The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1914. PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 113, 6 October 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1914. PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

The most significant war message we have received for some days is that appearing in this morning's cables, to the' effect that if the French left continues

unchecked, it will be Unnecessary to take the German entrenchments north ef the Aisne by assault, It is added that President roiir. a ; re and the Minister for

War, w' i6h ano ther Minister, have £ om , *° .P.e frcnt to congratulate tlui troops. Tt.\- two can be read togetbv. The Hanking movement of tho Allies must lie proving successful —tke German post-, tiou i 3 being turned. The trenches on. tae Aisne, front will be useless, forj tie ] Germans will be, caught like rats, in a ' trap. The Sunday messages prepared ua for the news. It was shown then that I the position of the whole G.Crmaa Wing

Iwas becoming critical, fjeneral von Kluck's army was being heavily reinforced, troops from the centre tod left being crowded on to thife sorely-harassed wing Though fighting with desperation, and with, an utter disregard of life, the Germans have been unable to stem the spirited offensive movement) of the Allies. The plan of tho latter has evidently been to hold the Germans' right and centre and exert all pressure they could bring to bear upon tho left. Tho Allies have applied the same tactics as the Germans attempted in their invasion of France, with the considerable difference that whereas the Germans signally failed the Allies are succeeding. Evidently the German newspapers are ap- " prehensivo of the result, for they are preparing the people for defeat, going as .. far as to admit that their troops may be compelled to abandon certain positions. But in order to inspire hope they

talk airily of the disaster ahead.of the Allies through the. operation of the echelon plan of the German dispositions in the event of a partial or general retreat. A British correspondent, telegraphing from Calais on Wednesday, after a tour of the country north of the Allies' left wing, declared that "there is no longer room tor misgivings as to the ultimate outcome of the battle." The Germans staked everything on holding the position at Noyon. The German wing was already bent, facing north-west where it formerly faced west. Added to the severe fighting, the weather has been bad, and the German commissariat, according to the same correspondent, has broken down, and "the debacle has commenced"; and, quoting again from the, latest cablegrams, "the German demoralisation Ims become confessed and ostensible." The situation in France is certainly assuring, and wc'should soon get more definite news regarding it. In Belgium the Germans are bombarding townships near Antwerp with their heavy siege guns and pressing the attack at enormous sacrifice. The city has been summoned to surrender in 21 "hours, ft request which will meet with the same reply as the one they addressed to Liege. Judging by the way things are shaping in France, the Germans will soon require all Uioir forces to protect their line of retreat into Germany. In Enst Prussia, the Russian* have out-man-oeuvred and defeated the Germans with heavy loss. A big battle has commenced near Cracow, which is said to be defended by an Austrian army of two and a-balf millions. Tho Russians seem to be particularly well led and armed, their showing against both Austrians and Germans being one of the greatest surprises of the war. It warrants one in anticipating that in the sterner fighting which is to follow they will meet with similar successes. Every day it is becoming more manifest that Germany, in throwing dowu the gauntlet to her neighbors, has bitten off more than she can comfortably assimilate.