The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-10-16
BE[GIAhS UNDER
KING ALBERT ARE
FORGING AHEAD
Fall Of ThOrout Is Momentarily
Expected
GEN. FOCH STRIKES AGAIN

GEN. FOCH STRIKES AGAIN
Lille Has Fallen-British Patrols
Entered Southwestern Suburbs
of City This Morning.
Paris, Oct 16.-British patrols en-
tered southwestern suburbs OF Lille
this morning.
London, Oct l6.-The Belgians I'M
der King Albert are advancing rapidly
along -Thourou road The
fall of Thourou, whose capture was
prematurely announced yesterday un-
officially, is now expected momentari-
ly.
London, Oct. 16.-British patrols
gained ground during the night in
Douai-Lille sector, Field Marshal Hag
reported.
Washington, Oct 166.-Substantial
gains on both sides of the Meuse
against stubborn resistance by rein.
forced enemy is reported today by
General Pershing in Tuesdays com.
munique.
Paris, Oct. 16.--The French captur.
ed Acy-Romance village within one
mile of the important Rethel railway
junction in Champagne, the war Of
flee has announced
With the Allies in Belgium, Oct. Is
-Menin has fallen The allies are a
mile east of Roulers and the advance
patrole are within mile of Courtrai
Lys River seems to have been crossed
between Confines, which has been
captured, and Warneton Every.
where the Germans are fighting rear
guard actions with many men in
volyeG
A battle is being fought in con
tinuous rain which makes fighting in
creasingly difficult. Troops. storm
ing ahead, lose their footing in the
ooze, some sinking far as their knees.
The. wounded returning from the front
are plastered with mud
With the French Armies, Oct. 15-
Once more Foch has struck, and
new victory has brought the allied
soldiers to the gates Of Courtrai ac-
centuating the menace from the north
to vital lines of German communica-
tions In their unwillingness to ad-
NIT defeat that might be fatal to
the morale of the people and army,
the German war chiefs have overlong
postponed their Withdrawal from
France, and coming events cast the
shadow of disaster that will amply
explain the reasons for their appeal
for an armistice
Nobody who has not seen the
amount of transport of a single army
corps can realize the immense ac
cumulation needed for the support of
the great armies Germany has in the
field. Already their communication
lines behind the battlefront were
barely adequate and sorely strained
by the growing shortage of grease.
the deterioration of rolling stock that
could not be replaced. and the impos-
siblity of maintaining the roadbed al
pa
The situation grew worse as the
huge losses Of guns and munitions
weakened the front and increased the
strain on transport Wounded in
scores of thousands occupied space
and time that were priceless, The in
eXitable followed, the. Allies broke the
"impregnable' Notifications protect
ing the arteries through which flowed
the lifeblood Of the German Army.
In the words of great French sol
dier, by the capture Of the st. Go.
balm massif and the Hindenburg and
Champagne positions we have rolled
the Germans back upon their com.
munications. What that means is
tremendous. Not only are many rail
roads and highways under allied fire
not only are the most important June.
tions and denots within easier reach
OF the Allies deadly bombing planes.
but the overburdened system that re.
mains available must carry a double
load-the material OF retreat in addi.
tion to everything needed to maintain
resistance. II is a hopeless task and
each new blow by the Allies will give
further proof of it.
London. Oct 15.-Todays official
news from Flanders shows the con.
tinuing success of the allied often.
sive LAUGHED yesterday The whole
Franco.Belgian.British battlelne ,is
advancing on an irregular front OF
about twenty-five miles. from the re.
gion of Cortemarck TO that of Cpur.
trai some OF the troops In the van
having penetrated the enemy's posi-
tions six or seven miles.
The Belgian communique announces
the capture of 1000 prisoners and
eighty guns by Belgian and French
troops, and a press dispatch credig
the British under General Pmmhr
with having taken 3.723 Germans and
more than fifty guns
British Headquarters in France