The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-10-17
HOLD ON BELGIAN
COAST LO0SENED
Allies Only TWenty.0ne Miles
From Dutch Frontier, Clos
ing Trap on Boches.
SUCCESS ON ALL FRONTS
Chief Rendezvous OF U-Boats
Endangered-Germans Hurry
From Long Held Area.

(ASSociated freSS.)
Lille has been captured by the Brit
| ish. Allied pressure on all sides OF the
salient of which Lille was the center
| compelled the enemy to give up the
city. the largest town of France cap
tured by the Germans and for four
years an important unit of the enemy
defense system.
Tho fall of Lille comes almost sim
ultaneously with the launching OF an
offensive by Field Marshal Haig
against the new ,German defenses
south of Valenciennes. His troops to-
day are storming forward south of lie
Cateau, across the Selle river. where
they were halted late last week.
In Flanders the allies have gained
important now successes, while from
the Oise to the Meuse the allied pres
sure, is maintained strongly. In the
angle north of Laon the Germans ap-
parently are retiring from between the
Disc and Serre rivers.
Since the beginning of the week
there has been little heavy fighting In
the area southeast of Cambrai, where
the British and Americans made such
rapid strides last week after the cap
ture of Cambria. The Germans re-
sisted strongly on the line Of the Selle,
and 1t is these defenses that the Brit
ish and probably the Americans under
the same command are assaulting.
Germany's hold on the Belgian coast
has been loosened. Fighting their way
forward until they have reached Cools-
camp, only twenty one miles from the
Dutch frontier. the allies seem to be
rapidly cutting off the coast cities and
compelling the enemy to hurry out OF
the trap which is closing about him.
Tangible evidence that the Germans
are retreating from the coast, which
they have held so long and which has
been the chief rendezvous of subma-
rines preying on transports and other
vessels in the English channel, may be
found in the advance by the Belgians
north and east of Dixmude yesterday.
In this region the Germans have lost
positions to a depth of three miles.
and the Belgians have carried their
lines over the lowlands at rate of
speed which would appear to indicate
little ii any opposition from the en-
emy.
Important successes have been
gained at the apex of the wedge driven
into the German line north of Lille.
Coolscamp has been taken, and the
ASyo iichh bAShth " IiuA ACDchCs
east of Courtrai. has been reached. AL
lied troops are in the outskirts of
Courtrai and very near Lille. In this
area fires are burning in piles of Ger
man supplies. showing that the enemy
is hastily getting out of the district,
which has been outflanked by the al
lied progress to the north. This re-
tirement is reported to be extending as
far south as Douai
American forces have occupied the
village of Grand Pre-. situated on the
north side of the Aire river as 1t runs
westward through the Argonne for
est. They have also captured Moulin
les-Pas. to the eastward. and, forging
ahead, have control of Loges wood, an
isolated bit of forest land which has
afforded the Germans good cover in
the fighting east of the Argonne. Hill
1S2, north of st. Juvin. is now being
consolidated by the Americans.
French and Italian forces have
forced their way further eastward near
Sissonne and have moved up to within
a mile of Rethel, an important German
railroad supply point on the Aisne fur
ther east. In this sector, however, the
allies are quite near the Hunding line
of defense, which was constructed by
the beTInanS as q refuge In case the
line collapsed. There ap-
pears to be n more energetic resist
anoe on the part of the Germans along
this front, and it Is probable that they
intend to make a stand along the line
where they are now standing.
Italian units in Albania have made |
new advance northeast of Durazzo.
In Syria the army commanded by |
Gen. Allenby has moved far to the !
north of Beirut. and patrols are NOV
ing northeast from Damascus 1t is
probable that with the return Of cooler |
weather the British forces in Mesopo-
tamia may make a new drive to join |
Gen. Allenby and thus forge a line |
from the Mediterranean to the Persian
gulf.
Reports Of most sensational char
acter. relative to Germanys uncondi-
tlonal surrender and the abdication OF
Emperor William are reported from
Amsterdam, but they are not con-
frmed. There appears, however, to be
disposition in authoritative circles in
London and Paris to believe that
events OF a historic nature may occur
n (yprm1nV ot opofbor @;,,o