LAND AND WATER 
September 12, 1914 
U|)on tlie wliole the ooniiniiniiiues of the Allied 
Goveruinents are less reserved in this way than those 
of the (icnuauio Croverninents. For instance, one 
could learn from the French communiques of the 
retirement of the 15th Army Corps in Lorraine before 
the Crown Prince of Bavaria's army three weeks ago, 
hut even when revei-se is admitted it is put in such 
terms that it is minimised. 
The object of any CJovornmeut in acting thus 
is clear. It is twofold. It desires to maintain the 
spirits of its public and of its army, and it desires to 
keep from the enemy too full a knowledge of what 
hi.s sticcess may have been. For even u successful 
Ciicnu', imless lie has managed to surromid, remains 
lurgelv ignorant of the damage he has inflicted. 
Tiiere is a third character attachmg to these 
C02umuuiques which I have not seen noticed in the 
jHiblic press and which is yet of supreme importance ; 
it is the fact that a great number of them are 
nccessaril}' translations and that translation is the 
most didicult of all literary arts. I cannot judge of 
how far the translations from the German have been 
accurate : for instance I do not know Avliether the 
phrase about the Englisli being encircled ten days ago 
Avas a true rendering of the German or not. But 1 
can judge the translations from French into English 
and from English into Frencli which have been appear- 
ing in the press of the two countries during the 
campaign, and I discover from these exercises at once 
tl'.e importance and the great didicnlty of rciTdering 
any message, es2)ecially a terse one, into u foreign 
tongue. 
Thus, about a week ago, I came upon this phrase 
in the English jn-ess, translating a Frencli communique : 
" Our line has nowhere been really- pierced." In com- 
mon with everyone who read that sentence I fourd it 
exceedingly alarming, but Avhen I got my French 
paper I found that the original phrase was not " really 
])iereed " but " licellement eutamee." Now this 
word " entamee " does not mean pierced at all. 
It means damaged, bitten into, jjitted. For 
instance, when you talk of a weapon being 
" cntamfe " it does not mean that there is a hob' 
through it, it means that the rust has pitted the 
steel. Generally, the word signifies a liurt done 
to the surface of anj thing and so grave as not to Ik; 
immediately reparable. A\^hat the French Govern- 
ment's despatch conveyed in the original was the idea 
that the line had been severely tested at more than 
one point but had everywhere recovered itself. There 
was no thought of picrcu/j/ in the writer's mind when 
he wrote that sentence. 
That is only one instance, for every day I come 
across something more or less of the same kind ; and 
I think it woi-th mentioning in days like these 
when sucli meagre and hurried news so jwwcrfully 
moves public opinion. I cannot but believe that 
there will be misunderstanding not only in the jJublio 
mind, but on the field, nnless the difficulties of that 
most subtle and at the same tune stubborn task, the 
transvaluation of language, are appreciated at their 
true value. For educated Europe has gone back, not 
forward, in this during the last fifty years. 
(Copyripflit 1914. All rifjlits, iiicludiuw A'.noricvu rights, roseryed). 
A DIARY OF THE WAR. 
SYNOPSIS. 
AncuST 18ni. — General Sir II. SmilliDorrien appointed to com- 
iDand of an Army Corps of the JJritisii Kxpcditioiiarv l-'orce, in 
•uccession to the late General Griersoii, 
August 20th.— The Servians gained a decisive victory over the 
Austrian.^ near thabatz. 
August 21st.— The German forces entered Brussel.H. 
August 22xd. — >Servi» announces tiiat their army had won a great 
Victory on the Drina. The Austrian losses were very heavy. 
August 23»n.— JajMn declared war on Germany. The Russian 
army gamed an important victory near Gunihennen against a force of 
J6-3,t;00 Germans. 
August 24th. — It was announced that Namur had fallen. 
The British forces were engaged all day on Sunday and after dark 
m the neighbourhood of Mons, and field their ground". Luneville was 
occupied by the Germans. 
August 27th.— Mr. Churchill announced in the House that the 
German armed merchantman Kai\ifr ]yiUie!in iter G'ro.o^e had bec^n 
»uiik by H.JI.S. Hujhpjt-T on the West Africa Coast. 
