The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-10

The defenders, however in their well protected entrenchments, are said to be Lnsble to avoid the shell fire which is described as terrific and which is said to fall always in the right spot The Zeppelin airships. too. have played their part in the fray and bombs from them add to the terror. It is reported that one of these airships was brought down last night, but the statement originated from a person who said he saw 1t from a distance
 The German advance through the gap which they had opened in the south : eastern section of the outer line of forts has been lik ened to prairie fire which devoured every village and building in it's path. The Germans also have forced three passages of the River Scheldt between Ghent and Ter monde, their object being to prevent the Belgian army from breaking through and escaping by the narrow strip of Belgian territory between the Seholdt and that portion of Holland which stretches along the coast west of the estuary.
 How long the Belgians can hold out against this attack from two sides, which has continued since Wednesday night, no one offers to conjecture. The Relglans hope. however, that their field army can withstand the Germans until tne all1e0 armies duNdnclnS ITOln Int south force the Germans to withdraw.
 Meantime there is great anxiety re- garding the noncombatants remaining in Antwerp. Thousands Of refugees from the city and surrounding towns are arriving in Holland and England. Already there are a half million Bel gians in Holland. Two or three thousand are arriving daily in England by way Of Ostend. Many of these are penni- 1ac nd dnnandenf the charity of the people of the countries to which they are fleeing. Some wounded also arc arriving in England
 Royal Family Leaves King Albert, it. Is believed, is among those who have left Antwerp An uncon- firmed report says the Queen and the members of the royal family have gone to Ostend. The Kings reported departure to Seizaste, near the Dutch frontier, would, it is explained be consistent with the re- port that the Germans have forced pas SC ges of the Scheldt between Termonde and Wetteren, for the King always kept in touch with the most hard pressed of his troops.
 On the battle front in France, the Ger man and French reports agree there has been no change in the situation, although the French claim to have made some little progress near St. Mihcl, and in the Argonne It is. however, on the other wing in northwestern France and across the Belgian border that interest centers. Here a battle is in progress on a line from Lassigne northward through Rove. Bray -Sur-Somme, Arras and Lens, while the cavalry - operating north of Lille. Thus the main armies of the allies are facing eastward and the Germans to the west along a front that the British and French hope to extend right through Bel .~;, tI,,s ini, for the garrison of the fortress
 Further south the Germans, having yithstood the allies attempt to outflanll them, have been delivering counter strokes, first at Rove and Lassigny. where the French are trying to get through the German lines of communication. and then at Ar ras, where they again tried to get through Cambria to the railway line at Lccateau. Before these counter strokes the French had to give ground, which they since claim to have regaired.
 Failing to break the allies lines, Gen eral Won I<luck attempted to outflank them by sending large force of cavalry around Lens to the rear of the French at Lille. Here the fighting still is going on and no desisive result has been at tained.
 Weaken Center
 Meanwhile both armies haze withdrawn u oops from the center and the weaken
 ing of the German line north of the Aisne Is said to have allowed the British to make two advances, in rne of which stone quarries were taken which the Ger mans had held for nearly a month.
 Much is considered to depend upon the length of the siege at Antwerp. Every day the Belgians hold out is reckoned by the military strategists here as a day gained by the allies. The strategists argued by some of the war observers tiled or capitulates a German army of 125,000 men will be sent to the assistance of General Von Kluck and that their Er mbcrs will tell.
 Except for siege guns the Belgians are declared to be about equal of the besieg- CTS and in battle in the open, 1t is argued by some of the war rvservers. they should be able at least to prolong the battle
 The Przemysl forts in Galicia are un- dergoing somewhat similar experience tp the fortress at Antwerp for the siege there continues. The Russian ambassador at Rome, in report, declared that whole town is on fire and that the equalization of the stronghold is imminent The Rus sians have sent an army of invasion into Hungary while another amy is wait ing for attack of the AustroaGerman forces in southwest Poland A third Russian force is advancing towards Posen and Thorn, East Prussia, and General Rennepkampffs forces. whcn have done a lot of fighting since the WET began are trying to get into East Prussia.
 BOmbardment Terrific
 London, October 10.-(3:50 a. m)-A dis Patch to the Daily Express at Antwerp