Indeed, I may say what has never before been printed, that President
Poincaré summoned the "architect" of the city to the American embassy
and, with tears streaming down his face, told him whence he must take
his orders in the future.

Then in a flash went the orders of Joffre along his whole concentrated
line of troops: "The retreat has ended, not another foot; you die here
or the enemy goes back!" He had chosen the psychological moment. The
French and English had burned and broken the bridges as they retreated,
and with the recoil the German communications were in danger.

A fresh force of 50,000 held in reserve near Paris flew by motors and
motor-busses against the right wing of Von Kluck, which the English in
retiring had been punishing so heavily. Von Kluck had been drawn too
far into France with no support on his left from the army of the Crown
Prince, which the French had held at bay but with a tremendous
sacrifice of men. The German ammunition and supply-trains were broken
and the armies of Von Kluck were hurled back from Paris about as
rapidly as they had come forward.

Then the Kaiser took a hand and cried, "Now for the English; take the
Channel ports; forward against Calais!" and again, as at Liége, the
blood of the Germans soaked the soil of Belgium. The Allies dug
themselves into the ground behind the rivers and canals, and drowned
the Germans out in front; and when an advance by the seacoast was
attempted, the English naval guns spilled havoc into the German
battalions. Four nationalities grappled in a death-struggle, but the
wall of the Allies held from Switzerland to the sea. The Allies worked
most harmoniously. Belgian knowledge of topography proved superior to
the German general-staff maps. The English buttressed the French