174 ^^^ Great War severe loss of present advantages, possibly disaster if the defeat were a rout, or If the German victors were In condition to turn and speedily destroy the French centre and right In the Argonne and the Vosges. But even disaster now would not mean what It would have three weeks ago, when Russia had not yet come up and crushed Austrian forces In Gallcla. But the outstanding fact In the first week of Sep- tember was that the German advance In France had now reached a crisis. French strategy had succeeded in delaying the decisive encounter until the invader was already weakened by drafts sent to Russia, by tremendous losses, and by exertions hitherto un- paralleled In war. Regard being had for the situa- tion in the East, it was not difficult to see why Ger- many must now win a tremendous and crushing vic- tory, or abandon her offensive and retire to defend herself against attack on the two fronts, from the Russian as well as the French frontier and perhaps to-morrow on the Austrian also.