The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume], October 19, 1918, Image 1

About The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961

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AMERICA'S HISTORIC ANSWER.--"UNCQND1TIQNAL SURRENDER^
(jjpNJ She ? ?iheelMg JnteEigeneer* f
V OU'ME I, X V 1 1 .. X o . 48. " WHERLIN'H, W. 'YA.. SATURDAY, OCT O B K R 1!), 1918. fSsmSrT THREE CENTS
DRIVING OUT THE HUN
Thielt, Zeebru^e, TurcOimf, Moubaix and Ernies Occupied By the Allies
? 1 '
-T |
Enemy Rolled Back Along the Entire Northern Front in j
Belgium and France, Though Offering Strong Resist- j
ance Between Bruges an d Courtrai.
j
LONDON. Oct. IS.--The French, have captured the town of Thielt. in
Belgian Flanders vest of Ghent. and have passed on two thousand yards east
of the town. The enemy is still resisting strongly between Bruges and
?'ambrai. but is retiring slowly northeast of LaFere.
LONDON. Oct. IS.? (Via Montreal.) ? Zeebruggeo. the port of Bruges and j
?he second important German submarine base on the Belgian coast has been
occupied by allied forces.
LONDON, Oct. 18.?Turcoing. a city six miles northeast of Lille, has '
h??en entered by British troops according to the Evening News. Roubaix
also was entered.
LONDON, via Montreal. Oct 38.?Bruges, seven miles south of Zee
t?rugge has been evacuated by the Germans, according to information re
- etved at the Belgian army headquarters.
PARIS, Oct. 18.?(By the Associated Press.)?King Albert and Queen
' Elizabeth of Belgium, entered Bruges at 10 o'clock this morning.
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE. Oct. IS.?From information
-caching headquarters this afternoon It seems that all the available reserves
?>r the enemy north of the river Lys now have been engaged. Few if any
divisions can be spared from any other section of the front.
FRENCH FORCE
FORWARD AGAIN
On the Oise, the Aisne, in i
Champagne and Flanders
Gains Are Scored.
FAR IS. Oct. IS.?In th? region-of the
? Vi.?,* along the Aisne, In Champagne und
n Belsiati Flanders, the French troops
? ?? "rywhere made further progress, ac
? ???rding to the French official communl-!
? at ion issued tonight.
BKRLIXV via London. Oct. IS.?The I
? lennari official communication issued [
t ills evening follows. j
"Between Le Cateau and the' Olserc
tiewed attempts made by the enemy to j
break through failed.
"Tn Flanders north of the Lys. on the
V.sne on both sides of Vouzleres and
?vest of Grand pre violent attacks were
. epulsen.
"The day was quieter on the Meusc. .
"here the Americans are fighting."
BKRL1X. Oct. 18.?i Via London.)?I
Kn.-my attacks on the German lines yes-I
f rtlay between l.o Gateau and Alsonville
resulted in the penetration of the lines
~r isolated points, army headquarters
announced today.
l.'.'N'DOX. Oct. IS. (via Montreal).?
'?larshel Foeh a few days ago personal
y told Field Marshal Haig that it was
he British break through the Hindcn
'?urg line that brought about tho Ger
man peace offer, the Tendon corres
pondent of the Manchester Guardian
-ays he l"arns indirectly but in a most
questionable way.
l.ONPhV. Oct-. 18.?More than 4.000
prisoners were captured by Field Mar
(Continued oa Page Twelve.)
? I
oSBBE
Take BantheviUe Without Ar
tillery Preparation?
1,000 Prisoners.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN. Oct. 18.?
(By th? Associated Press.)?(11 P. M.)
?The Americans sprung another sur
prise over the Germans to-day, the in
fantry advancing north of fiotnapn
and taking BantheviUe without artillery
preparation.
The' Americans pushed* the German
infantry and machine gunners hack
after lighting that lasted all day.
