The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-10-04
GREAT DF|IIVE:
~ i1LI.|EE. Is
NEAR CLIMAX
Foch's Hammering Keeps
Ludendorff RetreatIng
Slowly But Surely.
BIZ ARTHUR S. DRAPER.

Especial Cable tn rhc E'w York Tr''n't''
and The IntrIiiEcnr"r.D
LONDON. oct 2.-Thc outstanding
features Of Foch's gigantic operation L"
crush the German armies before M!
can retire to Il Now defensive SySi"il
arr:
!. Tho widening OF the Flanders 81
licrt until its periphery is almost i1r'I
miles. notable progress being mad" h>'
the British. RclSitnS and french b"1h
| north and south Of Lille.
>. The firing OF Cambrai by tho Ger
mans. with the gradual development Of
! both Cambria and st. Quentin. wher" II"
| lighting RACES violently under unfav"r.
able weather conditions
3. The deep advance by the French
next to ArEopne, and. y
5. The terrific fighting of the !Amcri-
cans on the eastern side OF tho forest.
The German resistance has stiffencd
on all battle fronts. consequently I've
| progress is less spectacular, but every
where the enemy is rccnling under the
mighty blows Of the allies.
The Belgian communiNuc reveals the
.act that tho French are operating
| acainst General Won Arnim. who now
has received assistance. in his desperate
effort to break the waves beating east
ward through Flanders. Mud and rain
and moro reserves served TO check the
allies from assailinE Enulcrs and sweep
ing southwark toward Lille.
Belgians Making Good
Gradually We are getting the details
showing that King Albert Is command
ing an army second to mono in fighting
ability.
Tho weather has improved slightly.
but Flanders and the lOwlands are in
q horrible condNion. EaiE is watching
Lille. just rs the navy Is on guard off
Ostcnd and ZechruSEe. Acroplanes are
worrying German craft in the Belgian
ports. Horne and Byng resumed opera
tons between Cambria and ST. Qucn-
tin this morning. wedge was driven
deep between the towns
Between the towns tho higher Grouol
offers n better footing. Cambria is
suffering heavily from the fires caused
by the artillery. The English and
Canadians arc engaged in bitter street
lighting on three sides OF Cambria.
The British mako special mention OF
the fine work Of the American divisions
in the tough lighting around Bouy Bel
icourt-
Battles Climax Is Wear.
Tho climax Of this great battle Is
near. Mangin has driven the crown
prince pdCh IIOIl cSIc 10 lHc Olu LlIlcS
north Of tho Ailctte and far east of
Courtecon. while the retirement TO the
northwest Of Rheims Is being hurried.
Gouraud has made striking advance
to the west OF ArrOnne. capturing
Condo Binarville and forcing the en-
emy's withdrawal to the, forest Incl
dcutaTly relieving Liggett Of some OF
the pressure to his left,
The Americans. who arc battling
against the strong enemy reserves
originally intended for the Cambria
front arc making slow, but steady
progress. 1t Is estimated that the al
lies have taken close TO 10000 prison
ers in the last six days. Some critics
begin to doubt whether Ludendorft can
conduct the retreat because of the
pressure on his flanks, The German
line between tho sea and Verdun is so
lengthencd that Ludcndorff has lost all
the advantage Of his earlier withdraw
al. Meanwhile his losses are unpre-
cedcn.ed.
Foch is doing on a giant scale what
sueuy suffers the same relative losses
PershinG did at st. Mihicl and II the
he will practically Dc finished.