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SIX MONTHS OF THE GREAT WAR Official French Review of the Mighty Struggle PLANS FULLY SET FORTH Results Claimed to Be Satisfactory to French Who arc Confident. The Press has received a historical review from French official sources, ol the operations in the western wai theatre, from its beginning up to llv end of January?the first six month of the war. It is lon^\ detailed, am in snmr* wsnprl's 1 in thr? mil itary sense; but it contains matter ol absorbing interest, both for the lay man and the expert. The plans of General Joffro art set forth and explanations given as to how and why they always eoul< not ho carried out, how they wen modified from time to time , and ii what manner they were successful. The review closes with a note o satisfaction at the results achieved and of the utmost confidence in tlu iinal issue. The papers are too long to pcrnii r\ \ f K *\i 1 \ r> !? >#? ivMTnn i?r\ f h n? V 1 UK ii UV. I I If, I II villi*. 1 I I Ivl I in instalments which will be eon tinucd from time to time. It should be understood that tin narrative is purely from the Frencl standpoint. The lirst instalment ol the document follows: "Chapter 1. The French Setback it August?The first month of the cam paign began with success and fin ished with defeats for the Frond troops. Under what circumstances <li< these come about ? "The Operations in Alsace?Our plat of concentration has forseen the possibility of two principal action.' ?the one on the right betweei the Vosges and the Moselle, the othei on the left to the north of the Ver dun-Toul line. On August 2, owing t< the Germans passing through Bel gium, our concentration was modifie< by Gen. JoflTe, that our principal effort might be directed to the north. "From the first week in August h was apparent that the time rcquirc< for the British army to begin U move would delay our action in ?.on ittii h if TKIo /li\! M 1 It'V 11UII Willi i v i mo nuici^ in v i i v reason which explains our failure a the end of August. Where Things Were Bungled. **Awaiting the moment when tin operations in the north could beg it and to prepare for it, by retaining ii Alsace the greatest possible numbei of German forces, the general-lnchie1 ordered our troops to occupy Mul house to cut the bridge of the Khin? at Huningue, and below, and thei to flank the attack of our troops eper ating in Lorraine. This operation wa badly carried out by a leader, whi was at once relieved of his command Our troops, after having carried Midhouse, lost it and were thrown bad on Belfort. The work, therefore, ha< to be recommenced, and this was done from August 14. "Mulhouse was taken on the !!)l'n after a brilliant fight at Oornach Twenty-four guns were captured. Oi the 20th \vc held the approa lies t< Colniar, both by the plan and by th< Vosgos. The enemy had undergone enormous losses and abandoned p.real stores of shells and forage, but Iron this moment what was happening i' Lorraine and on our left preventer us from carrying our success further for our Loops in Alasce were neede< else where. On August 28th the Al sace army was broken up, only i small part remaining to hold the region of Thann and the Vosges. The Lighting in Lorraine. "The Operations in Lorraine?The purpose of the operations in Alsac< was, namely, to retain a large par of the enemy's forces far from th' northern theatre of operations; it wai for our offensive in Lorraine to pur sue still more directly by holding be fore it the German army corps opor ating south of Mctz. This otrensiv* began brilliantly on August 15th. Oi the. 19th we had reached the regioi of Saarburg and that of the Etang: (lakes): we held Dieuze, Morhange Delme and Chateau Salines. "On the 20th our success was stop pod. The cause is to be found in th< strong organization of the region, ii the power of the enemy's artillery operating over ground which had beei minutely surveyed, and, finally, in th< default of certain units. On the 23n in spite of the splendid behavior o KPVOrfll nf niir iwrrwr / /-?v i~w <i?