Northwest of Grandpre the Ameri
cans captured aThna farm in the Yace]
of a stiff machine gun resistance. There
was much fighting at close quarters
through the day.
WASHINGTON. Oct. IS.?Capture, by
tin* Ainerlcuhs of 1.000 additional pris
oners in the fighting west of the Meuse
was reported in -General Pershing's
communique for yesterday, received to
day at the war department. There was
severe fighting on the entire front o(
General Ligg?tt's first army.
"WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN. Oct. 18 ?
S p. m. (By The Associated Press)?
More than sixty American day bombing
(Continued on Page Twel-re.)
THE WEATBXS.
WASHINGTON", Oct. 18.?Porooasti
West Virginia?Pair Saturday and
Sunday.
Ohio and Western Pennsylvania?Pair
Saturday and Sunday, slightly warmer |
Sunday.
CZECH FLUE FLIES IN PRAGUE;
THEIR INDEPENDENCE DECLARED
i ^..._'
l OPKXHAGKN, Oct. .18.?The Czechs are masters in Prague ac-i
ording to a Berlin dispatch to the Berlingske Tidende. Czech money
;s in circulation and the Czech flag waves over Hradschin Castle.
WASHINGTON*. Oct. 1K.?Independ- J
of the ? 'jeeho-Slovak nation was
? i!n red formally to-day by the Czecho
Slovak- council. recognized by the
l"nlt?d States and the Kntente allies as a
iirilijj^rorit th* facto government. The
?letrlaration renouncing allegiance to the'
Hapsburg dynasty and announcing prin
??iplna f"r the foundation of a republic.
hps issued in Paris and a copy was
handed to President Wilson by J. Clsar,
'?f the Council's staff in Washington.
The document is signed by Dr. Thos.
? Masaryk. president of the Council as
premier and'minister of finance and by j
'heir officers of the provisional gov
? cnrr.ent. It follpws:
Declaration of Independence of the
Otecho-Slovak Nation
by its provisional government:
"At this grave moment, when the
ffohenzollerns are offering peace :n or
dor to stop the victorious advanco of
the allied armies and Vo prevent the dis
memberment of Austrla-Hunfcary and
Turkey, and when the HapsburR arc
promising the federalization of the em
pire and autonomy to the dissutisfied
nationalities committed to their rule,
we. the Ozecho-Slovak national council
recognized hv the allied and American
governments as the provisional Rovern
mcnt of the Czecho-Slovnk stale and
nation, in complete accord with the de
claration of the Czech deputies made
in Prague on January t>. 191S, and real
izing that federalizution and still more
autonomy.mean nothing under Haps burg
dynusty. do hereby make and declare
this our declaration of independence.
"We do this because of' our belief
that no people should he forced to live
(Continued on Page Pour.)
I
?? ? - - ? ~ . I
- 1
i
German Armies Retire to the Wotan Line j
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN* i
FRANCE. Oct. 18.? illy the Associated ?
IT'-ss)?A new German line of defense,'
from Antwerp through Namur t-> Se- j
dan. which probably will lie given the i
name of the Wotau third line, is un- j
derstood to be 'In the course of con- j
struction. On this side of the line thoi
Germans do not appear to have any;
defenses of real Importance.
It is considered likely that the main
bulk of the German armies, or rather |
what is left of the main bulk, in this]
section of the front is on its way to |
the Wotan third line, though It is quite
possible it may try to make a stand
somewhere on this side of these posi
tions.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18.--While the
German retirement in Belgium has
glittering possibilities, military opinion
hcr? is forced t.i the conclusion that i
what is in progress Is a well ordered
and executed withdrawal. probably
upon prepared positions. The fact that
reports front other (Jortions of the front,
notably from the Lille area and the
sector southeast of Laon also tell of
retirements, gives indications of a gen-!
