PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 60, 8 September 1914, Page 8

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

GERMAN FLANK MOVES IN FRANCE INVADERS INSIDE FORTRESS LINES. Owing to the cutting of the Pacific cable by the German cruiser Nurnberg at Fanning Island, war news will be subjected to cable congestion in addition to the limitations of the censor. At time of writing the only important news from Franco is that the Germans and the Allies are in contact along the Grand Morin. a tributary of the Marne on the south side thereof. This means that the invaders have crossed the Marne near Chateau Thierry (a, Marne town upon which they were reported to be advancing .yesterday) but in what force they have done so is not clear. CONVERGENCE ON THE MARNE. In yesterday's issue it was pointed out that the German right, in its new movement south-eastward towards the Marne, might be seeking to co-operate with the German centre armies, which had been attempting to pass - through the Reims- Verdun gap into the Upper Marne. Assuming that the Reims-Laon-La Fere line of fortresses was intact, the position of the German right army between them and the Allies' lines did not appear yesterday to be a safe one, either as regards communications or generally. But the long message from the High Commissioner mentions, in an incidental sort of way, that the 2nd German army, "after taking Reims," advanced to Chateau Thierry. If Reims has been either taken or invested, the Reims- Verdun gap appears to be well opened to the invader — in fact, the position of the German 4th army at Suippes is indicative of this— and the whole valley of the Marne, from near Paris to the Argonne forest (west of Verdun) must now be the scene of a great conflict. On the Marne, southwest of Suippes, is Chalons, near which place the Huns, under Attila (scourge of the Western World) were defeated in 451 A.D. While the Germans have evidently penetrated the Reims-Verdun gap, the other gap between the fortresses of Toul and Epinal is still held by the French, for it is cabled that "tfie French eastern forces have been fighting with success between the fortresses of Toul and Epinal, on the Lorraine frontier." But just as the Reims-Laon-La- Fere line has been turned by a flanking movement via the north, so can the Verdun-Toul line be turned from Suippes, unless the Allies are strong enough to prevent the German centre from doing what the right has already done. What the strategical effect will be of German armies thrown into the van of the fortresses, between them < and the unbroken Allied armies, remains to be seen. LILLE AND REIMS. Besides the announcement that Reims has been "taken," there is a. statement that a German monetary levy has been made, among other places, on Lille. Lille and Reims are first-class ring-fort-resses, at 'least equal to Maubeuge, yet while the strenuous defence of Maubeuge has been several times mentioned in the cablegrams, nothing has been said about the defence of Reims, Lille, and other fortified towns of the first class. It is hard to believe that the forts at Lille and Reims have fallen so soon. Possibly the Germans have passed between the forts into Lille (as they did at Liege) and have made their levy upon the townspeople: and perhaps the "tak* ing" of Reims is similar in character. FIRE AND WATER IN BELGIUM. Thanks to fire and water, the German attack on Termonde, Belgium, seems to have been a costly one. Termonde is an important railway town on the River Scheldt, and is on Antwerp's line of communication with Ghent and Ostend, while it also occupies an important position with relation to Brussels. At least a thousand casualties have been inflicted on tho second line troops .(including many giey beards) that the Germans have thrown into North Belgium, and the Belgians appear to be in an excellent position to drive the enemy back from Termonde to Brussels. The temper of the Belgians is shown in the self-sacrifice they made by opening the dykes. It is important to them to maintain communication between Antwerp andr Ostend, in case a British army is landed at the latter place. That contingency may explain the keenness *of both the Germans and the Belgians. RUSSIA'S GALICIAN VICTORY, At the present stage, the best assistance that Russia can render the Allies is to strike such blows as will hasten the withdrawal of German troops from France to the eastern border. To effect this, a ' Russian victory would be more valuable in East Germany than in the Trans - Carpathian portion of Austria. But the victory in Galicia has been so crushing that even here its effect is already felt on the German eastern frontier, and the more rapidly Russia advances through western Galicia the more serious' will become the German position. The fortified positions, Przemysl and Cracow, mark successive stej>s in the westward march of Russia, to the place where the Austrian and German boundaries meet. Already Przemysl has been partly invested, and a German division marching to the assistance of the Austrians along the left bank of the Vestula has been defeated. Germans and Austrians are retiring from Russian Poland — a portion of the Austrians therein are in danger of being cut off — and a Russian invasion of Germany in the .south-east as well as in the centre (the Wnrlhe and Posen) and in East Prussia (already partly occupied) will give Berlin a triple problem that will almost certainly take much of the sting out of the franco-Belgian campaign. FALL OF THE TASKMASTERS. MeTii-.hilp. Austria is staggering under tho Russian smashing blow, following on the S«*ivian victory. Quite as serious, is the dcDsonstiittion* that the Austrian army is untrustworthy. Eirly in the war, a mutiny of Czech (Slav) soldiers in Bohemia was put down with much s,l;i'.!ght°r. but on the battlefield the Slavs have Ind their levengp by means of the white flag, ,un) it looks as if the reckoning clay of tl-tli German and Magyar (Hungarian) taskmasters has arrived. Whether 1? i 1 -!,.; i invades Hungary and Austria pioper by the Carpatnian jrnsses immediately,* or later on by cracow and thu" north, the Dual Monarchy is hardly likely to make a successful lally. Pi'obably tho flower of its auny was maiched into Galicia. and if the Carpathian* are a rampait against an invasion, they are also an ob.-tado to a reheat. Whether for the purpose of Forcing a passage, or of blocking the Austrian withdrawal, or of obstructing reinforcements from Hungary, the seizing of passes by Russian cavalry is obviously sound tactics. The only danger is tint Russia mny spend too much enors;y on the Caipathians. to tho detriment of the advance upon Germany.

A Pie?s Association message from Sidney to-day announces the death of Mr. Guoige Watson Holdchip. well known in insurance circles in that city. Ladies cWirom of learning how to cut costume?, fit, and make them, are notified by ad\crtisenu>iik in this isw that they will l>c able to ilo so at tho Institute of Oo«lunip Cuiliii'r. Tho m-onrietoi, Mr. IT. G. Bedell, of 170, Riddiforcl-strcot, ladies' tailor uncl costume maker, is now forming i day and evening clatsoe.