h
line, as also in front of the 6th, 9th, and 4th Armies, the situation
is, so to speak, unchanged. For nearly 15 days the Armies of the
centre have been _accrochees_ to the ground without making any real
advance. There have been violent attacks and periods of calm, but the
Commander-in-Chief wishes to point out that this is far from being the
case on the wings.

"As a matter of fact, on the right, the 3rd Army and a portion of the
1st Army for several days in the neighbourhood of St. Mihiel have been
fighting an obstinate battle, the issue of which is not in doubt, but
the results of which have not yet made themselves felt. On the left,
the 2nd Army, which to-day forms the extreme flank of the line has for
three days past been the object of furious attacks, which show how
important it is for the enemy to crush our wing.

"Will this Army always form the left of the French forces? We cannot
think so, because the fact that to-day the Army there has been
subdivided will doubtless lead the Commander-in-Chief to form a new
Army there; the transport of troops necessitated by the creation of
this Army, formed from elements taken away from the front without
leaving a gap in our line, must of necessity render our situation
somewhat delicate for some days.

"If the Commander-in-Chief has contemplated the possibility of
withdrawing a certain number of Corps without modifying his front, he
has never thought of transporting an entire Army, the removal of which
would create a gap impossible to fill.

"The battle has been going on since September 13th. It is necessary
that during this period of crisis, which will have considerable
influence on the subsequent operations, everyone should maintain his
position without thinking of modifying it, so as to be ready for all
eventualities.

"Now, the movement contemplated by His Excellency Marshal French would
inevitably entail complications, not only in the position of troops
but also in those of supply trains, etc. It might possibly create
confusion in the general dispositions of our Armies, the extent of
which it would be difficult to measure.

"For the above reasons the Commander-in-Chief cannot share the view of
Marshal French as to the time at which this movement should be carried
out; on the other hand, it appears that it might be possible to begin
it from to-day onwards by making certain dispositions, the detail of
which is given below:--

"1. The British Army might