The Sentinel=record., 1914-10-16
LONDON AND PARIS OPTIMISTIC
OVER DECIDED ADVANTAGES
REPORTED FROM FRONT.
GERMAN LINE FORCED BACK
Heavy Engagement Has Started at
Point Where It is Believed the Al
lies Will Make Greatest Attempt to
Pierce Battle Lines.

London. Oct. 15.-1O D. m-Two
Il great battles, one in northern France
and belgium. the other in Russian
Poland. both with a front of 300
miles, have reached their height but
the public is allowed only an occa
sional glance of their progress
through official communications
which frequently are widely at
variance.
From the French report it appears
that the western battle is going slow
out surely In favor OF the allies
Under the pressure of the troops OF
the allies, the Germans who started
TO advance on Calais and other
French coast ports, have been forced
to eyacuate the left bank of the Lys
river, which is a considerable dis
tance east of the points their advance
guards reached last week. Furthes
east in the Lens district. and south
ward between Arras and Albert.
where the Germans made their first
attempt to work around the allies
left, the English and French have
maue notable progress"
Evidence that the German assaults
are being delivered with less force Is
conveyed in the information that be.
tween Somme and the Disc their ar
tillery attacks are not being followed
up with infantry charges. 1t is pos
sible that they have withdrawn some
of their troops from this position t.
strengthen their advance toward the
coast, but ii is considered this woulo
be risky. as it might permit the allies
to break through and interrupt tie
communication of their armies fight
ing north of the Aisr-
In the center the allies have also
advanced, particularly towards Gra-
Onne, and several German trenches
are reported to have been carried to
the northeast of the road from Berry
au-Bac to Rheims and to the north OF
Prunay in the direction of Beine.
which is slightly TO the southeast OF
Rhiems.
All this shows determined and
partly successful attempt to drive the
Germans away from Rheims, which
was again under bombardment today.
he famous cathedral again has been
made the target of the German artil'
lery, the Germans accusing the
French of having used the towers for
military purposes The French ad-
vance in this vicinity also indicates
an attempt to break through the Ger
man front and force a wedge between
the German right and left wings.
The French also claim to have
made an advance between the Meuse
and Moselle and after having re-
pulsed the German attacks to have
reached south Of the road leading
from Verdun to Metz 1t is probably
this fighting which the Germans re
ferred to as having taken place IN the
region of Metz.
On the French right, where there
has been quiet for some time, the Ger
mans have attempted offensive tao
tics in the Ban de Sapt north OF St
Die, but this movement has been deit
nitely checked.
On the whole. the British military
critics consider the communication is
q most cheerful one" They believe
that the German advance to the
French coast has been definitely
checked and tlat the advances re-
ported elsewhere show that the Ger
mans have been compelled to weaken
their center and left in order 10
strengthen their ri"N
Although the Germans have fallen
to break the allied line and have
themselves been compelled to give
ground, they are now in a better posi-
ton, having a front which stretches
from the Swiss frontier to Antwerp
and Dutch territory so that there are
no flanks which the allies can turn.
The allies can attempt to break tho
line however, and this is believed TO
be what they are trying to do on the
Belgian frontier.
OF the fighting in northern Belgium
the French communication simply
says that German troops coming
from Antwerp are marching toward
the west, and on the evening OF Oc'
tober Ia reached the Bruges-Thiel'
district. The opposition offered &c
this advance was not very serious
and apparently was intended only &c
delay It,
The Germans have occupied Bruges