The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-10-19
The Situation in West
Flanders and at Lille
Appears More Favor
able to Them
GERMANS SAID
TO BE IN PERIL
haiser's Troops Operating Along the
Coast Of Flanders in Danger Of Be-
ing Out Of From the Main Body
of the Army


the point of view of the allied armies.
so far as could be learned from dis
patches reaching London to-day, the sit
uation in West FLANDERS and in France
as far south as Lille, seemed on this,
the seventy-seventh day of the war,
perhaps more hopeful than at any time
since the German advance on Paris was
checked.
Though the news reaching England
is meager and to an extent delayed as
always, all tidings seem to indicate that
the German advance from Ostend on the
French coast towns has been blocked
temporarily at least, while further south
IN region that was week ago the
extreme German right, the invaders
nave been again compelled to give
ground before the allies wedge force
which has been concentrating on Lille
Reports Not Confirmed
Several reports contend that the Ger
mans have withdrawn from this town,
but this is not confirmed, nor is the re-
rort that they evacuated Courtrai, near
! ly thirty miles northwest. 1t seems
plain, however, that the menace here
grew marked and that the German army
operating along the coast Of Flanders
found itself in peril of being cut off
from the main body.
What opposition they met along the
sea is only guesswork, for it has never
| been disclosed in Great Britain what
forces the allies have or at what point
| they touch the coast.
All reports seem to agree that the
city of Ostend is practically clear of
Germans who apparently are reforming
to the south with reinforcements and
the siege guns used to batter the Bel
| gian forts and that they now propose
to hammer on toward Dunkirk and
Calais. One report says that they are
beyond Furnes, less than ten miles from
| Dunkirk.
Germans Bombarding Lille
In France reinforcements from Brus-
sells are said to have been brought up
before Lille which the Germans are re-
| ported as bombarding in a desperate at
tempt to retake the place.
The 8elgians themselves have been
,utting in some hard knocks. According
to last night s Paris official communica,
| tion they have held the Germans in an
attempt to cross the river User. south
west of Dixmude, Belgium. This was
the first heard OF the Belgian forces
since the evacuation of Antwerp and
now they are found appropriately and
pieturesquely defending that little
splotch of their own country that the
invaders have not taken. King Albert,
nnheard of for some time, is said to
have eheered the men in the field.
Some of tine London papers describe
the German evacuation of Ostend as a
retirement to the east on the theory
that the allies progress to the south
threatened to isolate the Ostend garri,
son, making a retreat imperative. Tine
| dispatches are far from unanimous on
the direction OF the retirement however,
most of them describing as a passage to
the west and any attempt therefore to
analyze it is bat conjectural.
Heavy Firing at Dunkirk
From various sources come reports,
none of which were confirmed. that some
sort of naval craft are being pressed
into use by the allies in the canals of
Flanders and perhaps from the sea-
Sunday dispatch direct from Dunkirk
said that heavy firing could be heard
there and it was believed that gan,
boats were being used in the canals. II
was added that heavy lighting was pro.
crossing south of Ostend. which, if
true, meant the presence of allied forces
at point further north than hereto
fore suspected. This is contradicted by
the rooort that ,le Germans are west
Of Furnes.
There was sporadic occurrences OF
the anti-German rioting in parts OF
London early TINS morning. Police pro
lection in such places has been increased
and no serious outbreaks during the
forenoon IN the city but at Saffron
Waldon, in Essex, an English LAWYER (
house was attacked and the windows
smashed because it was said he had
been harboring two Germans. In the
continuation of the rioting at Depford
last night German grain dealer s
house and store were wrecked and then
fred
The Great Battle of Poland
In the eastren war area the great bat
tie of Poland appears to be progress
ing in favor of the Russians who claim
to have checked decisively the German
farces in their attempt to cross the Wis
tua. The Russians in and around War
saw are being temporarily protected
from fresh German artillery aggression
by reason of the impossible condition
of the country through recent rains ano
owing to the destruction of the only
railroad from Lowicz to Warsaw.
Around Przemysl the Austrians claim
to have killed and wounded 10000 Rus
slams and also to have crossed the Car
pathians. but on tine other hand the
Russians reculsed an Austrian attempt
to cross the river San. That the Aus
trians are meeting with. vigorous oppo
sition is admitted in the latest Vienna
dispatch which says that "our troops
| are advancing as against q fortress. =