The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-10-21
AMERICANS MAKE DRIVE IN NElSE VALLEY; BIG AIR RAID IS CARRIED OUT BY THE AMERICANS AND TONS
 OF BOMBS DROPPED ON IMPORTANT T0NNS PEOPLE OF
 LILLE GREET ALLIED TROOPS WITH SONGS AND TEARS

WITH THE AMERICANS NEAR VERDUN, Oct. 18-The Americans have started drive to the north With out any artillery preparations the Americans swept forward into the consolidated lines of the Germans and captured the strongly fortified of Banheve and Tama Banthe- vile is situated to the north ot Romagne and Iana to the northwest of Grandpre.
 The Americans started the offensive this morning and all day there has been the sffes kind of fighting with the greater portion of it at close range Inches have been counted in the gains The German effort to hold ground is apparently their last great effort the German army in France from being broken pieces The Americans equally anxious finish the and although fighting at great disadvantage they winning and all indications are that the Germans will have conduct their retreat faster than they have in the past or they will be trapped.
 HUNS REFUSE TO FIGHT.
 BRITISH HEADQUARTERS NORTH OF COUR- TRAI Oct 18-The German morale is growing poor as is evidenced by the refusal of many German regiments to en- gage fighting The Huns would surrender and simply retired slenly before the allied advance without firing shot.
 Officers who have been made prisoners declare that the German soldiers losing their fighting spirit as the re- suit of the long continued fighting and the peace ta which has spread from the allied armies and from the interior of Germany The soldiers believe that the occupied territory is evacuated peace will and they very near revolt ing and unless the order of retreat is given they liable to attempt to walk over to the allied side.
 FRENCH CAPTURE THIELT.
 LONDON Oct. 18-The advance of the allied forces Belgium today has resulted in the capture of the town of The by the French Thiet is large town about sixteen miles directly to the of Ghent and opens the way an advance against the city of Ghent.
 In Flanders the French have advanced two thousand yards the and the enemy has retired to behind the Lafere range of hills.
 AMERICANS CARRY OUT BIG AIR RAID.
 AMERICANS NEAR VERDUN Oct. 18-Over sixty of the day bombing aviators have attacked the of Bayonve Buzancy and others the north of the present American wedge large number of escorng planes took part in the raid and protected the big bombing planes cessfuy Ten of the German planes downed by the escorng planes while Americans reported having been downed This is the biggest enterprise conducted by all-American fiers.
 The American aviators succeeded in dropping four of bombs on positions of great importance to the enemy Twen-one of the Germans planes attempted to stop the Americans and one-half were destroyed
 BERLIN REPORT.
 BERLIN-OAicial-Oct. 18.-The German forces on the have evacuated the cities of Ostende Tourcoing, Roubax Lille and Douai No announcement has been made concerning the exact cause of the German retirement
 INHABITANTS OF LILLE CELEBRATING.
 BRITISH HEADQUARTERS, Oct. 18-The forty thousand inhabitants of Lille yesterday celebrated their emancipation from the German control of their city, Great crowds hronged the streets singing of France and her allies Soldiers nterminged with the crowds and took part in the celebration.
 BELGIANs HUNGRY.
 WASHINGTON, Oct 18.-The Belgian government is facing the task of feeding the citizens who have just been freed from the Germans The Belgian relief commits sion has made for the purchase of twenty mil lions of the British army ration be fed to the starving Belgians.
 YANKEES HAVE SEVERE FIGHTING.
 WASHINGTON, Oct 18.-General Pershing's com muque that Thursday the Americans had fighting all along the front of the first American army. Over thousand prisoners taken by the Americans immediately to the west of the Mouse river
 GERMAN RETREAT WE'LL ORDERED.
 WASHINGTON, Oct 18-The military authorities who here believe that the Germans is we'll dered and expect that the enemy will make stand line of defense which is already prepared The blows of the allied forces have led many of the critics the belief that the Germans have had time properly prepare