ALLIES TAKE THE OFFENSIVE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15447, 9 September 1914, Page 7

ALLIES TAKE THE OFFENSIVE.

/ GERMANS FORCED BACK. .1 ■ ■ ■■ - ■ * ENORMOUS BATTLE RAGING. AUSTRIA CALLS FOR HELP. BELGIANS AND THEIR DIKES, THOUSANDS OF GERMANS DROWNED. J THE" RUSSIAN HAMSIER. Preas Association—By Tel.—Copyright.

(High Commissioner's Cable.) LONDON, Sept. 8 (7.40 a.m.) Official.—General JofTre's plans were steadily carried out. The Allied forces, acting on the offensive, have succeeded in checking and forcing the enemy in a north-easterly direction. Another telegram repeats this news as from the British AYar Office. THE NEWS CORROBORATED. IMPERIAL. GUARD DECIMATED. LONDON, Sept, S (5.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. S (3.30 &.m.\. The " Dally Mail's " Boulogne correspondent states that a Paris telegram announces a great victory at Annecy sur Olse, fifteen miles north of Paris. The Cerman centre was hurled back, the left wing failing back on Lancecles. Ceneral French Is crushing the enemy's right, which Is retiring on Bretonneux. The English declmatel the Imperial Cuard. LONDON. Sept. 7 (10.35 p.m. 1 ) Official.—Paris reports that the Franco-British are lighting -oast of Paris, .against the right wing of the enemy, near tho Grand Marnc river. Received 0.30 p.m., Sept. Bth. BORDEAUX, Sept. 7. A battle is proceeding on a line through Nanteville ]o Houdouin, Mcnux. Sezanne, and Vitry le Francais, extending to Verdun. Thanks to tho vigorous action of the French, powerfully supported by the British, the Germans who on Saturday and Sunday advanced to Coulommiers and La Forte Gaucher district were obliged to fall back on Sunday evening. THE NEW MOVEMENT. * PREPARATIONS BY FRANCE. Received 1 a.m., Sept. 9th. LONDON, Sept. S (a.m.). A telegram from Saint Pierre Duvanray relates that the first signs that the Germans- had altered their plans Parisward was the extraordinary activity of tho Allies, who rushed up regiments from the west and south-tast to tiie centre. This was before flic first <>i September, when the British were lighting hard at Creil. It was a movement lasting for days am! constituting a striking testimony to the organisation of the troops and garrisons along the 1/oire, to support the French lines, whii-lt ret"red from Amiens to ho'.d back the arrow-shaped battering-ram of tho oii'-iuy's main army. Till*. SriTATIOX. nivSCKIISKD AND EXPLAINED. IJrevived l..\r, a.m.. Sep!, ftth. LONDON. Sept, S (a.iu.l The French aval English in vs. supported l.y everv available battery, defend Paris. The A Hie-' great movemen: menaced tiie German communieatimw ::i.il upset the German head-i-jiiarters' • ■ab-iihu lons. The-.- instantly a'.t -r-.-'l i.'w 'L;"C lion of their uia'n

force, and instead of proceeding westward to Paris swung 4 round steadily south-east, in order to keep away from the Anglo-French enveloping movement, and to drive wedge southwards | to divide the Allied forces in the west from the French army in the east. The German • fighting ,at Crail and Compeigno was solely intended to kecip tho British busy and hold tlhe front of the French and the Allies on the right, while tho debordant movement was carried out behind a fighting screen. A DANGER INDICATED. Tho movement exposes the Lorraine army to tho danger of being cut off on tho left, while the German rightis swinging round south-eastward t-) attack the Allies on the east and south. UNPLEASANT POSSIBILITY. "Times'* and Sydney "Sun" Servioes, Press Association —By Tel.—Copyright. Received 5.40 p.m.. Sept. Bth. -LONDON, Sept. 7. ''The Times" military correspondent says that the southward march of the fourth German army is likely to menace tho French eastern armies, and unless the Allies can take a general offensive the French will probably be compelled to withdraw from Lorraine and allow the Germans to advance from that side.