/l - v* "v?i MI inj wi j;n nun 11 */ tably that of Nancy, our troops wen brought back onto the Grand Cou ronne, while on the 23rd and 24th th< Germans concentrated reinforcement ?three army corps at least?in tin region of Luncville and forced us t< retire to the south. "This retreat, however, was onl; momentary. On the 25th, after tw< vigorous counter-attacks, one fron south to north and the other fron west to cast, the enemy had to fal back. From that time between the Germans and ourselves a sort of balI ancc was established on the terrain, i Maintained for fifteen days, it was afterward, as will bo seen, modified to our advantage. !j Waiting for the British. "Operations in Belgian Luxemburg. ?"There remained the principal busi| ncss?the battle of the north?postponed owing to the necessity of waiting for the British army. On August 20th the concentration of our lines was finished and the general in-chief gave orders for our center and our I left to take the occnsive. Our cenf | ter comprised two armies, our left a third army, reinforced to the extent of two army corps, a corps of cavalry, < the reserve divisions, the British army II 11 i.i? i and me iseigian army, wnicti already - had been engaged for the previous f three weeks at Liege, Namur and - Lou vain. "The (icrman plan oh that dale was ^ as follows: > "From seven to eight army corps 1 and four cavalry divisions were endeavoiing to pass between Givct and 1 Brussels, and even to prolong their movements more to the west. Our obf jeet was, therefore, in the first place , to hold and dispose of the enemy's ? center and afterward to throw ourlcft flank of the German grouping I troops in the north. The Movement's Failure. "On August '?i~t our offensive in v the ccntei began with ten army corps i On August 22nd it failed, and this rof verse appeared serious. The reasons for it are complex. There were iu II this affair individual and collective -1 failures, imnrudonces committed tin - dor the lire of the enemy, divisions i!li engaged, rash deployments, prccipil tate retreats, a premature waste of men and finally, the inadequacy of i certain of our troops and the ir leaders both as regards the use of these lapses, the enemy, turning to account the difficult terrain was able to secure the maximum of profit from the advan tage which the superiority of his sub> altera complements gave him. Further Fall Hack. 1 "Operations Between the Sambre - and the Mouse.?in spite of this defeat, our maneuver still had a chance 1 of success, if our left and the British 1 army secured a decisive result. This > was, unfortunately, not the case. On - August 23d, with groat losses, the 4 enemy crossed the Sambre and our t- left army fell back the 24th upon Beaumont-Givet, being perturbed by the belief that the enmy was threat4 cning its right. i "On this same day the 24th, the 1 British army fell back after a Geri'I man attack on the Maubeuge-Valcnci1 ! onncs line. On the 25th and 26th its 'retreat became more hurried. After 4 Landreeies and Le Cateau, it fell back 5: southward by forced marches. It ' could not from this time keep its hold v until after crossing the Marne. > j "The rapid retreat of the English coinciding with the defeat sustained in " Belgian Luxemburg, allowed the en : | cmy to cross the Meuse and to accel1 crate by fortifying it, the action of ' his right. i "The situation at this moment may ?] be thus summed up: .! "Either our frontier had to bo de' ; fended on the spot, under conditions >i which ti^e British retreat rendeied rx* | tremerly perilous, or we had to cxe' | cute a strategic retirement, which t while delivering up to the enemy a i part of the national soil would permit i! us on the other hand to resume the of 1! fensive at our own time, with a favor, able disposition of troops slid intact 1! which we had at our commai-d, Th< - general-in-chicf determined on the i; second alternative. The Care That Was TaUen. "Preparation of the Oifensive.-I Henceforth, the French command :i devoted its efforts to preparing the % offensive. To this end three conditt ions had to he fulfilled. "1. The retreat had to be carried in 3 order under a succession of counter at - j tacks which would keep the enemy -! busy. -I "2. The extreme point of this re b treat must bo fixed in such a way 1 that tho different armies should r?ieh i it simultaneously, ready at the mos merit of occupation of it to resume the , offensive all together. "2. Every circumstance pmniiUing - of a resumption of the offensive bop fore this point should be reached must i be utilized by the whole of our forces, ', and the British forces. 