The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-10-24
Kaiser'S Back Wall Has Fallen
and His Front Wall Is
CrumbIing Fast.
HINDENBURG Line SMASHED
Bulgaria Surrenders Internationally
and Turkey Is WobbIing-St. Quen-
tin and Damascus Captured
Huns Preparing To Get
Out of Belgium.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD


The kaiser put his back to a wall in
the vainI effort to check the allies
on the western front, and the wall
collapsed. Bulgaria surrendered, prac-
once put out peace feelers; Austria
Hungary cried for cessation of the
war, and the Ukrainians rose in re-
volt against the Huns.
Meanwhile the allies kept up their
ceaseless hammering at the kaiser's
front wall-the Hindenburg line-and
by smashing through it at many
points proved it was not the impreg
nable system of defense that the Ger
mans had supposed it to be. From the
sea to Verdun the battle blazed day
and night, and the official reports
showed an almost unbroken series of
victories for the allies. The Belgian
army, assisted by British troops and,
Unexpectedly, by a French army,
jumped into the fray at the beginning
of the week, and, taking Dixmude and
the important Wytschaete ridge, adj
vanced swiftly as far as Roulers.
Thereupon the Huns began making
preparations that indicated complete
withdrawal from Belgium. North and
south Of La Bassee canal they were
in full flight, with the British close on
their heels, and as Haig's men ap-
preached Lille the enemy began the
evacuation of that city, the German
commander requisitioning all means
of transportation to remove his plum
der. Investing Roulers, the allies gain
ed control of the railroad to the Ger
man submarine bases at Ostend and
Zeebruggee and it was reported the
foe was removing his heavy guns from
the Belgian coast and that the gov
ernor general of Belgium had in
structed the provincial governors to
send all their archives at once to Brus-
sells.
Armentieres and Lens were, aban-
doned by the Huns Tuesday night.
la
In the attack on Cambria the Brit
fish, with whom an American contin-
gent was fighting, met with desperate
resistance and here and there suffer
ed local reverse, but they could not
be long checked and pushed ahead
with logged determination until they
had the city at their mercy. The Huns
burned vast quantities of stores in
their preparations for withdrawal
ID
Next to the south comes the st.
Quentin sector, and there the French
under General Debeney won a great
victory, capturing the city after ire
mendous fighting, which was fiercest in
and about the st. Quentin canal. This
place was one of the keystones of the
Hindenburg line and its capture as
sured the retirement Of the Germans
on a wide front Immediately north of
st. Quentin the British were engaged
by enemy reserves of stOrming troops
and the fighting was furious. But the
British succeeded in breaking through
the German line on the Beauvoir-Wian-
court front and created a salient that
greatly helped in the capture o. st.
Quentin by the French.
Between the Disc at La Fere and
the Aisne the French pushed on to-
ward Laon and succeeded in passing
beyond the elaborate system of water
ways that comprised the chief defense
Of the enemy and reaching open cOun-
try where the tanks could operate to
advantage. North of Reims Foch's
troops drove the Huns back TO the Aisne
and the Aisne-Marne canal, clearing
the country north of the Vesle and re-
leasing a number of towns. They also
gained the entire st. Thierry massif.