oral withdrawal, but as yet no official j
Information has come to indicate where]
tlu? line upon which tho'* enemy will;
attempt to stnnd has been established. J
Army officials ascribe German inu-j
neuvors to well developed plans of the J
general staff. It was said tonight that J
the enemy probably has begun the sec
ond phase of the withdrawal he hns
been compelled to undertake. Tracking i
reserves, U Is to be assumed that hoi
is falling back to a much shortened ]
line. There Is reason to believe that I
under the hammering of the allied andj
American armies, the Herman high com. j
m and has been compelled to make a;
compromise. Instead of holding onto!
the front line until the. new front was j
in complete readiness, it is regarded as I
highly probable that the advanced po-J
silions are being abandoned in time to1
avoid encirclement, and the retirement |
being made to defenses not fully equip-. |
ped and certainly not manned with ex
tensive reserves. If such is the case,
the retiring armies must turn and fight
again when the reach new lines. The
rapidity of the allied pursuit In f-aoh
case gives n<> opportunity for rcsl or I
reorganization. ? I
The genius of the Herman general1
staff Is plainly shown, officers say, in j
the skill with which the withdrawal ,
has ben conducted, and it still is cvi-j
(Continued on Page Two.)
? I
I
Nearly a Million Added toj
Wheeling9s Great Loan Total
, :
$6,398,650 Reached Friday
Night, With Confidence
Felt That the City and
County Will Go Over the
Top for Eight Million To-;
night.
_____
The dally total posted yesterday at
Liberty loan headquarters was nine hun
dred and twenty-four thousand, two hun
dred und fifty dollars, which Is a remark
able raise, compared with former daily
tabulations. With thl.^ fine showing the
executive committeo is confident of suc
cess and the quota in all probability
will.be attained today some time.
The grand total is six million, three
hundred and ninety-eight thousand, six
hundred and fifty dollars and with a
burst of speed the prescribed total is in
sight for the workers had two more
working days when the last day's work
was reported as the subscriptions ar?>
not tabulated until the next day and thy
totals quoted abovo are for Thursday,
while Friday and Saturday's totals will
be made public as soon as' tho goal Is
reached.
Old Man Gloom Depcvrta
Joy reigns supreme now. for Old Man 4
Gloom hews packed his grip und left |
j headquarters never to be seen ngain in j
the present campaign and the broad i
smiles of tho big committees betoken j
[ optimism from now on.
j Three new members names were added
I to the twenty-five thousand dollar club.
I they, were:
I Wagfter. Edward $25,000
I Beltz, J. W. & Sons Co 25.000
McLure Brothers. McLuro Hotel. 25.0f)0
Mrs. Frank O. Hoffman now belongs to
the ten thousand dollar club as she sub
scribed for that amount.
The Wheeling. Electric company took
$13,000 worth of bonds, and tho Missouri
State Life Insurance company, through
the local agency, subscribed for $3.00,0.
The Pollack stogies factories have In
creased $000 among tho employes, mak
ing a total of $15,350.
Tho special committee of'Xatlonal Bis
cuit salesmen have brought in $3,200 In I
Increased subscriptions.
Lutheran* Patriotic.
Trinity Lutheran church at Thirty- j
sixth and Eoff streets, while not one of
the wealthiest churches In the city. I
showed patriotism by subscribing for
$1,000 worth of bonds.
Howard Morkle solicited FVank Young. I
j the Chines? laundry man on tho Island. '
(Continued on Pag? Two.)
m I III I n I III I ^ m I I I I 11 ^
yfLAfi I 0
i FOB .
