France.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 25, 16 September 1914, Page 5

France.

CATTLE OF THE MARNE.

TERRIFIC ENCOUNTERS FOR THE STANDARDS. (By KTiKCTuro Telegraph— Copyright] i'J.niteh Press Association.] London, September 14. , The Evening News reports that dur-' ing the Battle of the Marine there was a terrible engagement amongst ! a series of small farmhouses, which were several times captured; and recaptured, the French endeavouring to capture the German eagle, blit failed. Finally the French flag was' hoisted, the Germans retreating. There were terrific encounters for the standards throughout the battlefield. The French defended their flags with amazing valor and devotion. In one case probably 20 infantry holding a flag were successfully cut down, but a fresh comrade was always ready to replace the fallen until succour arrived. DEAD AND WOUMDED. NAVVIES FROM PARIS AS GRAVEDIGGERS. (Received 9.30 a.m.) Paris, September .15.,,, , Many who were seriously wdiyn'dbcT in the fighting at Marne and hid in the ripened corn and deserted cot tage gardens, were found after days of.terrible suffering. , . Two thousand navvies were sent from Paris to bury the'German dead.

1000 KILLED AND WOUNDED A 1

MALINES.

(Received 9.30 a.m.) Antwerp, September 1 •'). The operation near Maliu.es "vas < complete success. The enemy was em bushed and suffered a loss of 1000 kill ed and wounded.

THE GERMAN LQSSE§. FIVE TIMES AS GREAT AS THE ALLIES'. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Paris, September 15. It is stated that the German losscin the battle of the Mar no wcrefivi times as great as those of the Allies.

PRESS BUREAU'S REPORT.

CONTINUING PURSUIT ACROSS

THE MARNE.

London, September 14

The Press Bureaus report continues On the 10th the French sixth army maintained the pressure in the -vest while the fifth army, by forced marches, reached the line of Chateau "Thieri'y-Dormans dn' thV-Marne'. • Or the same day the British continued' the pursuit north of the Marne, and captured 1500 prisoners, ten guns', anfifty transport wagons. The thicli woods of this region were full of German stragglers, who surrendered nVS parties. The Germans were apparently demoralised. They did much briitsj' damage to villages and illtreated tin inhabitants. The British forced near ly all of the crossings of the :iv«J Aisne on Sunday, despite stubborn op position. The French, posted on th< British right and left, were similar!; successful and many prisoners we.taken. The Crown Prince's army he. been driven back. He has moved In headquarters from St. MenehouH t< Mon Faucon. (Mon Faucon is a village of alum 1000 people, a few miles north of Ver i dun). FIGHT AT VAREDDAS. GERMANS ATTEMPT A DEFINITE STAND. London, September 15.

Very hot fighting occurred at Vared das, throe miles north-east of Means on Thursday. Semi-permanent entrenchments had been erected with :' view of making a definite stand, bIV the 3in and Sin guns were badly plac ed, and the French were able.to blow the batteries to pieces from the op posing ridge, leaving the German in funtry in front of the batteries an oasv prey. A few infantry escaped int'' the fields on both sides. The villages are heaped with German dead. Pile? of unexploded shells in wicker baskets were abandoned near the batteries and the trees which the Germans hoped would serve as shelter were torn to pieces by the French artillery. DEFENCES ADANDONED. FURTHER CLEAR EVIDENCE OF ENEMY'S ROUT. London, September 14. An official message from Bordeaux states that the German have been forced to abandon the defence which they had prepared between and Soissons. The German centre 1 has abandoned a similar position behind Amiens, and the detachments posted at Amiens have retired to Peronne and St. Quentin. The Germans in Argonne have retreated northwards below the forest of Belonue, and Triaucort. They have totally evacuated the region of Nancy and Vosges. (Triaucort is a small town to the south-west of Verdun. Nancy, of course, is to the westward of Lorraine, through which country one German force appears to have debouched into France.)

THE U&I OF RETREAT.

FRENCH LIGHT-ARTIL'GRY MAR

RIES THE CERfVIMNS,

!';r. is, £o|)tc:u!.KM' lo

Correspondents following in the wake of the advancing British and French armies state that half-a-mil-lion Germans are retreating. Already they are half-way tip.the Aisne Valley. The French 7.5 batteries are

vonderfully mobile, and are giving the Germans no rest. In three days they have driven them over three rivers and i. dozen railway lines. The reads are littered with amunmition carts and convoys.

The Germans in Northern France have not destroyed towns for mere Inst of cruelty, but many villages are now only a charred and broken mass of walls, and' farms and cottages shapeless ruin 3 owing to shell fire. CAUSE OF FAILURE. OFFICERS' UTTER INDIFFERENCE FOR MEN'S LIVES. ORDERS "TO SPILL BLOOD LIKE WATER." THE TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER.

