rly conference.
General Joffre's message on Saturday morning, assured General French of
victory, and positively informed him that Von Kluck was advancing upon
him with no more than one or two army corps. In testimony of it, General
French thus wrote a subsequent official dispatch.

"From information I received from French headquarters, I understood that
little more than one or at most two of the enemy's army corps, with
perhaps one cavalry division, were in front of my position, and I was
aware of no outflanking movement attempted by the enemy" (Von Hausen's
advance on the right). "I was confirmed in this opinion by the fact that
my patrols encountered no undue opposition in their reconnoitering
operations. The observations of my aeroplanes seemed also to bear out
this estimate."

To General French, therefore, his position seemed well secured. In the
light of it he awaited Von Kluck's attack with confidence. Toward
mid-day some German aeroplanes swept up above the woods in front, and
circled over the British line. British marksmen at once fired on the
bodies and hawklike wings of the intruders.

Some tense interest was roused among the men as British aeroplanes rose
to encounter the German aircraft. It was the first real battle of the
sky they had witnessed. General French's cavalry patrols now brought
information that the woods were thick with German troops, some of them
deploying eastward toward their right at Binche.

At twenty minutes to one the first shots swept from the woods upon the
British line. Presently, Von Kluck's main attack developed with great
rapidity. The German artillery was brought to the front edge of the
woods to hurl a storm of shells on the British trenches. It was returned
with equal vigor. But very soon it became apparent to British commanders
along the line that the German artillery fire was in far greater volume
than what might be expected from two army corps, whose normal complement
would be some 340 guns. Instead it was estimated 600 German guns were
shortly brought into action.

The battle field was described by the Germans as "an emptiness." The
term is intended to emphasize that the old martial display and pomp has
completely gone. A grand advance upon each other, with trumpets
sounding, banners fluttering, brilliant uniforms, and splendid cavalry
charges, was impossible with long range weapons hailing storms of
bullets and shells of devastating explosive power. Cover was the all
i