The Washington herald., 1921-09-04

battle. to give Il the name which distn-
gushes Il from that second struggle. fought
nearly four years later and within sight Of the scene
Of the FIRST. With each succeeding year this great
battle Of 1914 comes to take heroic proper
tons. II was all the world comedies 1t now, the Ger
man and the allied authorities alike not only the
decisive encounter of-the world war, but the most
momentous decision reached the battlefield since
Napoleon failed at Waterloo. almost century before
IS With the allied view Of what happened in that
struggle we have long been familiar. the respective
roles Of Jore and Of Galieni of Maunoury, DEsperey
and Foch: about these there have ragged and Will con-
tnue to rage controversies the measure OF credit
due the respective generals. The British share is
variousy estimated but despite these controversies
we have long had the allied picture complete. We
know what was attempted, what attained where there
were successes and where failures <... ~ Il e.
Vi nv contrast we have known until comparatively re-
Gently very little Of the German view The reason was
Obvious During the war The German military leaders
risorousiy Impressed the facts and denied the occur
renee Of the battle confess that the great general
staff had led its vast hosts to decisive defeat in the
second month Of a conflict still continuing was mn
possible Ii remained only TO deny the battle doctor
ztie evidence maintain firm front and seek in each
fortunate event following sfe Mafge relieve little
sthe injury done in this terrible encounter. sSs
Thus5we had sf through the war a German legend
Constructed with care: insisted that
ing and tnat me German had beer be-
hind the Aisne in Con f6rnty with orders and :sfer
reasons of higher strategy. German soldiers and a
German public beiieyed here had been cholera
epidcc IN Paris believed ali Sorts of absurd legends
Only slowly did the truth and then only
partialy. q. II III IL !; .s
~ UT the war being done and the immediate effects
Ii worn off we have had in recent months
yefitable flood Of German publications, coming from
German generais seeking to defend justify, slorify
their own share in military events and absolve>or
excuse themselves from respohsbility for what an of
them. with singular unanimity, discernible nowhere
else IN their polemcs concede to have been the battle
which lost the war. And from these volumes II Is
possible discpgage the German view Of what actually
happened in such way as to form, final judgment
upon the history Of the conflict i NJ
, Briefly, then what Is the German yiewf We be-
cyed Al first that the decisive element was the sudden
sortic Of Maunourys Sixth French army from the for
tilted area Of Paris on the flank Of the First German
army (von Kiuck), which had avoided Paris and adj
yentured rashly south Of the Marne. We later lis
tened to those who insisted that the Maunoury thrust
was paied cleveriy by Kuck and the real event the
decisive blow was struck by Foch, commanding the
Ninth French army about the marshes of ST. Gond
the battle Of Fere champenoise As Foch's starro
in the progress Of the later conflict his share IN the
victory Of the Marne has been naturally expanded.
s Now what do the Germans say? Briefly this: By
the first Of September their great enveloping move
pent had failed Kluck who had been advancing to-
ward the lower Seine that Is to the west OF PARIS
Bulow, who had been aiming for Paris itself. imnie-
diately following the battle of Guise August a8 and 2o
had inclined to the east The German purpose, which
had been to outfiank ali the allied armies and roll
them up the Swiss frontier. modified to an
effort to interpose between Paris and Jofres main
forces H. .
In this conception, indicated in the orders of the
German general staff. that is, Of Field Marshal
Moie, there assigned to Kluck the duty Of watch
ing Paris covering the right flank Of the whole Ger
hosts and in-ihis mission remaining days march
!. behind BuIows Second German army. Bulow was