of shrapnel smoke-and in
the great struggle the, Royal Flying
Corps did its part.
Back and forth over the battle lines
scared the aeroplanes, spying on the
enemy, directing the fire of batteries by
signaling the range, occasionally clash
ing with German aircraft.
Flying daily under such conditions,
starting from difficult ground. landing
on rough elds. handicapped by lack Of
opportunity to make proper repairs of
damaged parts-and the aeroplane is a
fragile machine-the efficiency of the
corps deteriorated rapidly, however, and
when the valley of the Marine was
reached only a few English aircraft
still were fit for service.
Time after time in the long retreat
from Belgium the air scouts had saved
the army from disaster, but never were
they needed more than when the allies
faced about east, of Paris. -
The monoplane of Thane Griswold
was one of the few that took the air
on the morning of the decisive day of
fighting, and the grave words of Col.
Atherholt, commander of the corps,
had not been needed to impress upon
him how much depended on the tiny
AS the .monopiane mounted n..wide