Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-26
BELIEF AMONG EXPERTS IS THAT
HiNDENBURG AND CROWN
PRINCE ARE ABOUT TO MEET
THEIR WATERLOO.
CAPTURE 10000 ITALIANS.
Berln--Thirty thousand lta!.
ians and upwards Of 800 guns
were captured in the first two
days Of the Austro. German often.
sive along the lsonzo river, tns
war office announced today.

London, Oct 26.-Attacking IN a
heavy rainstorm the armies Of Eng
and and France today smashed an
other great gap in the German front
in West Flanders
The assaults were delivered over 4
wide front east and northeast of Yprcs
and the war office IN It's report at
noon said that satisfactory progress
was being made
The cooperation between the
french and British armies was per
fect and the attacks were Drecedeae
by heavy bombardment which
crushed the German trenches and
dugouts under the blast of steel
A number OF German prisoners
we're taken and severe casualties in
ficted by the allied armies.
Despite the rain and mud Field
Marshal Haig's men and their coni-
AIDES, the poilus, went over the tor
With victorious shouts that mingled
with the gunfire.
Crossing the crater field the men
we're soon in the German trenches
and bombing dugouts behind ~'---
There was heavy lighting north and
iouth Of the Ypres-Staden railway and
particularly in The Houthoulst forest
md around Passchendaele.
Capture $4,000 Germans.
Paris. Oct 2G.-The German armies
n France and Belgium beaten and
demoralized, are approaching their
Waterloo
That was the belief expressed today
by military experts who see the war
n an entirely new phase as result
>f the brilliant victories Of the Rft
sh and French in West Flanders and
On the heights north Of the Aane
liver.
Laon, the great German forresa AT
he southern end of the Hindenbur =
| inc, is almost within the craps Of the
| French and orders found upon the
! bodies of dead German officers in thai
| district show that the utmost cOnfu
sion exists among the high command
Of the German crown princes armies
| Some regiments were ordered to dc
one thing and contradictory orders
were found upon the commanders Of
adjoining regiments.
The victorious sweep of General Pc
| tain's men continues unchecked anc
now about 1900 German prisoners re
main in the hands of the French, One
hundred and twenty-five big guns ant
numerous field pieces were captured
by the French aud number of addi
tional fortified villages were Overrun.
The French have reached the Aisn,
canal and the feeling that Won Hinden
burg is soon to undertake anothe
strategic retreat" grows stronger ant
stronger However the Germans ma,
delay this retreat as they did the on
from the Somme in the belief the
will spoil tho allied plans for sprin
offensive.
Geneva, Oct. 26--Austro.G German
Troops, supported by batteries OF bi
German guns, have forced a crossin
of tho Isonzo river south Of Tolmin
and are fighting their way towards tn
Italian frontier, according to advice
from Vienna and Berlin today
The correspondents with the Ge
many army on the Italian front clail
the capture Of 10000 Italian prisoner
and great number of guns.
Austrc-German artillery on Tia
Carso Plateau, southeast Of Gori2l
has become very active indicating thu
; the Teutons are preparing to eyten
tho zone Of their offensive operation
=, 10 that sector. If this Is done il W
:, mean an extension Of the mighty ba
10 tie to q front of about forty miles,
=. A furious attack was delivere
a. agaginst the Italian position on n
summit of Monte San Gabrielle. at u
southern edge of the Bainsizzi ri
teau, but II was beaten off aud Il
RI AuslroGermans retired leaving u
y. northern and eastern slopes OF II
N snounlain covered with their slain al
wounded,
II lat, kaN kaI An