1 The Counter Attacks, p "French Counter Attacks ami Tncir I Result.?The counter attacks oocutcd f during the retreat were uriliirm; and - often fruitful. On August UfHh we e successfully attacked St. Quent.in to - disengage the British army Two e other corps and a reserve division ens gaged the Prussian Gua?'<| and the p Tenth German army corps, debouch? ing from Guise. By the end of the day, after various fluctuations, '.he V enemy was thrown back on the Oise 5 and the British front was freed. 1 "On August 27th we also had suci cccded in throwing back upon the 1 Aicusc the enemy, who was endeavor ing to gain a foothold on the left bank Thanks to our successes- in the woods or Marfee and of Jaulnay, we were able, in accordance with the orders of the general-in-chief, to fall hark or. the IJuzancy 1c Chcsne-Houvtllemcnl line. "Farther to the right another army took part in the same movement and carried out successful attacks August 2;>th on the Otrain and in the region of Spincourt. "On the 2(5th three clilVerent units recrossed the Mcuse without being disturbed and were able to join in the action of our center. Our armies were,therefore, again intact and availiihlr? I'm* "On August 26th a now army composed of two army corps, five reserve divisions and a Moorish brigade was constituted. This army was to assemble in the region of Amiems bo tweon August 27th and September 1st and take olVensive against the German right, uniting its action with that of the British army operating on the line Ham-13ray-Sur-Somme. "apidty of the Germans, "CorvGi. tien of the Retreat and Its Cause?The hope of resuming the offensive was from this moment rendered vain by the radidity of the march of the German light wing. This rapidty had two consequences, which we had to parry before thinking of advancing. On the one part our new army had not time to complete its detraining and, on the othei hand, the British army, forced back further by the enemy, uncovered on August JUst our left flank. Our line, ihlls modified. enntn hind wsivoc wl-deh had to bo redressed before we could pass to the offensive. "To understand this, it is sufficient to consider the situation created by the quick advance of the army on the evening of September 2d. A corps of cavalry had crossed the Oise and advanced as far as Chateau Thierry. The first army( General von Kluck), comprising four active army corps and a reserve corps had passed Compicgne. The second army (General von Bulow), three active army corps and two reserve corps, was reaching the Laon region. Third army (General von Hausen), two active army corps and a reserve corps, ha 1 crossed the Aisne, between the Chateau Porcien and Attigny. "More to the east, tlie forth, fifth sixth and seventh armies, namely, twelve army corps, four reserve corps and numerous other formations were in contact with our troops, the fourth and fifth armies between Vouziers and Verdun and others in the positions which have been indicated above from Verdun to the Vosges. It will, therefore, be seen that our left, if we accepted battle, might be in great peril through the British forces and the new French army operating more to the westward, having given way. Waiting for Proper Time. "A defeat in these condition would, however, cut off our armies from Paris awl from the British forces and at the same time from the new army which had been constituted to the left of tlie English. We should thus be running the risk of losing by a single stroke the advantage of the assistance which Russia later on was to furnish. General JofTre chose, resolutely for the solution which disposed of these risks, that is to say, for postponing the offensive and the continuation of the retreat. In this way he remained on ground which he had chosen. He waited only until he could engage in better conditions. "In consequence on September 1st he fixed at an extreme limit for the movement of retreat, which was still going on the line Bray-Sur-Scine, N ogon t- Su r- So i no, A rc i s- Su r A u be Vitry-lo- Erancois, and the regionnorth of !?ar-le-I)uc. This line should be reached if the troops were compelled to go back so far. They would attack before reaching it, as soon as there was a possibility of bringing about an offensive