A strong force of British marines has been sent to Osteud and 
has occupied the town without opposition. 
August 28th.— A concerted operation was attempted against tlie 
Germans in the Heligoland Bight. 
The First Light Cruiser Squatlron sank the Mainz. The Firot 
Iiattl-3 Cruiser Squadron sank one cruiser. Koln class, and another 
cruiser disappeared in the mist, heavily on fire, and in a sinkuii- 
condition. . = 
. Jy'° German destroyers were snnk and manv da.maged. The total 
British casualties amounted to sixty-nine killed "and wounded. 
Lord Kitchener anuoanced that "The Government have decided 
that our Army m Fr.-ince shall be increased by two divisions and a 
cavalry division, besides other troops from India." 
August 31st.— At one point in tlie centre of the Allied line the 
French troops succeeded in beating the enemy back as far as Guise. 
f-'EPTEjiBER 1st.— The Russians met with "a check in East Prussia, 
but were successful in minor engagements in Galicia. 
September 2.n-d.— Continuous fighting was in progress alomr almost 
the whole line of battle. The British Cavalry engaged, with distinc- 
tion, the Cavalry of the enemy, pushed them back, "and captured ten 
•guns. The French Army gained ground in the Lorraine region The 
Russian Army completely routed four Austrian Army Corps near 
Lemberg, capturing 150 guns. 
Settembkii 3kd.— The French Government moved to Bordeaux. 
BfTTEJiBER 4th.— The Russian Army under General Ruzskv cap- 
tured I.emberg. and the Army of General BrussilofE took Halicz" 
Peitemder 5™.— The forma! alliance of England, Fiance and 
Russia was signed in London by the repres-?ntatives of the 'tlire- 
Ooveriiments concerned, binding; each nation to conclude peace or 
discuss terms of peace, only in conjunction with its Allies. ' 
DAY BY DAY. 
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th. 
The British Arinv was reported south of tlie Marno, and in 
line witli the French forces on tlie riglit and left. The late.st 
information about the enemy stated that they were iieglectin:» 
Paris and marcliing in a south-easterly direction towards the 
Manie and towards the left and centre of the French line. 
The 1st German Army was located to be between La Ferte- 
sous-Jouarre and Essises VofEort. The 2nd German Armv, after 
taking Rheims, advanced to Chateau-Thierry and to the east 
of tliat place. The 4th German Army was reported on the west 
of the Argonne, between Suippes and Ville-sur-Toiube. All 
these points were reached by the Gennan? on September .3rd. 
The 7th German Army has been repulsed by a Frencli 
Corps near D'Einville. It would, therefore, appear that the 
enveloping movement upon the .\nglo-French left Hank has been 
abandoned by the Germans, either because it is no longer 
practicable to continue sucli a great extension or because the 
alternative of a direct attack upon the allied line is preferred. 
It was announced that the scout-cruiser Pathfinder foundered 
on Saturday afternoon after running upon a mine. 
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th. 
General Joffres" plans were being steadily carried out. Tho 
Allied forces acted on the offensive and were successful in checkin,^ 
and forcing back in a north-easterly direction the German forces 
opposed to them. 
TUESDAY, SEPTE.MBER 8th. 
Tlie general position continued satisfactory. The Allies 
gained ground on the left wing along the line of the Ourcrj and 
tho Petit Morin river. Here the British troops drove the enemy 
back ten miles. Further to the right, from Vitry-le-Francoi.=i 
to Sermai.sc-les-Bains the enemy was pressed back in the direction 
of Rheims. In tlie vicinity of Lunoville an attempt by the 
Germans to advance was repidsed. As to the Russian 
operations in (iaiicia, the offensive continued. Forty gun? were 
captured at Mikolaioff and the Austrians retired hurriedly. 
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th. 
On the l^tfc wi^-? all the German attempts to break through 
■our troOos, who were on the right bank of tlie Ourc | failed. 
The English Army crossed the Maine, and the enemy retired 
about twenty-five miles. 
12* 
