LAND AND WATEE 
August 2'J, 
1914 
Frcncli forces before them to retire, but inclnded the capture of many guns and prisoners ; the German 
claim in this respect being fifty guns and 10,000 men taken, while the French dovcrnment affirm — as 
is, indeed, probable under such cu-cumstances — that the figures are exaggerated. 
To sum up, there was, on the extreme left of the general field of operations (300 miles long), a 
very distinct German success achieved between ]\Ietz and the A''osges Mountains, which had the effect 
of di-ivino- the French back across the frontier from twelve to twenty miles south of the fm-thest 
positions they had reached in Lorraine. The success was accompanied by the capture of manj' guns 
and men, and involved the loss of the northern part of the Vosges Mountains with their passes, 
though not as yet of the southern part nor of the plain of Upper Alsace beyond. Pressm-e was 
removed from the south of the German line, and the communications of Alsace-Lorraine with South 
Germany, were, after this success, seciu-e. 
On the other hand, the bringing of such large German forces — perhaps a quarter of all the 
German ai-my — so far south, made impossible any taking in reverse of the Allies in the noi-thern 
field, that is upon the Belgian frontier, for the moment. 
So m\ich for what happened in Lorraine and in the south between Wednesday, August 19th, 
when the French offensive was still successful, and Mondaj', the 24tli, when the left wing of that 
offensive found itself pressed back upon the Menrthe by the German counter-offensive. This German 
success was followed hy the evacuation two days later of all Alsace by the French, and the abandon- 
ment by them of all the jiasses of the Vosges. From the dotted line which they occupied 10 days ago 
*■ ¥ + 
TOUL 
PosfY/on on Auy. f9 
Pos/'t/on on Au^. 25 
T/ie frontier 
Scale, or Miuns 
SAe(-ch show/ny territory /ost '■ 
6y /^rench on Soc/t/Perrp-^snc/ oFtfie 
///re 6<stiveen A ug. /3 a/?c^ A ug. 25 
-an 
open 
town- 
-was 
till 
they have been forced back to the line shoAvni Ijy crosses. Nancy 
intact, but the Germans are everywhere across the frontier. , They fm-ther claimed the capture of 
many field pieces abandoned in the Vosges mountains. 
The French having retired to the line of the Meurthe in French Lorraine, some miles witliiii 
the fi-ontier, and their right having retu-ed to the frontier itself in front of Belfort and along the crest 
of the southern Vosges, they remained in this position upon the defensive throughout the Monday and 
up to Tuesday morning. Last Tuesday, however, a general attack Avas delivered by the enemy 
•along the whole of the French front in this region. It was repelled. Since then we have had no 
further news from the southern extreme of the fi'ontier, save one message, which indicates that 
fightmg for the moment had ceased, and announcing considei-able losses to the enemy in his retu'ement 
of three days ago. 
It is certain that by this time every available man is being drafted towards the prmcipal field of 
operations in the north, and that the French in the south will remain entirely upon the defensive. 
Much more important in the final event will be the measure of success attending this other 
German effort in the northern field of the theatre of war- upon the Franco -Belgian frontier, and to that 
I wiU next turn. 
2. THE MAIN GERMAN FLANKING MOVEMENT THROUGH BELGIUM. 
l^Y that same Wednesday, August 19th, Wednesday of last week, it was apparent that the 
main German effort Avas going to be made through the Belgian plain, which lies north of the 
Elvers Sambre and Meuse. That the main effort would be made here was, as we saw last week, 
probable, because that was undoubtedly the original plan of the German General Staff when they 
took it for granted that tlie Belgians Avould sell their honour and allow the passage of the 
German armies tlirough theii- country to proceed undistiu-bed. The imexpected resistance of Lioge, 
before siege artilleiy could bo brought up against it, had disturbed and delayed this plan, as ■v^-e 
all know. But it is exceedingly difficult 'to change a line of advance once determined and 
plotted out in detaU ; and however much delayed, it was still probable that the original plan 
would be followed. Followed it was. The siege artillerv had come up and sUenced the forts 
4» 
