The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-10-25
cormans Offer Stiff Defense on
All Fronts in North
ern France.
OFT OF CONTACT =
IN BELGIUM
Rauid Retreat Of Enemy and
Flooded Lowlands Check
Activities.
fBy The Associated Press


,ee.a- sectors in France from the
ION o. NalencienneS to East lie Ca
.s. ny~th OF Laon between the Disc
.e. -are. rivers, and on the front from
~. Neuse TO the vicinity of Grand Pre-.
sfDguinary battles are being fought.
IN all Of these the British, French anu
americans are making progress against
d., sfubbornly resisting Germans.
n Belgium. the rapid retreat Of the
elsnn anu the flooded condition of the
.,y.auds have prevented full lighting
s.tact with Germans, but the allies
vii soon be again driving the foe
..,rr. toward their own frontier.
British Smash Lines.
Field Marshal Haig's third and
fourth armies. having smashed through
fae outer defenseS OF the strategically
important German line south OF Val
anclanncs continue successfully 10
hammer their way toward Maubeuge
qud Mons.
rodays attack started from the new
front gained Wednesday in advance
~ baLUeen three and four miles on a
front Of fifteen miles in Which more
lhan six thousand prisoners and many
The enemy is resisting stubbornly, but
the British are forging ahead. captur-
ing villages. and other important
points - -a--'--s-'
West OF Alaubeuge, the British have
taken the village or Beaudignies, one
and a half miles southwest OF lie
Quesnoy. the most important strong
hold defending Maubeuge on the west.
T., II
the natural barrier OF the Ecaillon
river and rapidly are placing Ealen-
r.ennes in a pocket.
OutfIanking Valcnciennes.
Apparently the British are not de-
srous Of taking Valenciennes by
lighting the Germans in the streets OF
'h" town. but plan to outflank it. The
'o@n now is partly surrounded and
TIE menace to it has been increased
by the advance on the south and the
capture Of the entire Raismes forest
10 The north.
The British thrust undoubtedly has
badly shaken the German defenses
south Of Valenciennes which are so
Important to the security OF the Ger
man line northward to the Dutch bor-
der and south and east to the Meuse.
Mess the enemy can hold the Brit
'sh attacks today, it would seem they
nave TO continue their retreat in Bel
sum and also give up ground south
and east of the Disc.
French Active South of Disc.
While the British are attacking
north Of the Sambre canal to the
,cheldt, the French have begun an Of
'nsive south Of the Disc. The Sam
nFe canal has been crossed east Of
'rand Verify and the French have
maintained their gains against strong
r9rmdn counter attacks Between
ne Serre and the Disc and further east
nc French maintain their pressure and
nave gained south OF Montcornet.
InIantry lighting has died down east
n the Aisne in the region OF Vouziers,
ne Germans having failed in strong
,HoFts Tuesday and Wednesday to
"N'odse the French from important
ue'ght positions. General Gouraud
now commands the important defiles
nortn and south OF the great forest of
oouit, north OF the Argonne. On the
''ont west Of the Meuse the Ameri-
.anS maintain the important gains
.,aoe wednesday and are in position
9ring about general retirement
"a the center and left OF the line. We'd
Suay gains were mostly on the ex-
,sne right and outflank the enemy
'OU' westward toward the Argonne.