The day Allies’ plans complete

Germans’ choice

Fight or surrender

For reasons which no newspaper has divulged, this week, from today, has been awaited with tense eagerness, indicating at least a belief that something out of the common was going to happen.

Inadvertently towards last week a precise date was given in this column but although attention is thus drawn to the slip, we do not propose to again name the day contenting ourselves by saying that if we did it is quite likely that an official contradiction would reach us in no time.

A word to the wise in matters of this kind, sufficient, and long ago most people acquainted with the fact, that, for all practical purposes, a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.

What a week it would be, would it not, if before Saturday it were placed upon record that the Emden had been sunk, that Cracow had fallen and that, well, the remaining item is too big to put into this paragraph, on this page.

From the official communique available up to the time of writing there are again some intensely interesting omissions.

We are permitted to know little more than that the hostile armies whose entrenchments stretch across North Eastern France are still locked in their long struggle. For once we can take a summary of these statements from a daily paper. There is something to be added that this procedure saves a little time and serves the purpose of keeping the chapters of the narrative in proper order.

The Paris report of yesterday afternoon suggests there is little advance on either side. On the left of the allies the enemy has tried by day and night to break the line, only to fall again. Between the Argonne and the Meuse, the French, in the face of strongly fortified positions have made some progress.

Paris goes beyond its usual reticence and explains the battle lines and such a detailed statement of this kind has a significance which must scarcely be overrated, and the optimism clearly prevailing in France shows the expectancy prevailing everywhere. Rumours current last night and this morning all point to the same direction and unofficial messages from sources contain nothing but the best of tidings.

It may not be correct that General Von Kluck has offered to surrender on condition that his men, disarmed, be allowed to go home by a somewhat longer route than they would follow if they further opposed Joffres triumphant forces.

It may not be correct that already the German right has been smashed, that it is in precipitate retreat and being hotly pursued. There are indications even in the official reports for example – the Germans have been enveloped in the Somme.

We are told that everything has going well for the French with one German army corps in full retreat and the 18th German army corps suffering severe losses. We are now waiting for a German wireless message.