New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-03

tired with little or no disorder, Kluck had
retrieved his earlier reverses, and at the
moment when Foch struck his blow was
winning the Battle of the Ourcq.
But the retirement of Kluck and Bulov
and the disaster which had overtaken the
German centre, under Hansen, together de-
cided the fate of the battle. 1t was or
the receipt of news of this disaster that
Kluck started his rapid retreat to the
Aisne, that Bulow at last gave over his
effort to regain control of the north bank
of the Marine, which he had too hastily
abandoned, and from Paris to Vitry-le-
Francois the German armies all took the
homeward roads.
To the East.
1t remains very briefly to mention the
incidents to the east. Here, behind the
Ornain, the army of Langle de Cary stood
for three days rigidly on the defensive,
beating off German attacks, made by the
army of Wirtemberg on a front from
Vitry-le- Francois to Revigny. More phys
ical destruction was done here than any
where along the battlefield, and the ruins Of
Sermaize supply evidence of the fury Of
the Bavarians. But, like the battles around
Montmirail, these contests were without
issue, because the decision at La Fere-
Champenoise ultimately compelled the
Bavarians to retire.
AS for the army Of Sarrail, standing
from Revigny north to Souilly, where it
touched the positions held by the garrison
of Verdun, it resisted all attacks of the
army of the Crown Prince, operating east
Of the Argonne, to penetrate its front and
isolate Verdun. 1t had a bad moment when
its rear was threatened along the Meuse
at Forts Troyon and Liouville by drive
coming from Metz, but the garrisons of
these forts held out until aid came, and the
destruction of the bridges of the Mouse
proved sufficient to bar the Germans.
For the armies of Kluck, Bilow and
Hansen the day of September 9 was deci-
sive, and as early as September 6 the first
two were in partial retreat. But both the
Wurtemberg army and that of the Crown
Prince held on for several days more and
retired in good order in the end, when the
recoil of the armies to the west made their
retreat necessary to keep the alignment.
Of the five German armies only those of
Kluck and Hansen actually put forth their
whole strength, and of these only that of
Hansen was decisively beaten. Of the
French armies only those of Maunoury
and Foch were engaged to the limit, and
Maunoury failed to accomplish his purpose
because he did not get the help from the
British that was expected.
The Taxicab Legend.
Had the plan conceived by Joffre or Gal
lieni, or by both together, been realized,
the Germans would have suffered decisive
defeat and would have been unable to re-
main in France. Had Hansen been able to
break the French centre, even after Maui
attack and the retreat of Kluck
and Biilow, the Battle Of the Marine would
have ended in decisive victory for the
Germans and the French army would have
been cut in two, one fragment driven in on
Paris, the other on the barrier fortresses
to the east
There was time when it was generally
believed that the Battle Of the Marine was
won by the operations near Paris, and
there is legend of a victory won by the
transport of troops through Paris in taxi
cabs. The troops were transported in
taxis, but they arrived not in time to win
the Battle of the Marine, but only in time
to save the Battle of the Ourcq. Equally
fallacious is the story of the British part