The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-10-24
ALLIES CLOSING
IN ON TOURNAl
STEADY ADVANCE DESPITE Ao-
VANTAeEs TO ENEMY.
CLIENT ALMOST WITHIN REACH
Nearly Nine Thousand Prisoners ana
Guns Taken by One British Army
Since the Push Began
a Week Ago.

| ... Week Ago.
London, Oct. 22.-British troops are
now within less than one mile OF
Journal, Field Marshal Haig an
nounced today.
Just to the east of the city lies high
ground which is giving the Germans
the advantage of the present fight
ing.
If the allies take the city. much
heavy and difficult fighting is expect
ed in the event that further east
ward advance is attempted at this
lpoint. 49,.
The German forces in that region
were driven out of Greg and the
woods near Froyennes.
| .. EscaiIIon River Reached.
The left banks of the Escaiilon
we're reached south of Thient five
miles northwest of Valenciennes.
LAS a result of local fighting dur
/ ing the night we advanced our lines
to the left banks of the EscaillOn riV.
err south of Thient. the western Tor
tions of which are in CUR possession"
the statement said.
%' Heavy Fighting Continues.
The British are not having an easy
time around Valenciennes, but they
have pushed forward to within three
niles of the city. Here also the
Germans have the advantage in ter
| rain.
| hn Val
has been put out Of action. This
Dad, which formerly was one of the
iermans' main lateral communica-
| lion lines, lost much of its value to
them when they evacuated Lille.
| British as Moving Vans
By Lowell MelIett, With the British
Armies in France, Oct. 22.-The Ger
man forces heavily shelled Veuville
from which l saw, women, men and
children escaping this morning. They
were being escorted by Tommies who
were carrying chickens, household
goods and other valuables.
Closing in On Client.
In Belgium the allies are three
niles from Eecloo, and in the whole
yast stretch between Courtrai and
the Dutch border the British, French
and Belgians are pushing the Ger
mans before them toward Client, from
which they are now less than seven
miles.
In the center of the battle area the
British are on the west bank of the
Scheldt for more than ten miles,
north of Journal, in front of which
city the Germans are resisting stub
bornly with machine guns. Frontal
! ly the British have reported positions
less than four miles from Valen-
ciennes.
Push Beyond Lille.
Northwest of Valenciennes they
have entered the great Vicoigne.
Raismts forest. In the region north,
west of Lille, the British are pushing
out in the general direction of lie
Quesnoy, fighting every foot of the
way.
The Germans here and there in
Belgium have held out strongly lin
enormous concrete forts from which
forts were used by German machine
gunners, and in some cases it re-
quired shells from heavy guns to
crack them. More prisoners have
been captured, the Third army TAX
ing over $500 yesterday.
a.. Field Guns Captured.
In Flanders the British captured
quite a few field guns yesterday.
Included in the number were three
complete batteries, one of which
was harnessed up and ready to move
of. This was surrounded by smart
tactics on the part Of body of cy-
clists.
Since the attack launched week
ago the Second army has counted
more than $500 prisoners and 1859
guns. This total is not complete to
date.
Allies Pushing Right Ahead.
When the fighting lulled last even
ing the British had driven a big sal.
lent into the German front from st.
Louis to Belleghem TO as far as the
vicinity of Knock and to a depth of
about five miles. This morning the
British line ran from Waalsonek
along the Belleghem salient and
thence past Warcoing and Bailleul to
the west of Journal.
To the north the Belgian and French
troops had an excellent day of sus.
tanned progress, Here and there the
Germans were pressed into tight
places and are lighting vigorously to
extricate themselves.
The town of Sweveghem, three
miles east of Courtrai. was penetrat.
ed by soldiers of the Second army
only after hard conflict.