II "111 A
GO TO YOUR BANK TODAY AND MAKE GOOD
ON YOUR BOND SUBSCRIPTION?DO THIS AND
OHIO COUNTY WILL EXCEED ITS QUOTA ,
? i
Ohio county has niado a magnificent showing In this greatest of all |
campaigns for the biggest bond issue in the history of the world and will j
undoubtedly go over the quota set by the government by a goodly margin? |
provided overv subscriber goes to the bank and makes his first payment and i
completes arrangement for full payment for his subscription. Your sub-j
scription does not count unless you do this before the banks close tonight. !
and t herefore ' it. is up to - you to complete the patriotic transaction which [
you began when you signed the subscription hlanlt. We believe every j
patriotic man, woman and child who subscribed to Liberty Bonds in the i
past.few weeks fully intended to carry out the plinlge made, but some of us j
ure careless and some of us are thoughtless and the committee therefore j
In this particular way undertakes to remind each and all. that they must
not fall to go to their hank and carry out the. pledge in full.
AVo are gratified,- at the splendid showing made in this supreme test
of our confidence In our fighting men on land and sea. They were entitled
to any sacrifice demanded of us. Our community could not. have done less.
In every campaign that has been held for. war purposes since the war
begau, whether for gifts, like the lied Cross or Y. M. C. A. or for invest-j
ments like Liberty Bonds and War Stamps, the citizenship of this whole
county has shown its patriotism, its loyalty and its courage.
The allotments previously made have been over-subscribed and our
people huve shown the willingness 10 dig deep for every demand made to
carry this fight for right, justice an,d liberty to a triumphant conclusion.
Every subscriber to bonds or other funds may feel that, he lues been
part and parcel of the force which will eventually overwhelm antocracy;
force an unconditional surrender of our enemies; and eventually bring about
permanent peace for America and all the world.
FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN COMMITTEE,
j John L. Dickey, County Chairman.
I
NEED A8ILLI0N
I TO DO OVER TOP
| FOR THIN
With Continued Effort It Is i
Believed Loan Will Be j
Over-Subscribed.
WASHING-TUX. Oct. is.?Tomorrnw
I the nation will decide the degree of sue-1
! cess of (lie Fourth l.iberty I.oan.
| Tonight with only tw> -nty-four hours
remaining in tin- subscription period,
the treasury estimated tb,. sum already
raised nt between t.JOU.Ouo.OoO and
000.U00.o0rt, tnnlcliiK a Idllion or more
still necessary before the six billions is
raised. The amount oflleially reported
tonight was only #3.95s,58?,'50ii, hut this
ineluded little nf today's Itusincss. That
figure represented tin increase of SM51.
linn.Oun since last night.
t?n the eve of the greatest selling ef
fort of I he entire campaign, national
loan headquarters limited its comment
to this:
"There must not he the slightest
diminution of effort tomorrow. To gain
the desired goal means the most vigor
ous selling from sunrise until as late
nt night as there is any one left to
buy."
Tiie managers still felt sure that the
DUE KILLED IB!
EIGHT INJURED j
AT CUP LEE
Explosion of High Gas Explo
sive Shells at Night
I Practice Fatal.
I PRTKttSHUIUS. Va.. Oct. IS.?One
I man was. killed and eight injured, otic
i seriously. ai Camp t.ro tonight by an ex
| plosion of high gas explosive shell::
| while preparations were being made for
j a practice night atiflck under teas eon
! ditlons lor the student ofllcers. The
! explosion shook buildings in Petersburg
| itn<l created considerable excitement
i here. ' .
i Sergeant .Tames J. Phinny. of Clyde.
!o.. was killed, :m?I Ideutoimnt "William
j !.. Webber. rtrtghion. Mass., was ser
i lously butt. The other seven wt.* only
| slightly hurt.
'big total would be subscribed, although
tloy emphasized that it would take a
multitude of last minute $50 and $100
subscriptions, as well as Isoine hig
pledges to do it. The hvjin would fail
only If either the vast group, of small
subscribers or the smaller group of
heavy buyers refused to invest nt the
(Continued on Page Twelve.)
Belgian Flanders Fast Being Evacuated by the Hun
Hordes?Retirement Ex tends Also from Belgian Fron"
tier to the Meuse, With t he Enemy Offering Desperate
Resistance.
d * .
(By the Associated Press.)
The Belgian coast again is Belgian.
