The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-18
CRITICAL BATTLE
RACES WITHIN 100
MILES OF LONDON
Line Stretches Through Bel
GUM and Further
Westward.
BOTH SIDES PREPARE q
TO ASSUME OFFENSIVE
Allied Left Remains Most Inn
portant Position on 3 \.
Front. .ss
EYERYWHERE GROUND is Hold
Latest Advices From Joffre Also
Report Gains at Some S
Points.

LONDON, October 17.-Within 100 4
miles of london the most critical bait
tie. viewed from It's effect on the 8in1-s
mediate fortunes of the opposing
armies. that has marked this colossal
campaign is at present ebbing ana
moving along line stretching through
6eigium and further westward into
the French Department of the North.
The Germans have prepared for 4
renewal of their vigorous offensive by
joining their victorious troops from
Antwerp to the main army Much more g
is published In British newspapers OF Il
German endorsements than of access
sions to the ranks of the allied armies:
meantime the German offensive ts J.
| meeting just as strenuous an offensiya
from the allied left. which remains the
most important position, as 1t has beer, &
throughout the campaign. "Eyery-s
Wnere our ground has been held, and a Ill
some points ground has been gained. ~
ls the latest report from General Jofs
ire. commander-in-chief OF the French
army. on the operations in this par
ticular field. s. - $500 X
German forces to-day occupy ostend.as
at the northern extremity OF theif.rss Is
Eionswhere the. German right wing md
| the allies left are struggling in the
latest phase of what was once the bat ~
| tie of the Aisne. & .st7Slss S
| Reports reaching London saw thait
German imagination has been fired 8by
| the taking of Ostend, and the crysn
i Is not. only "on to Calais but con to
4 Boulogne." slf$s siIs9y - -
PROGRESS OFsGERsIANs s,84l IN
! IS IS NOT REEVE !ALED
What PROGRESS pr Is amy the Gsrnanss
on TIL ursday morning Is NOT known
! here. but their next objective apparent
! - Is Dunkirll. Opinion In England seems /
ITO diner as to what part tho British
Ifeet would play should tho battle Co
tinue to skirt the coast line, and tho
reports that British Dreadnoughts
/ would back up the, French British antI
/ Belgian forces from the Straits Ssofs
i lover seem to originate In German;
sources. London4papers generaliysd de-
precate the Importance of German de-
1 cupatlon OF the Belgian coast potnt-H
ing out that the British mine field pre-
Vents the enemy'a bringing ships to
harhor OF Ostend. 1.-THE fact remains
however, that as the fighting gets geo.
4 graphically nearer to England the pub
] hc, heretofore discussing and speGu- J;
lating on Zeppelin raid. is bound to
\ ask Itself what will come next. 81
4 E It is admitted as unquestionnblyS true
that II Germany is able to engineer
i submarine attacks from base furthets
/ away, ostend certainly would be or
! some strategic value, G.
i The allied left Is holding Its groundssss
1 At some points, is even moving for,,ss
i ward. having occupied Laventie, driV-ss
ling the Germans back In the direction
I of Lille. One report was tina Sthes q err
mans had been driven out OF I1i}le hut
this has not been confirmed, The pressjf
4 ence or uhlans has been reported res
i Gently within forty miles of Calais.
GERMANS PREPARING
/ TO WINTER IN POLAND
Little definite news was availabIee
! to-day of%the lighting along the Wis.,
1 tuia River, where the Russians claim
i to have repulsed a German attack Y
i Whether theFGerman advance on@War-
4 saw has been permanently checked,
i only the future can show. One report
says the Germans are preparing to
4 winter in Poland. s. q
/ q According to n dispatch from sPetro-s,
Isgrat. dated Friday. but received here
4 TO day, the Russians now have opened
! their attack along the entire linesyyitfs
4 special energy in the south, where
/ iieneral 'Brussiioft's cavalry Is said TO Z
1 have captured several Austrian ietacfi-
4 ments. together with trains carrying
lreinforcemcnts' and supplies. in {Fre-
Il Germans, lost forty-two guns intended
q for the siege of that city,
RELATIVE QUIET ALONG
i GREATER PARTsOF FS1NTss
I PARIS. October -Tholof fieial state
4 inent given out at the French Var
i Office this afternoon Is as follows. s,ss
Tn Belgium the German troops oc-
cupying Western Belgium have iist :
\ crossed the limo running from Ostentis !;
4 TO Thourout to Roulers to Menins
There is relative quiet along the greater
Il part of the front. Ts5.sp ses
Is On our left wing there has been
4 no change. In the region OF Ypres. on
\ the right bank OF the, Lys. the allied
i troops have occupied F'Ieurbaix as weI1
as the immediate approaches II to
Armentieres g
I'm the region of Arras and also Iii /;
the vicinity OF st. NIihiel we have cot
/ tinued to, gain ground. II SIS NJ
] i.a'm the Russian field of5operationa
there has been no change OF import
ance on the front In East Prussia Us
Along. the sniddiing reaches OF tho 8
4 Vistula River the Austro German
i armies have been driven to this defeti rs
sive, along the entire front, Z TO the
south. of Pryenysl the lighting a con
ttnies. and the Russians have taken Z
4 500 prlsonors.'' - ~ 81
WILSON ENDORSES GERARD