London, September 15. Sir Philip Gibbs, after a tour of he battlefields and many interviews ■vith prisoners, states that the chief ■ause of failure is that the German »rivate now realises his officer's utter .-.difference for the lives of his men. To heard of brutal orders to "spill >!oqd like, water, so long as those who ollow may wade to their destined rpalv'l" This policy has recoiled upon ts authors* Even when captured, he officers displayed an amazing lack f camaraderie, protesting violently i gainst' sitting in the wagons with ho men, and refusing to eat with hem, and still endeavoring to bully hem. The German privates often urrendered gladly in order to escape heir intolerable sufferings. In some naitorjthe Uhlans' haversaks were fill—d with grass, which was their only .iod. * they surrendered, they legged piteously for food. The fail; ire to reach Paris was a demoralising 'low, and a proof that the plans of •he .headquarters' staff had completely miscarried.. All these thing? Jut panic and fear into the hearts of :„• Germans, .who, unable to with--and the bayonet charges, made a iserable resistance against the Zou,Ves in such villages as Bvagy and Vnchard, unless protected by mitrail■uses: At' 1 Samtremy and Viertou. «no Frpnch regiment, with bayonets, outed four, regiments, with terrible laughter. The : Germans lost their ierve, and fled "from the trenches steaming, the majority being stabbed •l the back as'.they fled. The whole •etreat was more terrible than Lulemrga's. '.'',:h; .<.-.i

THE PARIS HOSPBTAL.

>READHJL ARTILLERY DUF.I.S

! .;,. AND BAYONET CHARCES. id** mmi

ENORMOUS CASUALTIES.

London, Septemebr .15. Long and artillery duels ■aved the way for charges. At'niglu luring the first days of the batth tW 'rclicli invariably retired slightly from Heir advanced positions, when the ,'srmans re-occupied them. IV' gunners dislodged them in the uorning, as they knew the exact range it the shells'. The French infancy t'ten reheljed against the weary waitng in the trenches, and when the o;Vllft'iuto-. advance was given there was ") attempt to move stealthily, but 'iey frequently charged in line, and •?<#e Severely torn by the mitrailleuse

The effect of the bayonet charge* ,as overpowering, the long, sharplointed French bayonets being fearful .capons in German eyes, compared /ith which the German knife bayonets /ere toys.Ti.^ The German casualties readied ; J.

normous figure, but the French losses ere very heavy. Since the Germans otreated seven thousand French oundeel have passed daily through deans alone. Paris is one vast hospital. The ospitals in every town in central and mthorn France ai'e overcrowded with laimcd and crippled men.

".ERMAN GENERAL AND STAFF PRISONERS IN PARIS.

(Received 9.30 a.m.) Paris, September 15. A German general and staff with 0 officers and 300 men have arrived is French prisoners.

CAPTURE OF MOVEABLE ELECTRIC POWER STATION.

' (Received 9.30 a.m.) Paris, September 15. French troops captured north of Chalons a moveable electric power station, cqmprising five motor' vans. GROWN PRICE'S ARMY. ATTEMPT TO FIND AN EXIT FAILED. (Received 9.30 a.m.) ' .' Paris, September 15. The fate of the Crown Prince's army in the Argonne still hangs in the balance. The attempt to find an exit through the chain of forts between Verdun and Toul failed, when the bombardment of fort Troyon was,abandoned.

taU33ICA:<§ !N FRANCE.

ADCG TO THE DIFFICULTIES Q? GERMAN RETREAT.

(Received 9.30 a.m.) Paris, September i.o. I A hurricane in northern Friue oi. Sunday is seriously impeding the German retreat, torreiftial rains swelling the rivulets into cataracts and the* .rivers into turbid torrents, making the crossing of riv.ers of which the biidges are broken a matter of very great difficulty. The wheels of the great. German seige guns sunk into the roadway, making it impossible foi ithirty-two horses to move them. Again and again the Germans in despair cut the traces and liberated the horses. Owing to the network of railway, the Allies were able to send train load after train load of troops vO the weak points, and also readily replace food and munitions, pontoons and guns. ■• THOSE DUMDUMS.

CROWN PRINCE'S SUPERCILIOUS TREATMENT AT LONCWY.

"NO RESEMBLANCE TO DUM-

DUMS."

(Received 9.10 a.m.)

The Hague, September 15

Telegrams from Berlin state that tho Grown Prince, after the surrender of l/ongwy; took the .French comma ('.Jet's proffered sword, and contrary to nil military custom, he broke it, saying: "You have fought us dishonorably.Tlie .oldiers used dumdums." The comnander replied: "This is the first time [ hare heard of the French army using dumdums."

Berlin correspondents of the Dutch papers say they were shown suppose'! lumdums alleged to have been found, mt they declare these have no resemblance whatever to dumdums.