Germany's dream of an invasion of England across the North Sea from ~
Calais is ended. '
i
Belgian Flanders is fast, being evacuated by the enemy, and his lin*
from the Belgian fiontier to the Meuse river gradually is giving way under
the attacks of the British, French and American armies which are demand
ing to be served with victory.
A haven of safety iri a shorter and more compact line is being sought '
by the Germans in order to escape annihilation by their foes. Everywhere
they are being whipped. But seemingly they are still far from defeat.
In Belgium the enemy is giving ground hastily in order to bring his
armies safely out of the trap which menaces them, but from the French
frontier to the Meuse river lie still is fighting desperately to hold back the
lower Jaw of the great. Foch plncer from closing in a great converging move
ment and entrapping in its jaw the German fighting force in Its entirety. ?
And thus far he has successfully through the use of picked troops and ma
chine gunners who know aek-at only in death, warded off the culminating
blow.
Zeebruggp. Germany's great, submarine base on the North Sea has gone'
thp way of Ostend. The flag of Belgium once more flies over it. To the
south Bruges has been evacuated and Turcoing, Roubaix and other towns,
have been delivered.
Out of the great sack between the North Sea and the Lys river the
enemy is fleeing fast, in an endeavor to prevent capture or internment in
Holland. His hope is that he will be able to reach Antwerp and there re
?constitute his line from the Dutch frontier through Antwerp and Namur;
(Continued on Page Twelve.)
GERMAN REPLY TO WILSON NOTE 1
WILL BE DISPATCHED TMMT
NO INTIMATION OF
NATURE OF ANSWER
Germans Making Desperate
Efforts to Present Ac
ceptable Front.
AMSTERDAM, Oct.. IS.?1The
({ennau reply to President Wilson
probably will be dispatched on
Saturday afternoon, according to
advices received here.
WASHINGTON. Oct. IS.?Little new
information reached Washington today
about the developments' going' forward
in Germany upon, which will depend the '
nature ami time of the next move toward |
peace. The situation apparently is what \
it has been for several days. The Ger
mans arc making constitutional )and
electrical reforms in the hope of pre
senting a government with which the
l.'nited States and the allies will deal in
restoring permanent peace, while con
ferences proceed on the question of how
I far the military machine shall go toward
meeting the conditions precedent to
| consideration of the pica for the nr
I dently desired armistice.
There is no evidence here of great
| flisapointment here over the failure of
| a new noie to come from Berlin as
quickly as persistent reports through
neutral countries* havo indicated It
might he expected. lit fact, when Prcsi
j dent Wilson's .reply to TTincc Maxl
j ntiliau was dispatched it was assumed
that considerable time must elapse be?
" (Continued on Page Twelve.)
Homeward-Bound U. S.
i Transport Escapes in
! Battle With SulaTtiir
A.V ATLANTIC PORT,-Oct. IS.?Th*
homeward bound army transport An
phion had a two hour's running. light
with a German submarine eight h\tndrc<i
iniles off the Atlantic coast last Satur
day morning Jn -which eight men on the
American ship were wounded, two fatal
ly. The transport arrived here today and
reported that so far as those'on .board
could determine, the submarine was not
badly damaged, if At all.
The first shots carried awtiy the An
phion's wireless and she was unable to
call for help. The naval sun crews re
plied to the enemy shots and the trans
port crowded on all steam. Anally draw
ing away from the submarine. Tin
transport's superstructure was riddkd ?
with shells and shrapnel.
The Anphion was formerly the North
German Lloyd liner Koln and is of T. lOii
press tons and has a speed of 12tt knots
an hour. She was seised at Boston when
thts country entered the war and after
being repaired by the shipping board
was turned over to the Rrmy as a trans
port. .
After running away from the subnta-*
rine the .anphion put into an Irish port
where the more seriously wounded wetv
landed. On. her arrival here the trans-,
port went to a shipyards for rejw.lrs.
