GERMANS RETREATING ON ALLIES' RIGHT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2244, 2 September 1914, Page 5

GERMANS RETREATING ON ALLIES' RIGHT

MORALE OF THE TROOPS GOOD OFFENSIVE RESUMED IN ALSACE-LORRAINE . • / (Rec. September 1, 8.55 p.m.) Paris, September 1, morning. An official communique, summing up the situation, says: "On tho right flank, after partial checks, wo have taken the offensive, and the enemy is Retreating. 'In the centre we havs had alternate successes and checks, and a general battle is nor again in progress." • The morale of the Allies is extremely good, despite the losses, which' have ,l>een made good from the depots. ' Tho French resumed the offensive two dajß ago in the Vosges and in IJorraine. This attack continues to be pressed, although slowly. Every position occupied is immediately strengthened, and the advance every day is characterised by new local successes. OUTLOOK STATED TO HAVE DISTINCTLY CHANGED. (Bee. September 1, 11.20 p.m.) London, September 1.. f A' distinguished neutral diplomat declares there is a multitude of evidence that the Germans have been forced to abandon the campaign in Belgium and Bra withdrawing troops from that zone; In the Allies' darkest hour great things have happened which have distinctly changed tho outlook. Tho Kaiser's expectation of being able to announce a capitulation or the annihilation of the British army on Tuesday, the anniversary of Sedan, has been foiled. The events of tho next fow days will be fraught with'the utmost importance regarding the safety of the capitals of three of the Powers engaged—namely, Berlin, Paris, and Vienna. GERMAN ADVANCE THROUGH ROCROI ■i ' (Eec. September 1, 11.30 p.m.) London, September I, morning. The troops in 'the districts around Spincotirt and Longuyon, near the frencTi irontnsi belo.w LuxombmrH. chei&pil the Crosm Txhsa't anas tia

