New Britain herald., 1915-09-06
BATTLE OF MARINE
 FOUGHT YEAR AGO
Anniversary of German Approach A to Paris.

night a year ago, yet some of it's de- tails will cleared up only when all official reports and documents are available.
 The respective strength of the armies during the battle of Charleroi and the retreat, the number and posi- ton of General Maunoury's forces during the retreat, and the prelim- mary manoeuvres, and the number and origin of the endorsements sent him during the battle, are disputed questions. The reasons for the sud den obliquing of von Kluck's forces on approaching Paris are also in doubt. Little by little, however, the principal developments of the bat tie have been established approxi- mately.
 Germans Reach Mouse.
 Though the execution of their plans had been retarded a fortnight by the resistance encountered in Belgium, the Germans, in their vast circular movement, pivoting on Metz, reached the line of the Sambre and Mouse Au- gust 21 with at least twenty-five , corps (9OO,O00 men) while the allies had assembled only seventeen corps < (68O,00O mem, including two British corps The allies, counting upon sev- eral days resistance by the fortress of Namur, took the offensive August 22, with the object of piercing the German lines at the junction of the Sambre and the Mouse and cutting the armies of von Kluck and von Bue- low off from the rest of the German forces.
 Namur fell in a few hours; the army of General Foch (12O,0O0 mem, concentrating behind the center, was not yet ready to go into action, and the plan of the allies was com promised. After partial successes around Charleroi and on the Mouse, the first division of reserves at Dinant was thrown back and the third corps at Marchiennes sustained a grave re- verse, weakening the center, held by the army of General Lanrezac. Gen eral Langle de Cary on his right had been checked in the Ardennes, and Ruffey on the extreme right was in difficulties with the army of the Grown Prince of Prussia at the from tier of Luxembourg. On the extreme left the British troops around Mons were violently engaged with greatly superior numbers, constantly tn- creasing and gravely threatening their enve1opment.
 Beginning of Retreat.
 The French general was informed by General Joffre, August 23, that the enemy was sending three more corps upon his left. General Smith Dor rien's End corps was already giving ground. Such was the beginning of the fourteen days retreat, during which the allies, covering 14O miles distance, on the left wing fought con 'tinua1 rear guard actions and some important engagements that checked the advance of the Germans and pre- pared the battle of the Marne ac- cording to the plans said to have been definitely fixed August 27 by orders in Joffre's own hand. -~....'
 General Langle de Cary obliged the Duke of Wuerttemberg to recross the Mouse and held him there twenty four hours, retiring only under orders from Joffre that he must be at Launois on the 29. At Launois and Bethel he held the same forces from August 28 to 31, before continuing his retreat. From his position facing the Ardennes to the front of the Marne, he had fought ten whole days and covered sixty miles with his forces in- tact.
 General Lanrezac attained success at Guise, but was ordered not to fol- low it up; the situation was not yet favorable for resunning a general of- fensive.
 Retreat Difficult.
 The retreat of General French was attended with the greatest difficulties. The Germans, sending ever increas- ing numbers of soldiers by forced marches against his left, necessitated violent and desperate counter attacks. At Cambrai he sustained the fire of the artillery of four corps; he lost 5000 men from the 23rd to the 26th before being disengaged by heroic charge of General Alenby's cavalry.
 The army of General Maunoury, af- terward called the Army of Paris, partly constituted the 18th near Amiens and popular1y supposed n ,t to have been in action until Septe a. Der 6, appears to have gone to the support of the British contingent the 29th, in the Kluck's right. The su- periority of numbers was too great, however; after every effort the allies found increasing forces on their left and the lines extend continually fur ther west. The Germans occupied Amiens and continued on as far as Beauvais. This strengthening of the line and the obliquing of the army of General Franchet d'Esperey (for- merly the army of Lanrezac) to the left, created a gap between that army and the army of General Langle de Cary, which was filled by the new army under General Foch, in process of formation during the battle of Charleroi.
 Won KIuck's Oblique
 Won Kluck's army, whose objective