disposition, permitting the cooperation of the whole of our forces. Boldness of the Germans. "Eve of the Offensive?On Septem her 5th it appeared that this desired situation existed. The first German ottcnsive, carrying audacity to temerity, had continued to endeavor to envelop our left, had crossed the Grand Morin and reached the region of ChaufTry to the south of Rebais and of Esternay. It aimed then at cutting our armies olF from Paris to begin the investment of the capital. The second army had in line Champaubert, Etoges, Bergeres and Vertus. The Third and Fourth reached to Chalons-Sur-Marne and Bussy-le Repes. The Fifth was advancing on one side and the other from the Argonne as far as Posesse to Triancourt?Lcs-Islcttcs and Julvecourt. The Sixth and Seventh armies were attacking more to the east. "But there is a capital difference be tween the situation of September 5th and that of September 2d. The envelopment of our left was no longer possible. In this place our left army had j occupied tlie line of Sezanne, Villers? St. Georges and Courchamps. Fur- j thermore the British forces gathered between the Seine and the Manic, I flanked on their left by the newlycreated army, were closely connected with the rest of our forces. This was precisely the disposition which the general-'in-chief had wished to see achieved. One the 4th lie deeid ed to take advantage of it and ordered all the armi( s i.o hold themselves ready. He had taken from his right two new army corps, two divisions of infantry and two divisions of cavalry which were distributed between 1 is left and bis center. On the evening of the 5th he addressed to all the com- j manders of armies a message oi\k r- j ing tliem to attack. "The hour has come," he wrote, "to j advance at all costs, an I to lie where! you stand rather than give way." I Health Promotes Happiness. Without health, genuine joy is impossible; without good digestion and reguiar bowel movement you cannot have health. Why neglect keeping' bowels open and risk being sick and ailing? Ycu don't have to. Take one' small Dr. King's New Life Pills at night, in the morning you will have a full, free bowel movement and feel much better. I-Iel. our appetite and digestion one tonight.?adv. ENGLAND WILL SEE GERMANY GETS NONE Necessaries of Life Will be Cut off From Reaching Country HOW ENGLAND WILL ACT Proclamation to the World Sign cd by the King Last Week. Word Blockade Not Used. Great Britain made known to the world last week in a formal proclamation, signed in council by the King, and issued from Buckingham Palace, how she proposes to sever the arteries of sea commerce to and from Germany i :ii. . :_ c ii uuring ilie pcnou < i me wiir. The lonn "blockade" is not used, i and no prohibited area is defined. Nevertheless, the text of the order makes plain England's purpose to prevent commodities of any kind from reaching or leaving Germany during the war. British officials frankly called the movement a blockade, the foreign office describing it as an effective blockade, differing from the effective blockades of history only in that the j property seized will not be confiscated outright, but Bold, the proceeds eventually going to the owners. The last clause of the proclamation contains the proposal most interesting to neutrals. This is a flat agree- , ment to lift the "blockade" in case j any nation will certify that the ships flying its flag shall not carry goods to j Germany or goods originating therein or goods belonging to the subjects of the German Empire. No Mention of Austria and Turkey It is notable that the order declares ro intention to capture ships proceeding to and from the countries of Gei many's Allies. Austria and Turkey,! the reason being, no doubt, that the j measure is avowedly a rem isal against Germany's submarine warfrro. However, a cordon of ships will be maintained to cut off the commerce cf Herman ports and regulate trade in the war zone, although ships voyaging eastward across the Atlantic, will it is expected, be sized before they roach the North sea. When a neutral vessel is held up, in all cases except where there is a false declaration of destination or other attempt at subterfuge, the cargo only will be seized. A copy of the order in council was handed to the American ambassador. Wide Discretion Allowed. The