THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 4

THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE.

Since the Allies stemmed the Herman attack upon Paris and drove the invaders from the Marne back to the Aisne, an unceasing struggle has been carried on in the latter region. The extension of the battleline, as each side took steps to prevent its flank being turned by its opponents, gradually brought the actual zone of hostilities to the shores of the North Sea, Belgium being generally occupied by the Germans as part of the general plan of campaign and in order to prevent flanking attack from the north. Thus the great lines grew until they stretched from Switzerland to Verdun', from Verdun to the Aisne and from the Aisne; bending gradually eastward to tho Yser, but never for a moment has there been quiescence at any point of strategic importance. The French with an indefinite number of men, set by some accounts at two millions, have not only held the Germans at the points taken up in September, but in numerous places have forced them back towards their own country. The British, aided by French reinforcements, have been mainly occupied in Flanders. We know of the terrific fighting on the Yser, where the Kaiser appeared to witness victory and saw only defeat, but we know little of the doings in the French lines, though the gallantry and devotion of our allies is demonstrated by the positions they have occupied during four eventful months. Many very desperate clinches of French and German have occurred and these have generally resulted in favour of the patriotic army, but the recent incident at Soissons resulted in favour of the invader, owing to the flooding river which prevented the French from strengthening their lines north of the Aisne against overwhelming German assault. This unusual success, small though it was, appears to have encouraged the invaders, who seem , to think it possible to drive a, wedge towards Paris from that point. There can be no doubt of the issue, for the German no longer fights as one sure of victory, but is everywhere depressed by the looming shadow of acknowledged failure. The French, on the other hand, are fighting everywhere with all the traditional courage of their nation, inspired to heroism by the imperative call of their invaded and imperilled country. We may possibly have, from Soissons, another story of extraordinary fighting and phenomenal slaughter, but there is no fear whatever of the Germans being able to break over the Aisne and to renew their attempt upon Paris-