Sopkniber U\ 1914 
LAND AND WATER 
liavinj^ in any part sufPorecl (li^^as{ov, l>ut lioncefov- 
Avav<l I'acod by a German army standing noi-th and 
•sontb, based upon new and better commnnications 
coming directly from tbc cast in (:2) — (i), liaviiig 
ttivnod the lortilied frontier Verdun-Belfort and 
eliminated it as an obstacle. 
It Avill be seen from all tliis tbat every effort 
Avill be made by tbe Allies dnring tbese critical days 
to maintain a combination of two main elements in 
tlieir strengtb, (1) tbe resistance of tbe concaA'e line, 
especially wliere it is most tbreatened wliicli is in tbe 
sag at V. (Vitry Ic Frangois) : (:2) tbe prosecution of 
tbo enveloping movement against tbe Crerman rigbt 
wing at M. — tbe region of Meanx — wbere tbere is so 
far a definite numerical snperiorit}' on tbe side of tbc 
Allies, tbongii tbe Allies are still inferior in numbers 
to tbe total of tbe German line. 
If botli tbese factors combined are maintained 
— tbat is, if tbe pressure at M goes on and tbe 
resistance at V liolds — there is sKCces-t. If tbe 
Insisting line breaks at V or elsewbere tbere is 
ifisushr. Even if it is only pushed back tbere is, 
lor tbe moment, failure. 
Such are the comparatively simple elements of 
this most critical moment in the first part of so vast a 
movement of men. Such are the three inconceivable 
issues of tbese grave days. 
THE CRITICAL POINTS IN DETAIL. 
it is not without interest to consider in some 
dctiiil the ground over which both those critical parts 
of the Allied forces, the enveloping people at it and 
the ivsistiug people Jit V, are moving. 
The lieUl in which pressure is being brought upon 
the (Jerman right and turning it back from Paris, is 
the lower valley of tbe Marue. A sketch of this field 
is liere appended. Tbe Marne is a river which flows 
twenty miles N. by E. of tbo outermost Paris forts) 
there How into tbo ilarne from o]>posite sides two 
tributaries. 
Tbo one from tbc iic-rtb boars tbe name of tbe 
Onrcq ; that from tbe south tbe nanie of the Grand 
Morin. The latter is known as the Grand Morin, 
or tbe Great Morin, to distinguish it from another 
tributary coming in further to tbe cast and known 
as tbc little Morin, or Petit florin. It is in the 
angle formed by tbe (Jrand ]\Iorin and the Ouroq 
tbat the (Tcrman riglit v»ing, recently in touch 
v>ith the fortifications of Paris, was caught on 
September 4tb, jtli, and Gtb, Avbcn the presence of an 
unexpected French reserve force in and about l*aris 
was first appreciated by the enemy. Tbe German 
right wing or ] st Army was thus caught by superior 
forces, among v.hicb was tbe British contingent, which 
contingent lay at first along tbe Grand Morin four dajs 
ago, was already across the Petit ilorin by Tuesday, 
and is now across the jMarne in its advance against tbe 
German retreat. It has upon its rigbt tbe 5tb 
Freueli Army; while u])on tbe Onrcq is the larger 
l)ody known as the Oth French Ami}', which has 
behind it those reserves recently called up from Paris 
and from tbe west of tbat town. 
It is evident that while the Germans in tlieir 
retirement before these superior numbers will delay 
tbe advance of every op])osing unit as much as 
possible, they will, or should, show peculiar energy in 
resisting the noiih-westeru side of tbe angle, the 
French advance across the line of the Onrcq. For as 
this advance proceeds the German troops still lingering 
or hampered in the noi-th (whence they have come) 
are in danger of being cut off, and the cavalry of tbc 
French resen'e and other bodies which it can spare 
from its superior numbers, tend perpetually to approach 
tbe lino A. H., by which the (Jerman right Aving or 
o 
lO 
15 
I 
HO 
—I— 
Sccl6s of Miles' 
25 
—J 
SEMLIS* 
PARIS 
into the Seine just above Paris having- come in a 
great ber.d across the Champagne cotnitry. If avo f.x 
our attcjition upon the town of Meau.x, \vf sluul see 
tliat in the neiglibourhood of that town (which is some 
1st .■Vrmy originally advanced and by which it still 
receives its supplies. 
V]Wi\ the pressure tbat can be exercised in this 
field of the v.ar xcry largely depends the success of the 
P* 
