advance posts, they charged with the bayonet,
and suffered needlessly heavy losses. One can only admire the gallantry
of men who dare to charge on foot against the enemy's mounted men and
who actually put a squadron of them to flight, but one must say again:
"C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre."

There have been many incidents of heroism in these last days of
fighting. It is, for instance, immensely characteristic of the French
spirit that an infantry battalion, having put to flight a detachment of
German outposts in the forest of Compiegne, calmly sat down to have a
picnic in the woods until, as they sat over their hot soup, laughing at
their exploit, they were attacked by a new force and cut to pieces.

But let me describe the new significance of the main German advance.
Their right army has struck down to the southeast of Paris, through
Chateau Thiery to La Ferte-sur-Jouarre and beyond. Their centre army is
coming hard down from Troyes, in the Department of the Aube, and the
army of the left has forced the French to evacuate Rheims and fall back
in a southwesterly direction.

It would not be right of me to indicate the present position of the
British troops or describe the great scenes at their base, which is now
removed to a position which enables our forces to hold the eastern
approach to Paris. It is a wonderful sight to pass the commissariat
camp, where, among other munitions of war, is a park of British
aeroplanes, which are of vital importance to our work of reconnoissance.

Looking, therefore, at the extraordinary transformation throughout the
field of war in France, one thing stands out clear-cut and distinct.
Having been thwarted in their purpose to walk through the western way to
Paris by the enormous forces massed on their flanks, the Germans have
adopted an entirely new plan of campaign and have thrust their armies
deep down into the centre of France in order to divide the western
armies of the Allies from the army on the eastern frontier. It is a
menacing manoeuvre, and it cannot be hidden that the army of Lorraine is
in danger of being cut off by the enemy's armies of the left.

At the same time the German right is swinging round in a southwesterly
direction in order to attack the allied forces on the east and south.
Paris is thus left out of account for the time being, but it depends
upon the issues of the next few days whether the threatened peril will
be averted from it by the immense