Mexico Missouri message., 1918-11-07

CLANS, the French and some American
divisions, drove forward relentlessly
and before the week closed were chas-
ing the last of the Huns out of Valen-
ciennes. To the south of that city, In
the direction of Maubeuge and Mons,
the British made q smashing attack,
breaking throughthe enemy line of de-
tense on a wide front and threatening
to outflank the line of the Scheldt
which, further north, had held up the
progress of the allies to some extent.
BY cutting the banks of the Scheldt
canal and other waterways the Ger
mans flooded the country. The cap
ture of Mons and Maubeuge would be
serious to the Germans, for those cities,
which are united by railroad, have
been the principal German concentra-
tion and supply points on the Ardennes
front. East Of LIE Cateau, where the
Americans are fighting beside the Brit
ish, the allied progress was rather
slow.
The fall Of Client in the near future
seeming certainty, the Germans were
evacuating it; and the Belgian govern
ment decided to establish itself in the
recovered city of Bruges.
-A-
The French in the Laon region
moved forward somewhat, but the ad-
vance there was slowed up consider
ably during the week. In the Cham
payne the Huns were keeping up the
most determined kind of resistance,
and the Americans in the valley of the
Meuse were bearing the brunt of the
severe fighting. 1t was the hardest
kind Of work, and at times the Yanks
had to fall back, but always they re-
turned to the combat and carried their
detectives. Powerfully organized ma
chine gun positions were encountered
everywhere in that region Of ravines
and hills and forests, and to take these
without too much loss it was neces-
sary to maneuver past them and at
tack from the flanks and rear. Farther
west, to the north of Grand Pre-, the
Americans were engaged In equally
severe fighting, but there, too, they
were slowly overcoming the stubborn
resistance Of the Huns. In this they
were materially aided by the big bomb
ing squadrons of the air forces which
not only continually harassed the en-
emy in the fighting lines but made re-
-peated raids on his bases and supply
trains.
IA
One-fourth of Germany's available
military strength has been placed in
tire Champagne and Medse sectors to
hold back the Americans and French
there, and the task these allied armies
are doing, while not SNOWY. Is Of tre-
mendous Importance and difficulty.
The Huns are trying desperately to
save the Notwithstanding railway
system, on which depend all their
communications in that region. 1t is
satisfaction to know that the Amer
leans are giving a mighty good ac-
count of themselves there and that,
while their own losses are not small,
those of the enemy are vastly larger.
Ia
In the near East matters progressed
favorably, the allies driving the Aus
trians northward and reaching the
Danube on the Roumanian border,
thus completing the isolation of Tur-
key from the central powers. A fur
ther advance to Orsova will open the
way for an invasion of Austria. In
Montenegro the process of clearing
out the foe went forward rapidly. At
Krushevatz, in the center of Serbia,
German forces were strongly resist
ing the advent Of the Serbs toward
Belgrade.
IA
Turkey, which is more than ready
to make peace, has q new scheme.
Plans are being discussed to make
Constantlnople a free port and dis
mantle the fortiAcations of the Oar
dnnelles on condition that the allies
guarantee the continuance of Constan-
tInople as the capital Of Turkey. 1t
is also proposed to grant autonomy to
Arabia, Syria, Armenia and the jew
lsh part of Palestine.
ia
The Germans seem to delight in NO
lating the sense of decency OF civilized
people. The latest example of this
propensity is the naming Of Baron Won
der Lancken as head of a commission
of neutral residents of Brussels which
is TO investigate charges OF unneces-
sary devastation during the retreat
from Belgium, This baron played a
leading role In the murder OF Edith
Cavell. ignoring the representations Of
Brand Whitlock and refusing 10 save
! the nurse from death.