The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-19
GREAT RETREAT BEGINS.
HUNS FLEEING FROM SCENE OF
THEIR CRIMES.

Victory of Belgians, Under King Al
bert, and Their Allies Forces Ger
mans to Make Hurried Retreat
From Western Part Of Belgium.
! With the Allied Armies in Belgium,
Oct. 16 (By the Associated Press
430 p. m.-Thc Germans have start
| ed retreat on a tremendous scale
from northern Belgium, French cav
airy is approaching Thielt, seven
miles from the banks of the Ghent-
Bruges Canal. The canal itself is only
10 miles from the border Of Holland.
So fast is the enemy retreating
that the French, British and Belgian
infantry at least, in the center OF
the battle front, have lost touch en-
tirely with the enemy.
The Belgians advancing astride the
Thourout-B -Bruges and Thourout-Os-
| tend roads have defeated the Ger
mans who are retreating rapidly.
This undoubtedly is one Of the
wars greatest and most vital victor
les, for the gallant little Belgian
army, ably assisted by crack French
and British troops, now has driven
the despoilers of its country from a
large section which the Germans have
occupied since the early days of the
war and has gained position Of such
Importance that the Germans may
have abandon the entire coast oi
Be.gium.
Moreover, the sweeping advance OF
the allied infantry, preceded by fan
Of French cavalry advancing rapidly,
has left the entire area in which are
the importanY city of lille and the
great mining<and manufacturing dis
tricts of Tourcoing, Roubaix and Tour
mai, in a salient which is growing
deeper every hour and which the
enemy can not hope to hold. The
French cavalry, which is on the crest
of the a''ied advance, has done mar
>elous :, <. Today it gGlloped for
ward more than 10 kilorleters, fire.
quently carrying out charges with all
the dash usually associated with uhe
cavalry upon isolated posts of enemy
tempted to hold up its advance. Some
of these gunners taken prisoner salo
| they are unable to understand why
the war was going on, and why they
were called upon to continue fighting
| One officer said: 1--WE have offered
all the terms ii the world for peace;
nobody seems willing to accept them.
Resistance, where it has been Dr.
dered By the enemy, has been extra
ordinarily fierce for in these places
it obviously has been the purpose OF
the commanders of the fleeing Ger
mans to gain time in which TO remove
tier materials. Stubborn fighting
has been reported, especially IRON
the region of Thourout. The battle
here has been from street to stree
and house to house and large mum
bers of the enemy have been Killed
Some Belgian forces have swep
around the city in order to cut the
roads at the rear and also assist II
bottling up the enemy trying to holt
out in the city itself.
The Germans have placed machin'
guns in the windows of houses ant
cellars and fired murderous stream
of bullets into the advancing Bel
gians but were unable to stop them
The Belgians fought with a. dogge'
! determination such as only troop
lighting to regain their outraged coun
try could display. Nothing could stol
them.
The British following up the re
treating Germans and overcomln
rear guards, are reported as reachin
Quesnoy and captured Linselle, alon
the Lys. The Belgians at the tim
this dispatch was filed were report
ed to be past Keyem and to hav
reached positions on the other SID
of Cachten and Ardoye, both of whlcl
thev captured. Northeast of Cour
trai. Bavichove was stormed and tax
en- and the Belgians were still goine
The Linselles position is most val
liable for the place being northwes
Of Tourcoing the allied troops ar
GRADUALLY outflanking the entire LII
salient. from which there are furth
err signs that the enemy is withdraw
ing. AS a matter Of fact, his troop
in this salient are in an extremel
precarious position. They must ge
out rapidly or face disastrous conse
uuences. A thousand more prison
e:s and many more cannon have bee
captured. The Germans at man
places especially in the northern PAL
of the battle area, seem to be surreno
er;ng freely. Many more civilian
! have been rescued from the 1owr
erd districts captured and little pre-
cessions of these are struggling real
: ward out Of range of the guns an
! cut of the way Of the fighting troop
Stories are beginning to come pac
!, how liberated Belgian women nav
; seen their sons, brothers or nus
bands going forward into battle.
Quite number of civilians ais