foreign olficc emphasizes fhe fact that wide discretion will be allowed prize court officials handling neutral claims and that instructions will bo given these men to act with the greatest dispatch consistent with the proper performance of their tasks The foreign office points out the order is elastic insofar as it affects! neutrals and has called attention from 'he first announcement of the reprisal policy to the fact that the regulations are not inflexible where the rights of neutrals are concerned. While the order is absolute, insofar as ships to and from German ports are concerned, using the word "must" in stipulating how goods shall be discharged in English ports, the provisions concerning cargoes destined for neutral ports set forth that they "may be required to discharge" at British ports. This language is typical of the general attitude of British officials. Pine Forest I How it clears the throat and head of mucous ailments. It is this spirit of Newness and Vigor from the health giving Piney Forest brought back by Dr. Bell's Pine-Tar-Honey. Antiseptic and healing. Buy a bottle today. 25c at all druggist.?adv. Elqoiric Bitters, a Spring Tonic, i 1 i When Anybod I He Is General | To Tell His N< 5f The willingness of one l>or in a private way of th explains the popularity e vcrtisiiig that has been d< J The fear of the public majority of such people f used iu the newspaper. .? ceiving fine testimonials j ' AHEfiSIA-?',t?' rua-down < oiutltion of the is i spsme I Pouched. Pouh! not n'.eop. Peruna, I con a well woman ! OAY/WRH-^^-t^othankful for your coed ativl mm T0RI6 act;: as a tonic. 1 consider chest." r How did tlicy hear < i 1 Simply I centime ore nc inolhcr <me ho lias h-r.ud li'ui of pratefr.i patient ^ I advertising. .Much more. CC pi n T \ *c- c r>T ? l. \ iO . v .'i ol A I ho l'erurau C'o., ODD BITS OF NEWS Justice of the Peace Henry Miller! of Swoyervillc, Pa., was so any ry at i the defiant and unrepentant attitude j of a wife heater on trial before him that he peeled o'V his coat and sailed into the defendant. When court ad journed the wife beater was so battered that bis be^t friend would r.ot r c ' rj.vr.izc him. Also he was humble and repentant. Kept alive for two days by associa- ; tion vith two bear cubs and their mo- ! f liov Rm K\T Roll * h o ' * ' l i - - % v 1 v. I ? * ' I * \ 1 9 ^ ; I , V * * ' v f \ I il I t I ? 1 i* V > of a settler north of I* ifield, Wis., \v: si found late at night recently asleep in' the underbrush and, though starving,; was not suffering from exposure. Thsearchers saw the signs of bears r.c where the child was found, and old woodsmen declared that the child warkept alive by sleeping with cubs a: r. j their mother. All that the child ca say is: "Big doggie play; baby hun-! gry." The Methodist Ministers' Assn. ha: formed a secret body of 100 men who will report to parents and employer, the names of all young persons attend ing dances, theatres, etc., thought tc be improper. The investigates s arc volunteers. They will report, a mo, ah j other law violations they discover at Cincinnati, O. Arkansas' brand new prohibiticr \ law is already a dead letter here. Be cause the soloor.ists have secured Fe eral. State and county licenses, bu under the new prohibition law cr : " be granted c ty licem .cs in Fort S uit It was agreed at a conference that they shall bo fined by the city $4 a day, payable every ten days. Tin new prohibition law forbids the. grant ing of any more saloon licenses. Be- I fore il was signed bYrt Smith saloon* ists had secured all iiu ir licenses save ' those from the city. Mayor Read. in police court, told the saloonists that I althugh he is a prohibitionist, he did! not believe the city had a moral right I to close the saloons under existing con) ditions. A Laboratory of Thought. Kansas and Wisconsin are now run- j ning neck and neck when it comes to , freak legislation. The odds are all in! favor of Kansas, the unique state ofj the union. Wisconsin has asserted a 1 claim which must be recognized. There i is ,according to the Postal Guide, aj town near Lacrossec which is indexed | Waukon. In this little town an ordinance has been passed and is being enforced which might interest the rest of the country. A day is set aside evCALOMEL WHEN Bit MAKES YOU SICI "Dodson's Liver Tone" Is Harmless To Cloan Your Sluggish Liver and Bowels. Ugh! Calomel makes you sick. It's horrible! Take a dose of the dangerous drug tonight and tomorrow you may lose a day's work. Calomel is mercury or quicksilver which causes necrosis of the hones. Calomel, when it comes into contact with sour bile crashes into it, breaking it up. This is when you feel that-awful nausea and cramping. If you arc sluggish and "all knocked out," if your liver is torpid and bowels constipated or you have headache, dizziness, coated tongue, if breath is bad or stomach sour, just try a spoonful of harmless Dodson's Liver Tone tonight on my guarantee. 