[In longhand above date] Germans fall back from Paris after two days fighting1.
At church and School as usual. Managed pretty well at School. Had rather shorter walks than usual. Charlie at work in morning and afternoon. Received news of the sinking of the “Pathfinder”2 & loss of about 240 lives caused through striking a mine. Also the Runo liner3 with loss of about 20 lives. Gen. French’s official report stating that 15000 men have been lost and that our men were in every way superior to the Germans. I had bad cold and sat out <of> the choir at night. Communion service. Charlie sang a bit of a solo in the anthem.
“Germans fall back . .”: this was the First Battle of the Marne. The Germans’ rapid advance had been intended to finish the war in the West so as to free most of their troops for the war in Russia, and although their southward drive came East of Paris, instead of West as originally planned, it nearly succeeded. It failed however (leading to the 4 years of trench warfare), partly because their communications became too extended, but also because General Galliéni, who had been left with troops to defend Paris, on his own initiative took the opportunity to attack the German right (western) flank as they were moving South of Paris. ↩
Pathfinder: see note on 5 September. ↩
The New York Times reports the sinking of the Wilson passenger liner Runo on 5th September 1914. ↩