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Show GREAT VICTORY IS NOW DESCRIBED London. Sept. 14. 4 51 n. m A Times correspondent, who wires from five miles south of Provins. in the department of Seinc-et Marne. says: "Monday ria a tremendous encounter encoun-ter on the Ourcq. In one village,, which the Germans hurriedly vacated vaca-ted the French, in a lare house-found house-found a dinner table beautifully set with candles still burning on the table, ta-ble, where evidently the German staff had been dining. A woman occupant said they fled precipitately. "There was a great deal of hand-to-hand fighlinu and bayonet yvork on the Ourcq which resulted (n the Mag debnrg regiment beating a retreat 'On Monday night. General Von Kluek'fl army had been thrown back; from the Marne nnd from the Morin and to the region of Sezanne nnd his position was serious. Immediate steps were necessary to Bave his line of Communications and retreat. To this end reinforcements were Hurried north to the Meaux district and to Ollrcq and tremendous efforts made to break up the French resistance in this quarter! for Meaux is to Paris as Reading I to London. "The second attempt on the Ourcq shared the fate of the first Thouph all Monday night and well on Into Tuesday the great Herman guns boomed alone this rlyer. the resistance resist-ance of the allies could not be broken 'Hold' was the command and every man braced himself to obey While the Ourcq- was belnp held the struc-cle struc-cle of Sezanne yvns bearing splendid fruii The German resistance on this Thursday mornlnc was broken. I heard the news In two ways The G( rmaa guns were silent and from the wounded who poured down to the hoses ' The wounded men were no loncer downhearted but eaer to rejoin the fray On every French Hp was the exclamation that 'They are In full retreat,' re-treat,' and They are rushing back home,' and In ibe same breath came generous recognition of the great help given by the British army. "1 am convinced that the full extent of thif-- rout is not yet appreciated In England It was of B truly terrific character and such a blow will not fall to have a lasting effect. ' The number of wounded entailed colossal transportation work. I my-II my-II If counted fifteen trains in eight iurs, a fine, grim set of men, ter rlbly weary but very amiable, except the officers. "The enemy crossed the Marne on the return journey north under great difficulties and beneath a withering fire from the British troops, yvho pursued pur-sued them hotly The German ar tlllery operated from a height There was again much hand to hand fight ing and the river was syollen with dead "On Tuesday nicbt the British were in possession of La Forte sous Jou- arre and Chateau Thierry and the Germans bad fallen back forty miles leaving B long train of spoils behind them "On the same day. In the neighborhood neighbor-hood of itry-le. Francois the French trorii;s achieved a splendid victory Incidentally they drove bach the fa mous Imperial Guard of Germany from Sezanne towards the swamps of S.iint Cond where a century ago, Napoleon achieved one of his last suc-Ci suc-Ci Bses. The main bodv of the einrd i passed to the north of the swamps, I but I heard of men and horses en-1 en-1 gulfed and destroyed " 'It Is our revenge for 1S14.' the French officers said, "if only the emperor em-peror were here to see "On Wednesday, the English army continued the pursuit towards the north, taking guns and prisoners. "On that day I found myself In B new France The good neyvs had spread Girls threw flowers at the passing soldiers and joy was mani Tested everywhere. "The Incidents of Wednesday will I astound the world when made knovyn In full. I know that two German detachments de-tachments of 1000 men each which .re surrounded and cornered but whic!) refused to surrender, were wiped wip-ed out almost to the last man The keynote of these operations yvas the tremendous attack of the allies along the Ourcq, on Tuesday, which showed the Grnran commander that his lines were threatened. Then came the crowning stroke. ' The army of the Ourcq and of Meaux and the army oi Sezanne drew together like the blades of a pair of shears, the pivot of which was in the region of the Grand Morin The German retreat was thus forced toward to-ward the east and it speedily became a rout "I repeat that England scarcely realizes re-alizes yet yvhat has been achieved, alike in breaking up the enemy and in heartening our troops The tactics tac-tics of Mons and Charleroi are completely com-pletely justified." |