Names of the wounded men were not
given out here. Most of the men were
said to have been members of the gun
crews.
TWO POlrND AINTH SUGAR "
| RATI ill BE ENFORCED
| \vas!I1.\?<;T"N. fet. IS.?Restrictions!
I on the uso of sugar will be even more
j rigid during N'ovenibcr and Decernher j
'than nt-present in order that the needs >
lot* the lighting forces <>f the Fnited
'States and the allies may be supplied.
i-Thp food admiiiistrutinn announced to
night that sugar allotments for house
| hold use will be bel?l strictly to two
j pounds a person car!) month, and that
j the supply for manufacturers of soft
drinks, ice. cream and confections will
j .be reduced sharply. ,
For the manufacture of soft drinks
the amount to he supplied during No
ceinber and 1 'ooeiiibvr will he 23 per
cent of the normal requirements, or a
cut of one-half from the amount used
for such purpose since July 1. Ice cream
manufacturers will coma under the sani,
restrictions receiving: only one-fourth
the amount normally required.
Practically all manufacturers of bev
erage syrups, chewing gum, chocolate,
cocoa.' malted milk, table syrups and mo
lasses. soda water and artificial honey
will be cut to 60 per cent of the av- ?
erago monthly use from July 1 to De
cember 31, 1916, and the year 1917. com
bined.
Candy and chocolate manufacturers "
have hc-en Instructed to give preference
to orders from the army, navy. Red
Cross. V. M. C. A.. Knights of Columbus
and Salvation Army. Except for ship
ment overseas, sugar for these orders *
must come from trie manufacturer's
regular allotments.
* ?? .4
1,11 ?? 11 ?C"
Germany Defeated--~Only Political Blunder by Allies Can Save Her
Bv HILAIRE BELLOC?Author of "Elements of the Great War" and Britain's Most Distinguished Military Critic. Copyright, 1918, New York Tribune Inc. / v j
. I -
It is rharwScrlstto of all s!ego opera-j
' on? that their course Is monotonous,:
?stve for a few crises, that they seem in-1
terminable and suddenly thore comes to1
>'suc. things which surprise the pric-j
I pal actor* in the drama, let alone the
'rotator. It is another characteristic I
n such operations that the conclusion,:
vhen it does ooroc. is tremendous on the
"iltnary aide. The end of the siege I
??sirly always brtnsa either triumph of j
'?i- garrison expressed In raising the
!>;c or in favorable terms of compro-'
riise. or It means the complete elimina
tion of the garrlsso as a fighting force.
This great war has been essentially!
?^n- long stage. It has consisted'In a1
continue-13 defense of special worKu and
i!temt? adesjtoes by besiegers. Above
*11, It has had the supremo characters-1
tie t?f rh? si?c? cf a war of attrition.'
1
Th* campaign depended from the ino
mt;iu when it w;is turned Into u si'-go
during' tl?? autumn of 19H, upon the
calculation of numbers. The enemy had
allowed himself to be contained when he
lost tho battle of the Marne, and when
subsequently he failed to get out by the
gap against the 'Jhsuinel. Once so con
! mined the Issue was a question of num
bers. the number of trained men avail
able and the material number. FV>r two
I year* ho steadily was worn down, al
I though he had started with a very great
; numerical superiority. The attack on
Vert'iii: -a vastly expensive one?falb'd
| him and the irroat battle nf tho Soinnie
I exhausted his strength relatively to the
1 alltus. when in December. 1916. he asked j
I for peaoa.
i lie was not yet beaten. but the future j
I .;o?-T7.oi' hopeless. H? was anxious to th?!
extreme. Mo proposed. as the besiog._.il i
ulfvays propose at ? certain stage of
exhaustion, to parley. His proposal was j
rejected. Tn this crisis his fortunes I
turned and he shared luck ulinost 1111- j
paralleled in i he history ??f sicgi's, large;
or small. One half of the beleaguering j
ring around him collajised from within ? I
I he ItussiHii *Hgjny. which hroke up!
through 'he break up of tin- kussian J
stale. The capture of the capital by aj
gang of internal ionul adventurers and,
'he rapid dissolution of all authority:
put Russia out of the war. i
Th? situation had entirely changed, j
The numbers were ami always would re-1
main In favor "f the hcsleg- d. who was I
now lot: partly contained upon the west,!
for 'lie eastern restriction had disap
pea red.
