LAND AND WATEB 
October 24, 1914 
•Roulers 
•5tOmer •—• \ 
€5 
•Antwerp 
•Ghent 
o s lo IS 30 as -^ 

Miles 
rLAH SHOWdO DAKQUB Ot aSBUA.H ADTANOB A-LONO THH COAST TO THEIE MAIN tIN» OF COMlTtnflCATIOjrS. 
Nothing but a similar answer can be given to the 
proposal to go on westward along tbe coast to tbe 
Straits of Dover in the face of such large forces of 
the Allies pushed forward eastward and below as far 
as Menin and EouUers. To pursue the advance by 
the level road along the sands to Dunkirk, to Calais, 
and ultimately across the Grisnez bills to Boulogne 
with this big enemy-force on their left flank is 
impossible to the Germans. It is a march which 
simply cannot be undertaken until the Allies are 
pushed back from that flank. And to attempt it at 
all can only mean that the occupation of the coast 
immediately opposite Great Britain has in the eyes of 
the German Government (not of the German General 
Staff) some particular political value. Of strategical 
value it has none. 
The occupation of Lille, and the vigorous 
defence of the German positions south of Lille and in 
front of Douai (where the French have already 
reached the trenches), has a very real strategical 
meamng, as have had aU the German efforts upon 
this hue from between Douai and Airas right dowTi 
south to the comer of the j^d line of the Aisne near 
Compiegne. The strategical meaning of it is the 
defence of the main German Kne of communications, 
and even a pushing back of the Allies from these, 
until the Germans shall feel perfectly secure. But 
the isolated German thrust along the mai-itime belt 
IS a wa^te of effort until or unless very much larc^er 
torces than anything hitherto brought to bear by the 
enemy should appear. MeanwhUe, the advance of the 
wedge thrust by the Allies between these t\vo German 
efforts, east and west of Lille, continues 
It may be of service here to gire in some detaU 
a sketch map of the district in which tliis double 
effort IS being made by the enemy, and to describe tlie 
fortunes of the fight during the last few days in 
detail; for quite probably in this field something 
decisive will be achieved by the one opponent or tha 
other in the next few days. 
noULLERS 
COURT!>AI 
CECLOO 
In possession oF Allies 
before the ^movement. 
Further BeJt occupied by 
Allies since movement began. 
The change of dispositions as we have learnt 
them from the official communiques of the French, 
the English, and the Germans upon this decisive area, 
the Franco-Belgian frontier, during the last few days, 
are as follows : — 
Following upon the full of Antwerp it was 
generally expected that there would come a German-. 
10* 
