THE MONS RETREAT.

Taihape Daily Times, 27 May 1919, Page 5

THE MONS RETREAT.

LORD FRENCH'S STORY.

HIGH HOPES SHATTERED.

TRIBUTE TO' THE STAFF. LONDON, May 2. A further instalment of Lord French's book, which describes the battle of Mons, say s that the British' Army on the night of August 21 went to sleep in the highest spirits and witbj I. pes that its mobilisation, and concentration would be effected without a hitch. The preliminary en-' gagements foreshadowed that moral superiority over the Germans, which, afterwards was completely established Lord French awoke on the morning of August 22 in high hopes, but before many hours disillusionment began. Lord French describes how T he started to visit General Lanrezac, commanding the French Eleventh Army Corps, in the neighbourhood of Philippeville, bu c was constantly stopped by columns moving southward, all of which were looking most depressed. Suddenly he met Captain Spiers, the liasion officer, who reported a German advance, adding: "Offensive action is contrary to General Lanrezac's plans. 7 Owing to the difficulty of finding General Lanrezac, Lord French returned to Le Cateau, where late in the evening, the climax, of disillusionment was experienced, when ho received a request from General Lanrezac to attack the flank of the German columns, which were pressing him back. Lord French says that it was difficult to realise what was in General Lanrezae's mind when he made such a request and he replied that such an operation was quite impracticable. Describing the events of August 23 Lord French says that he left • Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien full of confidence with regard to hig position, let when he returned to headquarters in the afternoon reports were received j that Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien was j abandoning the salient at Mons, although he need not have feared an imJ 7ninent turning movement, and his front was nowhere greatly threatened. ] In consequence of the arival of fur- | ther disquieting reports in the evenj i:ig Lord French decided on an imi mediate retreat, as the situation was j strategically untenable. H pays a j tribute to the supoprt of General Alj Icnby and General Drummond in taking j severe pressure of the Fifth Divi- ! sion, and to the steadfastness and skill J of Sir Douglas Haig's First Corps. He concludes with a graphic picture of the worn-out staff, saying, "It makes tny blood boil to bear and to read the calumnies which are often heaped on ! the head of the unfortunate staff."