1939-11-11 — Page 10

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INEXPENSIVE SATISFYING

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 11, 1939

THE BATTLE OF

THE MARNE

How Germany Discounted Defeat: Von Kluck's Part

have on

On no other battle in the history in these first months of the war not every channel was closed against the of the world, not even on Waterloo

infiltration of disturbing or Cannae, have so many books and possible

Occasional copies of foreign articles been written as on the Battle news.

the Marne. of

For two decades newspapers, especially from neutral countries, found their way into the military critics and historians

country, and the editorial offices of been discussing what mistakes

the great German newspapers one side and what forces on the other

received telegrams from Holland, brought to grief the "lightning war" planned by the German Army leaders Scandinavia, and Switzerland. These the dream of a rapid and crushing had to be placed before the censor, but various things slipped through. attack, which is being dreamed once

time. Enough Thus on the evening of September more at the present

German Ger- 8, the day on which the has probably been written in

to the Army Command had confined itself man to stack a large room

the capitulation to - reporting ceiling on the question whether not old Von Kluck, in his reckless Maubeuge and the capture of 40,000 various determination to get ahead of the prisoners, there came into other Army commanders, marched newspaper offices the surprising news Was raging outside forward too hastily and incautiously that a battle

Would he with his forces.

have Paris; the French left wing had come rilo conflict with the German right reached Paris and crushed the enemy

Army was had wing, and the British if Lieutenant Colonel Hentsch not brought instructions to withdraw joining in the attack. On the follow- all along the line? What a contrast ing day private telegrams told of a between this

subsequent German withdrawal, a defeat on the research and the scantly and inde-Marne, a great victory for the French

at and British armies. finite communications published

mass

of

or

the time in those days of September, 1914,

told communications which the German nation no more than that the impending capture of Paris had been delayed a little by unforeseen Marne? impediments! Battle of the There was none!

GERMAN REPORTS

of

of

at

the

DEFEAT DISCOUNTED

Inquiries at the War Ministry, the command offices in Berlin, and of other authorities met, with simple reply that nothing was known of all this; obviously the alleged with- drawal was merely a carefully cal- culated

Not strategic operation.

a further until September 10 did bulletin come from G.H.Q. The Ger- man Army units that had advanced beyond the Marne, it announced, had been attacked by superior forces, and when the advance of strong enemy was reported the

the

news from, the east and by descrip- tions of the entry into Rheims,, there was still a danger that it might tend to damp the enthusiasm of the pub- 12 lic; accordingly, on September

14 the Supreme Command an- and nounced that the battle in the west a fav- was continuing and pursuing ourable course; "the news unfavour- enemy are able to us which the spreading by all possible methods is

there Thereafter

was no false."

on further mention of any fighting the Marne.

Announcements

victories had come unceasingly from G.H.Q. since the first day of the war. On August 27 and 28, after the march through bulletin re- Belgium, the military ported "complete defeat of the Bri- tish Army," and "victorious penetra-reinforcements

Army Army Command had "recalled tion of the German Western into French territory." On Septem-wing" Cautiously worded as it was, ber 4, "Colonel General von Kluck's and preceded and followed by splendid cavalry has reached the outskirts of Paris. The Western Army has cross- ed the line of the Aisne and is con- tinuing the advance to the Marne Rheims has been occupied without a blow." On September 3: "Maubeuge In between capitulated yesterday." these came the news from the east of Hindenburg's victory at Tannen- berg. The German public had fresh hanging reasons every morning for out the flags; without the slightest in doubt, as many had prophesied,

the War the Foreign Ministry and Ministry

it among other places,

ended by would all be gloriously

there No wonder Christmas. popular enthusiasm with this tinuous series of reports of On one of these days a long convoy into of captured guns was brought Berlin. We watched it from the win- dows of the great painter Max Lie- the Bran- bermann's flat, close to

а There was

vast denburg Gate. hurrahing crowd; it was regular triumphal procession already.

a

was

con- success.

At that time the military censor- 'excellent OT- ship, in spite of its ganisation, did not maintain so keen a watch over public opinion as done by its successors of to-day, and

is

Even so

well-informed a person as Court Monts wrote to me on that very September 14 that "things are going unexpectedly well in the field." and that Moltake, the Chief of Staff, On that was distinguishing himself.

had indeed distinguished day he himself-by a complete nervous break- down. .On the 19th Count Monts had learnt that there had been

not "critical moment," but he did take the news tragically: "It seems that the critical moment outside Paris has been overcome, and that the battle there is the beginning of the end of the French Army in the

(Continued on Page 11)

а

Bringing Up Father

WELL-THIS CHART DOESN'T SHOW THE TOWN WE ARE GOING TO- THEY SHOULD HAVE THE ROAD ON HERE- BUT IT DOESN'T SHOW- AND THIS ROAD SHOULD BE OVER NEAR THAT RIVER-

MY WORD-

HOW PROVOKING-

THIS DIAGRAM

SHOWS ALL TH' ROADS AN' SMALL TOWNS- IN THE STATE

OF COLORADO-

I SAY- MR. JIGGS-

DO YOU KNOW THAT

YOUR WIFE HAS THE WORST MAP

I EVER SAW?

By George McManus

DON'T LET HER HEAR YOU SAY

THAT SHE THINKS SHE 16 BEAUTIFUL

?

Copr. 1939, King Features Syndicate, Inc, World rides mopreved. ›