fire was so continuous upon the trenches that it was impossible
to hold them, and the forts simply crumpled under the storm of
shells. But back of General Michel's plea the allied Intelligence
Departments lacked efficiency or energy, or both, in not gaining
more than a hint, at any rate, of the enormous German siege guns
until they were actually thundering at the gates.


* * * * *

CHAPTER VIII

BATTLE OF CHARLEROI

Toward the end of the third week of August, 1914, the atmosphere
of every European capital became tense with the realization that a
momentous crisis was impending. It was known that the French-British
armies confronted German armies of equal, if not of superior strength.
In Paris and London the military critics wrote optimistically that
the Germans were marching into a trap.

The British army had arrived at the front in splendid fighting
trim. It was difficult to restrain the impetuous valor of the French
soldiers. The skies were bright and there was confidence that the
Germans would unquestionably meet with a crushing defeat. Let us
glance at the line of the French and British armies stretched along
the Belgian frontier. It ran from within touch of Namur up the right
bank of the Sambre, through Charleroi to Binche and Mons, thence
by way of the coal barge canal just within the French frontier to
Condé. For the choice of a great battle ground there was nothing