TROOPS READY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2230, 17 August 1914, Page 5

TROOPS READY.

FRANCE 1 ASSUMES AGGRESSIVE;

PREPARATIONS TO ADVANCE IN ALSACE.

'■V,# '

DARING DEEDS AND HEROIC ACTIONS.

BIG BATTLE IMMINENT

PARIS OFPICIALLf ■: N6f ipED

To-day's cable news concerning tho war comprises a big budget of items from all the centres of conflict.: At and around' Liege there have been: further unimportant engagements, and the fortress still holds out. It has' become increasingly evident that big operations are in progress in Belgium aJid in Alsaooj but definite news is scarce , The Parisians have been notified that they may receive news of' a big battle at any moment, whioh is merely confirmatory of the news re. coived here on Friday last intimating the drawing together of themain forces,'m Belgium. French mobilisation m tho South of I'ranco is stated to be complete, and there is also gootj news from •Bussia, where some 2} milhons of troops ate said to be massed near , jiie Austro-Gsrman frontier ready to advance. Sorvia and Montenegro are causing embarrassment to Austria on her southern bound- . ary, butthefact that Aiistnahas dispatphed. almost all her available troops to the French frontier, in the west, and to tho Russian frontier, m the. east, indicates that operations at these latter points are reaching a; critical stage. la such fighting as has taken place the Belgian and French..troops :still continue io more than hold their own. There : is no-news,.of any happenings of importance'with the British Fleet, .. and iw word of,the British troops in Belgium. .It now seems that the mam Expeditionary Forces from the Overseas Dominions are to go to.. England, to. be trained preparatory to going to tho Gontinent if required. In the meanwhile Earl Kitchener is making his plans with characteristic thoroughness for raising a third Army for the defence of England.