Mons.
After the battle of Charleroi and the collapse of the French on
our right, the British troops fought stubbornly, but had to fall
back before enormous forces of the enemy, which sought to
annihilate them by sheer weight of numbers. In most difficult
circumstances the ten days' retreat was carried out with
wonderful skill.

_September 3 and 4._--The Germans now within forty miles of
Paris. Note, however, these important considerations: (1) The
German losses are terrific; (2) the whole Allied forces are
absolutely intact and in good order. The situation is very
different from that of 1870, when the French field armies were
destroyed before the war had been in progress a month.

The French Government has quitted Paris for Bordeaux.

_September 14-16._--It is now evident that the battle of the
Marne was a great victory for the Franco-British forces. On
September 6 the German advance southwards reached its extreme
points at Coulommiers and Provins. This movement was covered by a
large flanking force west of the Ourcq watching the outer Paris
defences. The southward movement left the enemy's right wing in a
dangerous position, as the Creil-Senlis-Compiegne line, by which
the Germans had advanced, had been evacuated. The Allies attacked
this wing in front and flank on September 8, and a French Army
was hurried from Paris to attend to the flanking force. The
frontal attack carried out by French and British. The enemy
retreated skilfully to the line of the Ourcq, and from here tried
to crush the French by a counter-attack. This failed utterly,
and the enemy right wing-fell back over the Marne on September
10, pursued by the French and the British. Large captures of
German prisoners and guns.

_September 16._--Official report of the Belgian Commission on
German atrocities too awful to read. The horrible things done by
the Kaiser's brutal soldiery in Belgium must remove every vestige
of respect for the Germans.

_September 19-21._--Conflict on the Aisne continues. No decisive
advantage to either side: both armies now strongly entrenched.

_September 29-Oct. 2._--The pater came in very gloomy one night
this week saying he had got information that could not be
published to the effect that Antwerp must fall in a few days, and
tha