The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-01
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?


WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
The war has been in progress
four years and there are indica-
tions that history is about to repeat
itself on the Marine battlefield.
From the 5th to the 10th Of Sep
TENDER, 1914. the destiny of France.
and probably of the whole of western
civilization, was at stake on the plains
of the Marine. The French had ex-
pected a German attack to come from
the east and had made their DISPOSE
tions accordingly. But as Won Reth-
mann Hollweg said: France could
wait, but Germany could not" and
so the neutral territory Of Belgium
was violated that the road might be
shortened from the French frontier to
Paris. The defeat of the French
armies and the occupation of Paris
was regarded by every man in the in
vading host as a matter of a few
weeks, and If the war did not end then
there would >be time enough to re-
duce the fortresses of the eastern
front.
1SN1SN--NSAA
the German columns, a million strong,
with 1000, field guns. $50 batteries IF
heavy artillery and 700 enormous
trench mortars rolled like a flood on
France. The march was rapid-21 to
"a miles a day. Somewhat exhausted,
the bulk of the German armies COM
ing from the north reached the region
between the Aisne and the Marine ear
ly in September. In the first and Sec
| ond armies under Won Kluck and Blu
low there were $4,000 men who
hurled thru the gap at the Disc on
Tile de France, seemed to be march
ing on Paris. On August 80 Won
K1uck was at Chantilly, or 22M miles
from the capital, but by September 8
| it appeared that his. plans had been
| changed. When he headed away from
it was perceived that his strategy had
resolved itself into an attack on the
French left with the design of envel-
| oping it and turning the entire French
army.
| Meanwhile, that army, or as much
OF it as had been engaged in the 4orth
succeeded in retiring in good order be-
fore the German advance. On Sep
TENDER 1, Joffre declared the extreme
limit Of the retreating movement to be
the Seine, the Aube and the rsgior
north of Barbecue. On the 4th OF
the month the commanding officers o
the principal French units wer,
warned that the retreating movenen
toward the Seine would continue onI,
Gin order to execute the operations
which will lead to the Cresuming o
the offensive by the bulk OF our ar
mics" Then came the famous mes
sage-of the generalissimo: 1.-THE hou
has come to hold at all costs and ALLOW
oneself to be slain rather than Civ
way"
Won Kluck's design was perceived t.
be foolhardy by Joffre and Gallien
and steps were taken to hurl agains
the first German army on Septembe
the entire strength of the Frencl
left flank. This was made up o
three armies. and not as Won Kluc
. seems to have imagined, of only tn
British army and that of d'EspereS
The sixth French army under Ma
noury formed an angle with the thre
| British army corps under Sir job
: French. and was in touch, on it's righ
with the fifth army under Genera
d'Esperey. So it was that Manoury
: disregarded by Won K1uck. succeede
in enveloping the first German arm
with the help of Sir John French an
!, d'Esperey. This was the battle OF tn
: Ourcq and was the beginning of TIL
: victory of the Marine.
Won Kluck's failure was accom-
i panied by violent counter attacks b
e Won Bulow's and Hausen's armie
who tried to throw back Foch an
pierce the French center, and by tn
great thrust of the crown prince an
r the Duke Albrecht of Wurtemberg O
g the Saulx-Ornain valley to dislode
e the French right wing, the whole sc
r ries of actions ending in the precip
t tate retreat of the enemy thorol
beaten on every side.
L |