FRENCH CAMPAIGN REVIEWED.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 84, 8 December 1914, Page 6

FRENCH CAMPAIGN REVIEWED.

AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT. KAISER WITNESSES TWO DISASTERS. "GERMANS’ PROSPECTS DEPRESSING. a- ■ - - PARIS, December 3. An official bulletin sketches the war from the date of the violation of Belgium. It shows that the main struggle occurred in the north. We were unable to engage the enemy until the British came into line, and we therefore sought to retain as many army corps as possible in Alsace and Lorraine. From September S onwards General Maunoury’s new army’s attack against the German right began to take effect. The enemy

SHIFTED HIS FRONT,

thus presenting a weak point to the British army, which crossed the MarUe and came to grips wife the German flank. Meanwhile Desperey, with Man. noury on the wing, also crossed and drove back the Germans. The sup-

porting British were cn his loft, and General Foch on his right. It whs - upon- this army the Germans sought to avenge the check to their rigl|t, and from September 6 to 9 this force was ; compelled to face repeated attacks, until on the evening of the 9th when it s left near Laucre-Champenoise took the Prussian Guards and another German corps on the flank. This j

- AUDACIOUS MANOEUVRE j decided the issue. The Germans en.l tered Chalons-sur-Marne on the 11th. ; ;From the 13th onwards began the contest, and the real race to the sea. The Germans had the advantage of |a concentric front, thus shortening the distance. Nevertheless the movement on their right failed, and the victory on the Marne confirmed it. General Castlenau on the 20th formed a ne|v arms on-Bauoury’s left, and strongjy established himself in the Lassigijy Roye and Perone district. Maujlbuy’s army entered the Aisne on tl|e

30th, occupying the region around the Arras line with a view to functioning * with the Dunkirk division. But t’de line was

STILL TOO THIN. The French instantly decided to transfer - the British from the Aisne to Hie vicinity of Lys. The Belgian arnw <• from Antwerp, covered by Briltlsh anp French marines, arrived to strengtheli f the projected barrier in the Yser district. The British were unable to come into action before October 20. The Belgians were short of ammunition. Therefore General Joffre entrusted General Foch with the task of co-ordii|-atingh.the operations of the northern armies. Fresh reinforcements £ ed him on November 12 to constitute ; a Franco-Belgian army under Dourbal, co-operating •‘with the Belgians anil British . between • the s' i and Ly« ■}:■ ; T ;;s ;• •' army corps rn> : : c ” ed'- 'i;: U divisionl. . .• •••v. ■■■■■• vr. ; •• - t:, hi s , <•*-' , ,7 - ’ r 71 ’ 4"' {f ■ i-iiig ; . .. : * ~ - " T> . • - £-■ s .fpn-v.-.ti. .or .-lorciag & .iue toward* i \|h'Og then if DECLARING BELGIUM ANN EX Eli. ; .• For three'weeks the Germans. launcl|- ■■ fed repeated furious attacks in dense /-masses. It was obvious after Novenff ber 12 that the balance was on our side. We yielded not an inch, and hel<i an impregnable position. The Gep- ■ man offensive, which lasted for a fortnight in November, breame broken, ■vibe attacks. weakened and the artil- • Tery became less active,

THE BATTLE OF YPRES

Cost the enemy 120,000. Never has an attack been so carefully prepared, so furiously delivered, or suffered a more complete check. The Kaiser wit-

nessed the repulse eastward of Tlhelms and a week later the repulse! at Ypres. Our forces are now as large as at the outset,of the campaign, and the quality has enormously improved; All are profoundly imbued w|th a

sense of superiority over the enemy

and absolute confidence in victory. The Germans’ futile efforts have exhausted their reserves, . while the troops they are now bringing up are badly officered and badly treated. Russia is more and more asserting superiority, and the German halt in the east is doomed inevitably to become a retreat,