No doubt, under cover of 'the battle on the German
right flank, vast masses of German troops which are now penned up to the east of Liegesand the line of the Meuse, ready to begin the business, will at once plish south for the invasion of France. Possibly'de German numbers are so enormous that ithey will be able to accomplish this double manoeuvre with ease. We certainly are not going to make the capital error of being optimistic till there is real ground for optimism, and for that we frankly confess there is none. At the same time, it would show a rather paltry superstition not to note the great difficulties of the Germans. If the accounts of the positions of their forces are anything like accurate, they would seem to be dangerously thick on the ground to the east of the Meuse. Numbers are all very well, but regiments can get in each other's way. They have also got the very formidable works of Namur before them. These may roughly be taken as the pivot of the double German advance west and south. The Germans ought to be in Namur to-night; and have all its outlying defences in their hands. Will they be able to do this ? If not, will they dare to neglect Namur and go fbrward, masking it with a large body of men, of which _they, of course, have plenty, but otherwise treating it as if it did not exist ?
