)

But still it was inadequate to achieve our end, and on Sept. 30
further north than the army of Castelnau, Maudhuy's army came to the
front, and occupied the region of Arras and Lens, extending toward the
north to co-operate with the divisions coming from Dunkirk.

Nevertheless, all these troops, in presence of the strenuous exertions
of the enemy, formed too thin a line, a line too extended to allow any
breaking.

At that time and at the request of Field Marshal French the
transportation of the English Army from the Aisne to the Lys region
was decided upon.

The valiant Belgian Army which had left Antwerp on Oct. 9 thanks to
the protection of the British and French marines was also on its way
to the Yser region to reinforce the barrier which had to be created
and maintained.

These moves took time. The English Army was only to come into action
by Oct. 20. On the other hand, the Belgian Army, which had been
fighting for three months, was momentarily lacking ammunition. Gen.
Joffre ordered a new effort.

On Oct. 4 he had intrusted to Gen. Foch the mission of co-ordinating
the operations of the armies in the north.

On the 18th he placed at his disposal reinforcements which,
continually increasing until Nov. 12, were to form the French army of
Belgium under the command of Gen. d'Urbal.

This army, in conjunction with the Belgians and an English corps, was
henceforth to fight between the sea and the Lys River.

The Journal de Geneve, judging this phase of the war, has written that
the French General Staff, by shifting so swiftly such huge bodies of
troops, gave evidence that it had the situation splendidly in hand.

The result of this effort was a total failure of the German attack in
Flanders.

GERMAN OFFENSIVE CHECKED.

_This attack was especially violent; twelve army corps and four
cavalry corps were massed between the Lys and the sea._

_The Emperor was at the head of his armies. He addressed his men,
stating that a "decisive blow" was to be delivered. For three weeks
the German staff hurled furious assaults in mass formation. But as
early as Nov. 12 we were in a position to state that the outcome of
these assaults had been a victory for the Allies._

From the sea to Dixmude the Belgian Army, Gen. Grossetti and Admiral
Ronarc'h held first the railroad from Nieuport to Dixmude, then the
left bank of the Yser.

A hostile army corps, which had succeeded in reaching the left bank,
was forced to wit