The trouble of this is that the great flank movement
towards the west, now extending in an unbroken line from the Dutch
frontier near Antwerp to Metz, may be forced by dream. stances into becoming a main action, to which both com- batants will keep on bringing up fresh troops. In that case, even if their advance is in the end successful, the Germans may find themselves badly placed for their essential objective, and will have to rearrange their front, which conceivably will waste another four or five days, and not be accomplished without a great loos of horses and considerable privations for the troops. No doubt it is possible that the Germans have some great surprise in store for us. If they have, the Generals of the Allies, who know that surprise is the essence of war, will, we feel sure, be well able to accommodate themselves thereto. In any case, we are certain that things are not going so quickly as the newspapers are just now inclined to predict. That a great battle is pending is clear, but instead of any results being reached by Friday evening, we think it far more prob- able that the main battle will not be joined till at least Sunday, or possibly Monday.
