FRANCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 72, 14 August 1914, Page 5

FRANCE

FRENCH CONCENTRATION. GERMAN STRATEGY FAILS. BIG GUNS' FIRE DEFECTIVE. Paris, August 13. French concentration, under the shelter of covering troops, is proceeding with the regularity of clockwork. It is known that German strategy intended to pierce the. covering troop 3 and sieze Nancy, thereby disarranging the French mobilisation. The scheme failed owing to the failure of the German right wing. Liege reports state tJhat the German heavy ordinance 13 defective, the shells bursting long before they touched the ground and falling harmlessly. On tihe contrary, the 75-millimetre cannon the French are using snow great precision. FRENCH RETREAT FROM ALSACE. STRONG GERMAN ARMY CONCENTRATING. Received 13, 11.45 p.m. Paris, August 13. The French retreat fromi Mulhausen was well carried out. The advance 'on Mulhausen was merely for the purpose of breaking up a German observation •station. The proportion of the forces engaged, was four Germans to every Frenchinan. The German field artillery was far inferior to the French, the bursting of the shrapnel being indifferent. It is believed that a strong German iirmy is concentrating to seize the civ.-': of the line of the Vosges. Whoever holds this dominates Southern Alsace. An official report published in Paris says the Germans bombarded Pont-a-Mousson. a town on the River Moselle. 14 miles north-north-west of Nancy and 14 miles south-east of Mete, with heavy artillery from a considerable distance. Shells fell in the streets, find killed and wounded mnny of the inhabitants, besides wrecking many houses. THE FRENCHWOMEN'S LEADER. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 13, 5.15 p.m. Paris, August 13. Madame Poincare, wOio is f a trained nurse, is leading the Frenchwomen's enthusiastic efforts towards the, alleviation of suffering