1y Finds a Cure ly Willing sighbor neighbor to tell another neigh e benefit received from l'cruna f Perynu nunc than all the ad ne. itv uncloubtedly prevents th 1*0111 writing a testimonial to b Put in spite of that we are re continually. , Marengo, Ohio, says: "I believ xvt t<-nk:. 1 rocoinir.cml it for an yslc-in." la Pi uiTlebonrn, Hunch, Iowa: 1 I I Ml C '1 !ll,nl . ,11 .liv l.i.i.n V.v t' niv.l coiisuinptiun. Thanks t i louay." ,7os?"'i?h, Orerron: "My llille boy i .' aiarrn ?u the curs by Feruna. Ai ice." Mcblo' or's. Frown Valley, Minn, rprim: J'ornnn tones r.p fhe nynterr I'jruiui j, whole family mediclri ! *cnina ? i;'M or is always willing to tel a ctfv. Neighborly convcrsa ::.s <l! j 1.o more. Or I'eruna tha r* 59 c axe, sent tree. ('alp.n.bur,, Ohio. ^ cry y<-ii 1* and is designated "Bi It-Back-Day." Those who boi money, these who borrow prort Pros' who borrow anything of a rowablc nab.r e. are supposed oijJ particular ?av to briny it back, if they do not comply with the mi ipal edict the town marshal goes in the ben owed artiel r and bi it bad; anyv/ay -that . if he cat it. In Kansas the "Pay-Up W ceb-hrntio.i has been a fruitful crss and this week of the 52 inj everybody who is in a position] in a he- rcs'.itution docs 1 is or herj to do so. Debt is the secret forjj thrift. The debt habit is the jj brother of poverty. The great \ ble of the country is the credit om An unknown man with scarcely? trouble, obtain credit. This encofi cs many to go wrong. People U hove credit and do a credit bus! buy more than they need. To L dear in the eyes of the world, oij| on a. cash basis. This is not afl possil.de. Some people have to ^ on credit to exist, but when tlW* in this position, they must undent that they avc standing on the d of disaste r. In the se two lake a ics of thought laws have been e aj which may seem foe lish, but thei* logic ill both. In neither case w laws bo hold unconstitutional, r the same time they encourage people to do the right thing anw up. A small debt, many arguo'h duces a friend. This is why t'n its arc so easily obtained, hut it> be remembered that a large doty, ates an enemy. The pay-up Hi idea and bring it back day in W t sin are not so fooiish after all. V is so much method in Mich, leghc that :t should not be rh i ulo^i bus: uccp in debt is like the tiry* i) lY.'.-ehoed. It must i?o foilovv until one is hopelessly involved up, bring it back, keep yourselfll The way then will he free of les.?Commercial Appeal. To Visit Prisoners. \yu An arrangement l>oiw?en (luc'J ain and G many and AustjVV which representatives of the, )! will inspect and report up:;n prison camps in those counlr&fl distribute to prisoners supplier^ their own governments or oth-o^ I oos, was announced last week ''iB State Department, and it wa&<*j that, through the: gol okhxsJB American government, simi$?B rangernents were under center between Russia and France avriB many and Austria. 'jj jous? no! stl uno saliva;] Here's mv <rnnr??f*w*?n*s. * ? a v>v w r 'H store and got a 50 cent l>ottle son's Liver Tone. Take a spoo^i'W if it doesn't straighten you i"*B and make you feel iine and vit'fB want you to go hack to the get your money. Dodson's Li\ B is destroying the sale of caloigel Jfl it is real liver medicine; entir< table, therefore it can not sal V make you sick. 1 guarantee that one spoonful (B son's Liver Tone will put your <H liver to work and clean your ] dH that sour bile and constipate) jH which is clogging your system j ing you feel miserable. I guara H a bottle of Dodson's Liver 1 keep your entire family feeling 'H months. Give it to your childr* harmless; doesn't gripe and the pleasant taste. H