The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-01
LILLE AGAIN FREE:
OF GERMAN FORCES
Hopeful Citizens Confident That
Kaiser's Forces Never
Will Return.
CONDITIONS ALMOST NORMAL
Reports From Holland Indicate
Retirement From Coast South
Of Ostend Is Imminent.

LONDON. October 31.-Although the
official communications do not spread
much light on the situation in West
Flanders. other reports emanating from
holland, indicate that a German retire
inent from the coast south of Ostcnd Is
Imminent. and II is again reported that
tho invader shave evacuated Ostcnd
These rumors, however. are not con
hrmed from Berlin. which claims some
advance along the Tpres line.
The city OF Lille is declared. in spe-
cial dispatches. again TO he free of Ger
man troops. and it's hopeful citizens are
so confident that the Germans never
VIII return that plans are being made
TO resume the usual civic functions.
That Germany has by no means given
VI It's determination TO take Calais, is
indicated by tho significant report from
Berlin, by way OF Copenhagen. that the
German general STAFF has decided that
the army In Poland shall fall back to
the frontier of Siiesla. and remain ther<
On the defensive until the battle in
Flanders ends with the capture OF Ca
lafs. Such movement would release
three or four army corps TO be trans
fcrred from Silesia to Belgium.
SUCCESSFUL EVERYWHERE
EXCEPT ON EATREME LEFT
The Russian tactics Of sending back
the line Of invaders in Russian Poland.
one section at u time the retreat Of
each section endanRering the position
OF the section next to II on the south.
appears to London observers To have
been successful everywhere except on
the extreme Russian left, where the
Austrians still maintain the positions
they succeeded In rctaking from the
f,f
Prussia. the Germans lighting
stubbornly to prevent another invasion
of their territory at 4 point further
south. II Is argued here that the Rus
= ans cannot expect 10 assume fun
offensive movement until tho Austrians
are driven back from the River San.
liut even this will not mean any immc-
diate invasion OF Germany. IL is
known that the Germans, In prcpara-
iion for possible retirement. have
established heavily intrcnchcd positions
along tn. River Wharf.-The.
Speculation as to the effects OF the
position taken by Turkey varies wide
-. In some quarters II Is argued even
! that the acts of the former German
cru.EerS Goeben and Rreslau will he
lisayrSred by the Porte. but the we'll
authenticated news of the departure
of the Russian ambassador from Con-
stantinoplc seems to commit Turkey
beyond recall. Delayed kilograms from
Corstantinople indicated :ls late as
last Wednesday that the British am
hassador there hat. received assurances
thar Turkey was determined 10 pre-
scrT" her neutrality.
ACTION OF BALKAN STATES
AWAITED WITH INTEREST
The action of the Balkan states in
this phase of the crisis Is awaited here
With keen interest. Greece is expected
Immediately to throw i'm her lot with
the entente powers. Great Britain. Rus
sia and France and il Is felt here
thar Roumania probably will follow
the same course. But Bulgaria. which
recently reCaincd much of the pres
tigc lost In the second Balkan war.
preserves n stubborn silence. Revenge
would impel her to an alliance with The
Turks, but Sofia seems determined to
maintain neutrality unless the borders
OF bulgaria are crossed.
Roman. newspapers aver that with
Turkey in the arena the conflict is no
longer European, but mediterranean In
scope. II. therefore, threatens italy's
interests in North Africa and raises
the century-old question of the con-
tro; ri the Mediterranean. which must
compel the Italian government to in
tervenc OH the side OF the entente
powers. Italy. first step in her
evident determination to be factor
in the .ac5ntrol of the Adriatic. has
landed an expedition on the Island OF
Sazno. which commands the entrance
10 the harbor of Avlona in Albania