The Washington times., 1914-10-14
German Advance Only
Twenty Miles From Sea

LONDON. Oct. 14.-Ger1nary's hosts
are sweeping irrcsistibly onward toward
nstend and the sea coast
Cavalry engagements of great severity
herald the approach of a titanic strug-
Sle on the outcome of which may rest
The fate of The Teutcnic invasion.
Less than a score Of miles from the
,hannel ports the skirmishers have been
encountered by the allies cavalry. and
air scouts report that the invaders in
great force are pressing forward under
cover Of the advance guard.
HurryirC masses Of French, Belgian.
and English troops are being ccntcreG
for the impenGing battle on ground of
their won choosing Just where tho
fateful struggle will be waged is unccr-
tain, as the censorship prohibits trans
mission. even approximately, Of the al
lied position.
So nearly at hand is the great battl.
that the skirmishing of the advance
Suards is almost continuous. That thf
loss of life On both sides will be enor.
NOUS is caltain. The entire stretch Of
country is monotonously fat and al
most without cover.
One detail of the coming conflict Slip
ped past the censor. The allies will
have the advantage Of intrenchments.
Ali during the night thousands of rlen
working with feverish haste under the
direction Of French engineers have bur-
rCwed into the ground and when The
zeal engs cement begins this adv antagc
will rest with the allies.
Realizing the supreme importance of
cavalry in battle of the character Of
thA one impending, every available man
OF this branch OF the armies is being
hurried at top speed to Join the re-
endorsements rushed to aid the already
strong force that stands between the
Germans and the coast.
The Germans in great strength
are marching on Ostend. Cavalry
patrols, screening the rapid advance
reported in the vicinity of Eecloo.'
eleven miles northwest of Ghent An
other cavalry force has been reported
in the region about Bruges which is de-
clared TO be suffering from the severe
shell fire OF German siege guns. Bruges
Is twenty-three miles from Ostend.
Dispatches from Ostend hold out little
hope OF the retention of the city by the
Belgian and British forces. The trans
fer Of the Belgian government to
lisvre, France, would seem to indicate
that the city is not preparing for an
ererget.c resistance.
Activities in every branch of the
government still represented in Ostend
after the removal OF the departments
10 Havre indicate that there is no
10 German bombardment by resisting
occupation Of the city.
The Germans have been moving rap
lilly southwest from Antwerp. Strong
detachments are reported to have
passed through Bailleui, in the De
psrtment du Nord, France, in the di-
rection Of Ypres, twenty-siX miles
south OF Ostend. The Germans have
concentrated in that region in large
numbers, and the two columns are
believed to be converging on Ostend.
Cavalry Screens Advance.
German cavalry has been seen also
twenty miles from Dunkirk and forty
miles northeast of Lille, evidently
screening a force which has moved
northeast from the latter city, which
the invaders have occupied. This
army obviously constitutes the force
which the German commanders are
throwing out toward the sea to pre-
eEt the retirement of the Ostend
Esrrlson southwark to join the allies
in France.
The allies have sent forward strong
iOrces OF troops to prevent the Ger-
man raid upon the seacoast towns
Even II this army is unable to reach
psteno in time TO prevent the Ger
man occupation. ii will be a large
actor in checking the sweep of the
invaders toward Dunkirk and Calais
King Stays With Army.
King Albert Of Belgium is reported
10 have remained in Ostend when the
government ministries were removed
10 Havre. He decided, according to
IhN report to cast his lot with the
iragmant OF the shattered Bel-s a
hr1Iy. which reached Ostend
The German occupation Of Ghent has |
as yet not been officially confirmed /
but dispatches bearing the news have |
been passed by the war Office censor /
mere without comment" As il to |
warn OF the coming of the Germans. !
several Taube aeroplanes flew over
dropping bombs, which failed 70 eI-
ubDde. n some quarters il il reported |
hat the raids by the German sirmen !
verc largely responsible for the rc- /
nova! OF the government 10 France {
The aerial invasion has spread pan:c
AMONG the people OF Osiend
Passenger steamers heavily laden |
WITH refugees and their belongings ar .
p is ing across the Channel to England /
here, il is estimated no fewer than +,
.o0D refugees from Belgium will hay, /
iaudcd within a Heeh
he plan -. the withdrawal Of the |
.iei2Ian and British troops in OStend IN I
sse hey are seriously pressed. Is % .
Dad them oboard transports for English ,
D"ns. Since British occupation of the /
-'or began. Notifications Of temporary +.
character have been erected but " tn ,
Re-" example Of Antwerp before the |
Z ommanders and the possibility Of the /
q er!nans mounting their hea,v guns /
'n the heights back OF the ctv. il is !
OF probable that much dependence viii /
hrr b.,