Evening journal., 1918-11-08

HUN HnlMIUIlUL
IS REFUSED
Continued from page one.)
lighting yesterday evening and advanced
to within less than two miles Of the
fortress city OF Maubuge, Field Mar
shal Haig announced today.
Field Marshal Halg's statement indi-
Gates that the cessation Of firing on the
west front, reported to have gone into
effect at o'clock yesterday afternoon
until further orders, may have been
limited to that portion OF the front
where the German armistice delegates
crossed the lines.
BY the United Press.
LONDON, Nov. S.-lii.3O a. ny
There was sharp lighting yesterday
evening in the neighbOrhoOd OF Ecalihes
and Limon-Fontaine, sauth Of Haut-
mont Field Marshal Haig announced
IN his official communique today.
These villages were captured. to-
eether with a number OF prisoners. Our
auvdnce south Of the Mons-Conde canal
continued.
BY the United Press.
- ROME, Nov. s.-Italian troops have
landed at POla, on the Istrain Penin-
sula. 1t was officially announced today.
King Victor Emanuel has promoted
General Diaz. commander in chief OF the
Italian armies, to a full general. and
Admiral Di Revel to an admiral OF the
feet.
In replying TO a message OF congrat-
ulatiOns from American Ambassador
Page. General Diaz said:
Italians are proud and happy to have
fought and won the principles OF JUS
. tice. They were particularly happy
70 see the American nag floating along
side that Of the Italians during the
battle"
BY the United Press.
ROME, Nov. Son the west front,
the Italian Second Army has been par
ticipating in the offensive since No
Nember 6. the. War Office announced to
day.
Moving from the Sissone region it
has passed through enemy defenses at
Chivres and LarOchelle and has Occu-
pied lie Thuel and ROzey-Sur-Serre
"On the Italian front. we have en-
tered MeranO and BOlzano."
BY the United Press.
LONDON, Nov. s British Admiralty /.
Wireless). The Times war correspond /
ent says:
"The magnitude Of the victory OF last |
weekend becomes every day more ap- /
parent. For a month or more the en- |
emy has been retreating on TO the line /
OF the Meuse but now he has reached /
the last stage Of his journey. The |
surest sign Of our victory is that his |
last stage has been more rapidly got /
through than his first.
a month sgO IL seemed possible that /
the Germans In France might be com
pictcly envelOped from the east and
west 10 was then that General Luden-
d0rff threw up the sponge. Later this
danger receded and LudendOrff, who
set the peace negotiations in motion,
drew back because he then thought the
German armies could be eXtricated
without disaster
.''Now the prospect for the German
armies has darkened again. Whereas a
week ago most people would have
prOphesied that the Germans would
escape without lrrctrievable disaster
ruin again stares them in the face
What we are witnessing now Is the
destruction OF the system OF railway
communications which tempted the
enemy into Belgium. The net result Of
recent operations is that OF all Of these
railway lines, only the one down the
valley Of the Meuse is working prop
egly. Two are lost and Of the remainder
the one through the Meuse Valley is
threatened and the other Metz railway
is working in connection with a diff
ferent base, so that the east and west
wings OF the German armies are now
Separated.
"The south of the pocket is now mar
rowing, and from Avesnes, east Of the
Normal Forest, to Mezieries where the
Meuse railway enters the cover OF Ar
dennes, the distance is between 30 and
GO miles. Through this narrow pas
sage the whole OF the German armies II
nvw in France have 10 squeeze. and there
IS only one railway in this section
which is working freely. In other
words, the waist Of the German lines
say betwe n Lille and Nerdun-has been II
compress l TO one-third OF It's former
!. That gives some idea OF
the agong through which the German
army is now passing.
"NOr is the worst Of the compression
over. The enemy, for very good reasons, III
held out on the line Of the Aisne as long
rs he could. That line is now lost along
its whole length, thanks TO the renewed
activity Of the French and the recovery
Of the American army from its trans
portatiOn difficulties and the real squeeze
Of the German army is only just begin
hing. Worse still, the bOttle-neck through |
which IL is passing is a narrow one and
instead Of decreasing, will
tighten. It,may even be doubted whether |
The Meuse will be tenable. In a sentence
The military situation is almost desper-
Bte for the enemy. He is I'm danger OF
taving a large part OF his army cut off
and finding the way for his retreat from
the Aisne closed behind him. And even
II ne reaches the Meuse line, il will be
In a state which does not permit Of his
retiring upon IL. In addition, Just when
he wants every man that he has TO
protect himself he finds himself out
1anked on another front, from the side
N Austria and even IL he escaped a
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