The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1920. THE DAY OF THE MARNE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10689, 8 September 1920, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1920. THE DAY OF THE MARNE

The Great. War gave , many most memorable ovents to history, and of. these the greatest was the great victory in early September of 1914 on the Marne. No other approaches it either in importance or in strategic character, or in the timeliness of the decisions it effected. Until the battle of the Marne was fought, no one outside the military circle had the least understanding of the course of. the campaign. When the battle was over, the strategy of invasion and defence stood plainly revealed in all its major proportions. After the preparations and the predictions and the shudderings of many years, a huge storm of war had burst upon France, partly through Belgium, partly through portions of the march line of the FrancoGerman . border. In the middle of August the expeditionary army of Britain had ailmost' got into touch with the French defence, while the great storm was being strongly resisted at various points from Alsace to Luxembourg. The seriousness of the danger .was not at that moment fully realised in Britain; public opinion watching the confusion of movement with light-hearted exultation in the share about to bo takem by the largest army ever placed in Continental battle by Britain, in honourable fulfilment of an undertaking freely given. When that army appeared in -the battle of Mens there was for a moment an inclination to believe that the tide of invasion wa6 about to bo driven back through Belgium, though the defeats of French armies along the eastern) borders were disquieting, and the menace of the great German concentrations was felt to be very real. But Mons was followed by the retreat of our troops, and in a moment the whole scene changed. Tho retreat was suddenly seon to be along the whole line of defence into the heart'" of Franco. Tho great German storm had gathered strength; uncertain flashes of news punctuated its battle after battle of great scale was announced; the French Government left. Paris; and amid a babed of contradictory rumours the world began to fear that all was lost on the side of the Allies. This was the outcome of the campaign from middle August to tho first days of September; - Then again ithe; scene chang'ed suddenly. This German •'enveloping hosts were met, broken, driven back, and the danger was over.

Then the character of the Allied achievement became apparent., Tho French -General had sot out to fence with his formidable enemy, that he might penetrate his design and deliver hifi , own counter-stroke. Attacking unexpectedly at various poiuts of tho long border, ho had both seasoned his men for battle and penetrated the foe's design. Ho had fallen back at first with most dangerous haste, owing' to tho unexpected strength of the ononiy's concentration; he had, by shrewd-ly-planned attack, brought his retreat to comfortable pace; he had prepared his right flank for a stand in tho most formidable position in all Franco; he had prepared in his rear a strong mass of manoeuvre; and he had sent out an army to menace the loft, flank of the enemy's great storming columns. At the moment chosen he had reached his reserves; turned on tho enemy's front in most impetuous assault; struck his" left flank with tho forces sent out for that duty; and held his strong position covering his right against the utmost efforts of tho Kaiser in person. Such was tho masterly strategy of the French General. It overthrew the whole German invasion, and beat it back at every point. It swept away at one blow the plan elaborated by the enemy for his victory over the world. That plan disappeared in a few hours after four weeks of war. For the four years of fighting that followed tho enemy lived on improvisation, deprived of freedom of movement in his key position of the West, forced to seek decisions in tho East costly and uncertain.

In these- years tho unexpected happened often, as it had happened in tho opening four weeks; but tho fatal stroke to tho -German cause was tho utter devastation of the carefullymado plans of years in the battle which closed tho first lour weeks. That gavo the Alließ timo to make the preparations necessary for a prolonged struggle. "While he Jost time, after tho Marne, in fighting blindly in the trench areas, the groat British armies were created, and tho industry of the Allies was organised for the vast production of munitions, .without which the well-suppliod arsonais of Germany must have won tho war eventually. That is, why tho stroko of the Marne is called by universal consent decisive It stands among tho great decisive battles of the World. The greatness of its victory was duo mainly to the masterly military genius of the French .nation, led by its great captains,

Joffre, Castelnauj and Foch. British troops took, an honoured share in the battle and in the campaign which led up to it. Tho Empire will be always proud of. their achievement, and will never depart from the cordiality of the Alliance which associated tho two nations in the great conflict for tho freedom of tho world.