The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-22
STEADILY DRIVE ENEMY
BACK TOWARD OsTEND
Belgian Forces Powerfully Supported
by Fire OF British Warships
on Left Flank.
MARKED PROGRESS By ALLIES
Every One Is Talking Victory, and
Those Who Come From Firing
Line No Longer Have Fear OF
German Offensive.
ny Il. AsuMEAL nARrLETr

II
! DUNKIRK, FRANCE, October 2l.->
( Along the road from Boulognc 1t is
difficult to tell whether you're in
! France or Belgium. On leaving Eng
land, must admit. Il had an idea the
| Belgian army would be out of action
| Tor some time TO come, but THIS is
| far from being the case. Powerfully
supported by the fire Of British war
| ships on their left flank, they are
steadily driving the Germans back to-
wards Osteiid.
| The Belgian Minister OF War has
temporary headquarters in this town.
| The progress of the allies In Belgium
| is most marked during tho last few
days. Every one is talking victory,
and cannot find II soul coming from
/ the lighting line who any longer fears
4 the German offensive. either against the
! northern ports of France or further
i south.
Tho general consensus of opinion is
| that Won Kluck's army is now in full
! retreat; that IS to say, he Is not hurry
ling. but. is concentrating all efforts
lsafe1y, 10 withdraw his exhausted army
| TO the line of the Sambre and the
NIeuse. Tho line Of the Sambrc has
I been strongly fortified
y y general who is not given to boast
! ing told n friend of mine vest erday he
! considered the position OF the allied
tarmies better than 1t ever had been
and that the demoralization Of the Ger
mans Is growing greater day BY day
/ He added:
/ I'VE most certainly will be In Brus-
! sells under II month. 1 myself expect
lit in n fortnight"
GENERAL ADVANCE
ALOND ALLIED LINE
yesterday there was general adj
VANCE all along Tx allied line The
i army advanced from !toulcrs and drove
back the Germans "a considerable dis
| tance. Everywhere along this line
! the GermanS are retiring, Offering lit
! tie resistance. except with artillery.
| They are covering the rct;rment of
+; their masses of half-dcmoralized, half
| starved infantry by well sustained ar
J tillcry fire aud have used heavy guns
! 70 great advantages. In fact. the only
/ formidable branch Of the German army
lat present seems to be it's heavy and
! field artillery.
setting parts OF the town on fire, but
! up to the time OF writing tho extent
f. OF the damage is not known.
/ n great many prisoners have been
| taken by the allies in the last few
/ lays. Those captured In Belgium de-
clare without exception they thought
! they were lighting In France, and only
/ kilometres from Paris. This Is the
/ story they we're told every day by Of
| ficcrs TO induce them to make greater
| cfcrts 20 retrieve their rapidly de-
| Ginning fortunes. Tie French believe
| that directly IL becomes known by the
army that they are back on Belgian
soil, a general reaction will set In, and
| the troops will become even more de-
moralized than they appear to BIO at
/ present.
There is no doubt the allies have
now got the whip hand and should
succeed in driving the Germans cat of
France and Western Belgium within
n few weeks. Ostend Will certainly
! be reoccupied within q few days But
| for the delayed retirement of the Bel
/ gian army from Antwerp, there was
no reason why 1t should ever have
| been abandoned.
| III the enemy's eventual intention Is
to hold the line of the Meuse and the
Samhre. the conquest Of Antwerp Is
not of the smallest value to them. Be-
tween Antwerp and the Mouse Is
stretch of open country with no de-
! fensive positions. Antwerp must,
! therefore, either be abandoned or it's
] garrison isolated.
| Unless the unexpected happens npd
the Germans are able to bring great
Ireinforcements from the Russian
! frontier. they must fall back in France
and Belgium owing to tremendous
pressure against their right wing.