Belgian town of Neufohateau, forty-five miles north of LonguyonA On the other haud, some of the French troops- suffered partial checks and were obliged to retire on the Meuso. During the last few days the enemy has been trying to cross tho Mouse in considerable numbers, but has been thrown back with very heavy losses; nevertheless, fresh German forces have ad-vahced-by Rocroi, twenty-fivo miles north-west of Charleville. A general action is in progress, but, it is impossiblo to forsce the final result. The first portion of the above message was capable of being read in two senses—first, as given above, that tho Grown Prince's Amy was cheeked near Neufchatcau, or alternately, that: "Near 1 Neufchateau some of the French troops suffered partial checks and were obliged to retire on the Mouse." ' ~ ' Rocroi is a fortified town of Northern Franco, which commands the Ardeiines plateau between the valley of the Meuso and tho head waters of the Oise. It is the capital of an arrondissment ' in tho department of Ardennes, and stands 22 miles N.N.W. of Charlevillo by Tail and within two mile's of the Belgian frontier. The present fortifications, - constructed by Vauban, form a pentagon and entirely close in the town which has regularly built streets converying on a central square. The population of the "town, in 1906, was 796, and of the commune-2116. Rocroi was originally called Croix-de-Rau or Rau Croix. It was fortified in the sixteenth century and was besieged by the Imperialists in 1655. Invested by the Spaniards in 1643, it was relieved by Louis ,11, the Duke of Bnghein (afterwards the great Conde) after a brilliant victory. Captured in 1658 by the eame Duke, then in the Spanish service, it was not restored to France till the treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. In 1815 Rocroi was besieged for a. month by the Allies. ■ HEAVY FIGHTING ON ALLIES' LEFT WING. / Paris, August 31. General Pau's Army from Alsace reports heavy fighting at Bapaume, further south-west of Cambrai, throughout Friday, General Pau is a popular hero in Paris, and is expected to stem the tide of the Gorman advance. ' -. ' FRENCH WITHDRAW BEFORE GERMAN RIGHT WING. (Rec. September 1, 11.30 p.m.) London, September 1, morning. A communique attributes the Allies' retreat from Charleroi and Mens to the Germans having forced the French flank near Givot, on the Mcuse. . It also mentione that the Frerioh are withdrawing before tho German right wing where tho enemy has concentrated its finest troops. ' GERMANS ORDERED TO TAKE PARIS OR DIE. (Rec. September 1, 5.40 p.m.) London, August 81 ._ It Is reported that the Kaiser has ordered the troops to take Paris or die. The German Press confidently assert that the official prediction that the' .Germans will bo in Paris by September 2 will be fulfilled. , The "Tribuna," Rome, says:—"The present war is not localised as in 1870.. To-day even the fall of Paris will be on ly an episode, since the Russian ad* yance, and especially the English naval blockade, will decide the question."440,000 OF ALLIES' TROOPS OPPOSE 700,000 GERMANS. (Rec. September 2, 1.30 a.m.) London, September 1, morning. The "Berliner Tageblatt" states that in the fight, on August 23, seven hundred thousand Germans opposed four hundred thousand French and forty thousand British. It IB rumoured that the German supply system has broken down, and that some of the troops are living-on horseflesh. BRITISH RETIRE WITH LINES INTACT. London, August 31. Civilian eye-witnesses at Amiens testify that in tho recent fighting tho ■British retired intact and kept their lines together. No divisions were cut off. "The Times," in a leader, says that the great service which the British Army rendered enabled the French reinforcements to reach the northern battlefield. ' REPORTED • GERMAN MOVEMENT EASTWARD. (Rec. September 1, 5.40 p.m.) ' . London, August" 31. An Englishman who has just arrived from Brussels states that 80,000 Germans crossed the Meuse at Seilles, in Belgium, en route to Poland.— ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Servioes.) London, August 31. • "The Times" military correspondent considers that an eastern movement of the Gorman troops is improbable, because the western attack has not yot reached the maximum of its violence. The slowness of tho Russian advance has not occasioned any dire necessity for German reinforcements in the' eastern theatre. .HUGE SIEGE GUNS FOR THE GERMANS. (Reo. September I, 5.40 p.m.) -, London, August 31. Germany's Krupp siege guns, which were constructed secretly, are 17in, howitzers. —("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) Paris, August 31. • British and French wounded agree that it is'not the German artillery and rifle fire, but machine guns which are doing the damage. Germany has many machine and tho Allies comparatively few. ABANDONMENT OF BOULOGNE DENIED. London, August 31. Router's agent at Boulogne reports that the Governor is still there. The alarming reports which have been circulated aro entirely baseless. There is no reason to believe that thore aro Uhlans in the vicinity. • STRONG FORTRESSES BAR ROAD TOWARDS PARIS.' (Reo. September 2, 1.30 a.m.) London, September 1, morning. La Fere, whioh the Germans are now before, is a fairly strong fortress, and is the westernmost of the group including Laon and Reims, forming the first defences of Paris. General Gallieni has been appointed Governor of Paris. The fortified, line of La Fere, Laon, and Reims constitutes the principal obstacle to an advance in the direction of Paris by the Germans in the northeast of France. ,La Fere lies fifteen miles north-west of Laon, which is about thirty miles north-west of Reims. The three fortresses are designed to provide a protected area in which a field army can assemble. Tho three towns are on the direct through route from London to Switzerland, via Calais (or Boulogne), and Amiens. Tho distance by railway from Amiens to Reims is 99 miles. La Fere lies on the Oiso. Laon is built on an isolated ridge which rises some 330 ft. above tho surrounding plains and the little river of Ardon. Its fortifications consist of anftinner lino of works on the eminence of Laon itself and two groups of detacKed forts,' one some 2i miles south-east about the village of Bruyeres, and the other about three miles west-south-west near Laniscourt. _To tho south-south-west the forts of Mahnaison nnd Conde connect Laon with' the Aisue and with. Reims. Reims is surrounded with a ring of detached forts,'tho perimeter of which is now quite 22 miles, and which lio at a mean distance of six miles from the city. The distance from tho throe fortresses to Paris is between seventy and eighty miles. General Gallieni is a member of the French Council of War. He is 65 years of age, and was formerly Governor-General of Madagascar.

REMARKABLE ABSENCE OP WAR NEWS. (Rec. September 2, 1,30 a.m.) • • London, September 1, morning. .Owing to the remarkable absence of war news, it is suggested that the been awaiting the anniversary of the battle o? Sedan (September 1, 1870), when they bad planned to gain an overwhelming victory. Apparently the British have had n6 fighting since Wednesday, and may be temporarily in the second lino.