Advantage was taken of 'Ins new sw-j
. V\
penoriiy in miinkers to withdraw jrrcat
miinhcrs from the fronts, to itlvo them
sp'-ciul t mini lift nnd create a now tacti
onI Instrument whirh .should break i-? ri 1
ous.lv tho wost.-rn sit? ire find tin: wall In
I he w-st before the arrival of the Amer
k'.in r< mf'iriviTM'iits.
\\Y know how nearly successful this
now phase of the besloiroil ?one dun ulti
mately to his now superiority In nuiii
hors.?provod. The now Instruniont llrst
onino into play against the Italian sec
tor at I'apoivtto. It clinic within an ace
?>f l.ro.'iklnu that front alloim)Ivr and
raisin* the sieijr. Tho'srcat sortie only
just fail -d p. accomplish lis purpose. It
was chock<-d i.t Inst upon th? uncertain
linos of the f'iavo.
The next use of the new Instrument
was even more formidable. Tt struck j
??ii March 21. of this year, between Arras !
I Iiiui St. yuoniin against the British j
I 'army with the object of separating It;
from the"French and breaking the siege!
j wnll h'.ri! f"r ko.kI. Once moro it all i
hut succeeded. ?'n March there was j
a dear break through and a rapid re-j
j lir.-nient. involving the loss of over 100,- ;
j (miQ prisoners, I.MOO guns and the de-j
1structmn of the whole army to the left
of the gap between the French and Brit- j
j ish, which was closed only at the very!
. last moment hy the arrival of fresh re- j
? s.-rves. and on April 4. -the action in |
j which the ilermnns failed showed that j
' their line had rejoined. This was by'
far the most critical.moment of tho war.
J When the full breakdown of the last
i German attack came on July 15, tho face
j of the war numbers changed, but they
I are not yet ciual In the west. But the
! Americans nr" arriving with estraordl
1
miry and ijuile unexpected rapidity, and
the tide will lurn briefly. What re
mained to be seen was whether the allied
armies, when this superiority of num
bers should be ihelrs once more, would
he able to do what the enemy hHd tried
while he had the advantage and failed
to. do.
He had never quite broken the siege
wall In his groat sorties, not even on
March 22 Would the allied armies in
the west prov0 more capable and suc
ceed In effecting the break In his works?
That was the problem of this late sum
mer and autumn. It has been solved.
The breach was made Tuesday, October
S. by the British armies with the Amer
ican contingents between Cambral and
St. Quentln, and rather nearer the
former than the latter town. The effort
took two days. Tt was completely auo
i
ccssful by the evening or uie :ona
day. Wednesday, and by Thursd the
magnitude of the ?vent appear?- A
The whole Oennan line wag compellc?flB
? to a' general retreat, which extended fronH
j th0 sector In front of Doual right doy^B
! t<> the Argonne. Where that retreat
j to end neither we nor the enemy ci^B
' tell. He cannot retire Indefinitely
j tliif# reason: At a very few miles beht^B
hl.s present positions?twelve miles b^|
hind hi3 front posts?is Solsaraes, afl
twenty miles from his advanced po^H
j on his left front in front of Etan-si^B
i Meuse runs his great lateral rmilw^J
j communication system, llnkln* Mats a^|
Lille by way of Sedan. Mesisraa
Valenciennes. If he trere to retire fl
i yond that line, or rather. beycB
(Coatlaaad Om ftfi TtaeeJ fl
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