Oct. 10
Since last we attempted to analyse the position of the battle of the Aisne—a name which has) now become a mere conventional term for operations extending across Belgium and north-eastern France—the development hass been so gradual and so scantily revealed by the telegrams as to have been hardly perceptible until taken in the aggregate. To-day, however, the importance of the news does indeed seem to forecast a climax in the near future. At the end of September, it will be remembered, the Allies had put a sort of se about the German position at Noyon and were slowly extending their left wing northwards to Raye and Chaulnes. Simultaneously, however, an ugly looking advance on the right had brought the Germans as far as Ste. Ménéhould in the Argonne and St. Mihiel in the southern Woevre. The question arose, how far might that advance be carried? For at the same time the Geitmans began to make a violent attack at Raye, the angle of the Allies' line in the west, with the possible danger to face of a turning movement on the right and a broken line on the left. The ensuing eight days brought comfort in one respect, fresh anxiety in the other. It was clear that the Germans were making no progress in the Argonne and the Woevre, if they were not actually losing ground. But between Raye and Chaulnes they did repulse the Allies, although without checking their extension northwards. On the 6th the Allies' cavalry were reported in touch with German cavalry the region of Lille close to the Belgian frontier and considerable German forces were signalled as making for the triangle formed by Bailleul, Tourcoing and Armentigres. But two days later the enemy's cavalry had been driven back to Lille and even the German official report admitted that the counter-attacks on the Allies' line, Arras-Albert-Raye, had proved indecisive. Today we are definitely told that on their right wing the Germans have been pushed back north of Hattonchatel, which must make their hold on St. Mibiel very precarious; and that the right wing has also been driven back north of Arras, where the battle is continuing under
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.