At the moment when the German army was suffering this defeat, the Allies were taking a step which showed that they were united in the issue as well as the purposes of the war. On September 6 the Foreign Office made public the subjoined important declaration concerning the attitude of the Governments of the Triple Entente regarding the terms of peace when the time comes for discussing them:—
The Undersigned, duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments, hereby declare as follows:
The British, French, and Russian Governments mutually engage not to conclude peace separately during the present war.
The three Governments agree that when terms of peace come to be discussed, no one of the Allies will demand conditions of peace without the previous agreement of each of the other Allies.
In faith whereof the Undersigned have signed this Declaration and have affixed thereto their seals.
Done at London in triplicate, this 5th day of September, 1914.
(L.S.) E. GREY, His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
(L.S.) PAUL CAMBON, Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary of the French Republic.
(L.S.) BENCKENDORFF, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia.
An attempt has been made in the foregoing pages to tell the story of how the Allied forces retreated towards Paris, after the great battle of August 22–24 at Mons on the Belgian frontier, and continued to withdraw until the battle at Senlis on September 1. This account is chiefly concerned with the actions of the British troops who undoubtedly on the left, by their dogged fighting, had saved the situation during the first critical days. But their natural position having been lost, it was the policy of the Allies to retire, and with entrenched fortifications protecting their left, prepare for a counter-attack from the advancing Germans.
For the British the enemy’s assault was especially furious, but it failed both in breaking their lines and their spirit. Travel-stained, bearded and unwashed, their courage remained undaunted. The Allies fought as they fell back and fought again, until they met and defeated the army of the Crown Prince on September 6–7. Here the march of the invader was arrested, and the next episode of the war was the victorious fight against the Germans on the Marne.