and always.
As for the allied troops, they have gained the qualities they perhaps
lacked most in the beginning, particularly as regards rapid
organization for the defensive and the digging of trenches. Today our
troops are as expert in trench work as are the soldiers of the enemy.

France remains unconquered. Since Sept. 6 she has registered only
successes, in spite of the massing against her of fifty German army
corps. These fifty German corps, it must be said, and said again, for
such is the truth, are still facing us. Fifteen German army corps and
the whole of the Austrian force are facing Russia. Yet the formidable
mass which assails us has not made us flinch in any part of our line,
and in many cases our enemy has drawn back under the weight of the
Allies' efforts.

Four Months of War

[From the Official Bulletin des Armees, Dec. 6, 1914.]

The Bulletin des Armees, the newspaper published by the
French Government for the soldiers at the front, in the
issue of Dec. 6, 1914, contains an article bearing the
title, "Four Months of War," which is a summary account of
the events that have taken place since the outbreak of
hostilities. This document estimates as fifty-two army corps
and ten cavalry divisions the military forces which Germany
hurled against France. In a chapter entitled "Our Reverses
in August," it sums up the events that preceded the battle
of the Marne, as presented below.

Our concentration had to be flexible enough to enable us to bring our
chief effort to bear upon the spot where the enemy would prove most
active. The violation of Belgium made us acquainted with the
intentions of the German staff--the great conflict would take place in
the north.

As we were obliged, before engaging in it, to wait for the coming into
line of the English army, which was to take place only on Aug. 20, we
at once took measures to retain the greatest possible number of German
troops in Alsace and in Lorraine.

In Alsace, our first attack, which was badly conducted, took us to
Muelhausen, but we could not hold the city (Aug. 7.)

A second attack, led by General Pau, brought us back there. On Aug. 20
we held the road to Colmar through the Vosges and the plain. The enemy
had sustained great losses.

But from that time the unfortunate events in Lorraine and Belgium
forced us to limit the field of operations in Alsace as well as the
intensity of our efforts