New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-10-26
HUNS RETREATINC
FROM BELGIUM
FRENCH AND BELGIAN CAVALRY
FORCE ENEMY TO RETREAT ON
LARGE AND RAPID SCALE,
AMERICANS PUSH ON
In Albania the Italians Have Occupied
the Austrian Naval Base at Dur.
razo on the Adriatic Sea.
Germans Fight Hard.

l
| every battle front Northern Belgium
! is being rapidly cleared of the enem.
by British and Belgian forces. Bel
gfans have occupied zeebrugge ant
Heyst; have crossed the Client Bruges
canal and on their left have reached
the Dutch frontier where $1,000 Ger
mans cut off from their retreat by the
advance northward from Eecloo are
reported to have withdrawn into Hol
land, where they are interned.
Client. 1t is predicted from British
headquarters, will fall at an early date
and the French by swift stroke along
an extended line have put their forces
within two miles of Journal. Thielt
is in the hands of the French despite
stubborn enemy resistance as well as
the high ground round about.
British troops have crossed the Selle
river. have reconQuered Solesmes and
have had hard fighting not only in
the SECTION ground that town, but at
St Python to the east.
Here the British RSvs captured more
than 1000 prisoners.
Since the beginning Of the opera,
tions in Flanders the allies have made
an advance of more than thirty miles
over q thirty six-mile front, clearing
all of Western Flanders as well as the
coast of the enemy.
Fighting desperately to hold their
RI hn Of a
Cateau the Germans on front of for,
ty miles have massed nearly halt
million men. Their line is vital to the
Germans, but is just as vital to the
success of the allied arms, which are
steadily pushing the enemy back and
breaking through at strategical points.
The British Third Army is smashing
its way forward to the south of Valen
ciennes. Success SO far has attended
this effort and the turning Of this linz
will prove source of great danger to
vast masses of German troops holding
the territory to the north and south.
The American forces, operating in
conjunction with the British north OF
.Wassigny, have advanced to the Sam
bre-Oise canal. They occupied Rejet
east of st. Couplet at the point of the
bayonet. Wave after wave of machine
gunners faced the Americans, who In,
flicted enormous losses on thea West
of the Mouse American activity was
confined to the consolidation of posi-,
tions captured from the Germans.
Over front of forty miles, from the
North sea in Belgium to Lille in North,
ern France, the Germans are in gen.
eral retreat before the Belgian. French
and British armies. Likewise the
enemy is being forced to concede de-
feat by retrograde movements before
the British and Americans southeast
Of Cambria, under the attacks of the
French in the pocket between the Disc
and Serre rivers north of Laon and
by reason of continued strong attacks
by the French and Americans in
Champagne and along the Meuse river.
The Germans have started retreat
on tremendous scale from Northern
Belgium. French cavalry is approach.
iHg Thielt, seven miles from the banks
Of the Ghent-Bruges canal. The canal
itself is only ten miles from the Dor,
der of Holland. So fast is the enemy
retreating that the French, British and
Belgian infantry, at least in the center
of the battle front, have lost touch
entirely with the enemy. The Bel,
gians advancing astride the Thourout.
Bruges and Thourout-O stend roads
have defeated the Germans, who are
retreating rapidly.
This undoubtedly is one of the wars
greatest and most vital victories OF
the gallant little Belgian army.
French and British troops now have
driven the despoilers of its country
from q large section which tho Ger
mans have occupied since the early
days Of the war and have gained posi-.
tons Of such Importance that the Ger,
mans may have to abandon the en-
tire coast Of Belgium.
Moreover, the sweeping advance OF
the allied infantry. preceded by a fan
Of French cavalry advancing rapidly.
has left the entire area in which are
the important city of Lille and the
great mining and manufacturing dis.
tricts Of Tourcoing, Roubaix and Tour
mai in q salient which is growing deep,
er every hour and which the enemy
can not hope to hold.
In Albania the Italians have occupied
the Austrian naval base of Durazxo
on the Adriatic Sea, while In Serbia
the allied forces are continuing to
Irons the enemy troops north Of Nish.
The great wedge that 10 being driven
by the Belgian, British and French
troops in Flanders now threatens %.
riously the tenure, BY the enemy. ol