September 20, 1914 
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THE WAR BY LAND. 
By HILAIRE BELLOG. 
THE WAR IN THE WEST. 
THK whole meaiiing of the Western Avar at 
the present moment is this : 
That the Germans have retreated up 
to, and are defending, an admirable defen- 
sive line about half-way between Paris and the 
frontier ; that they have held this line, with varying 
fortunes, for twelve days ; that this state of affaii's 
cannot be indefinitely continued ; and, finally, that the 
chances of its breaking down arc, at the moment I 
Avrite this (Wednesday) evening, against the enemy. 
Either {A) they wiU find themselves strong enough to 
(i) at the best for themselves to break the French 
line at its centre, Rlieims ; (5) at least to press back 
the Allied line, which has for these ten days been 
attempting to dislodge them ; or {B) they will yield 
to tlio increasing pressure upon their western flank 
and will begin a retirement, which will be first under- 
taken from the jilateau Craonne-Noyon, and will later 
extend to the whole line. 
Of these two alternatives [JB) is the more likely. 
That is the whole gist of the war in the Westeni 
field. 
Our business, therefore, if we wish to understand 
what is going on, is fir.^t to summarise again the three 
great movements which led the Germans to tlieir 
present position ; next to grasp the nature and exact 
situation of the defensive SO-mile line upon which 
the Germans have taken their stand ; and, lastly, 
through a detailed examination of this line by sections, 
to sum up thcu" vaiying fortunes along it. 
AVlien w^e have these elements in hand we shall 
understand the great battle Avhich has occupied the 
Allied troops since the 13th of this month ; we shall 
be able to consider its tendency, and, perhaps, to 
guess at its end. 
The summaiy of the operations which led up to 
the present position is as follows : 
The Germans, bringing in through Belgium a 
little more than double the number of troops whicli 
the French commanders had thought them able to 
bring by this route, met and forced back the Allied 
forces, not half their OAvn, Avhich had been drawn up 
to meet them along the River Sambre. The strength 
of a defensive attitude would have prevented what 
followed had Namur, on the right of the French 
defensive line, stood. But as Namur fell in the first 
day's shock (Sundiiy, August 23rd), the whole line 
along the Sambre (including the British contingent, 
which stretched up past Mons) was compelled on that 
night and the following Monday to an exceedingly 
rapid and very hard pressed retirement. 
This retirement, accompanied by veiy heavy 
losses upon the part of the Allies, was pursued by the 
overwhelming German numbers Avith the utmost 
rapidity. The whole advance upon the one side and 
1* 
