Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-17
British and Belgian Infantry
Find It Impossible to Keep
in Touch With the Enemy
When He Starts Homeward,
BELGIANS GAIN ONE
OF GREAT VICTORIES
French Cavalry GaIiops Many
Miles Charging Enemy and
Is Now Within Seventeen
Miles of Dutch Border,
tsr MORNING JOURNAL sr.crAL LEASED wrsuI


With the Allied Armies in Belgium,
Oct. 16, (by The Associated Press).-
The Germans have started a retreat
on a tremendous scale from northern
Belgium. French cavalry is approach
ing Thielt. seven miles from the
banks of the Ghent- Bruges canal. The
canal itself is only ten 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 entirely with the enemy.
The Belgians advancing astride the
Thourout- Bruges ead Ehoutout- Os-
tend roads have defeated the Germans
who are retreating rapidly
This undoubtedly is one of the wars
greatest and most vital victories, 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 positions of such import
ance that the Germans may have to
abandon the entire coast of Belgium
Moreover the sweeping advance of
the allied infantry, preceded by a fan
of French cavalry advancing rapidly,
has left the entire area in which are
the important city of Lille and the
great mining and manufacturing dis
tricts OF Tourcoing, Roubaix and
Tournai, in salient which is grow
ing deeper every hour and which the
enemy can not hope to hold
Cavalry Does Great Work
The French cavalry which is on the
crest of the allied advance has done
marvellous work. Today it galloped
forward more than ten kilometers !
frequently carrying out charges with |
a dash usually associated with cavalry |
upon isolated posts of enemy machine |
gunners which vainiy attempted to |
hold up its advance. Some of these |
gunners. taken prisoners, said they |
were totally unable to understand !
why the war was going on and why 4,
they were called unon to continue
fighting. One officer said:
I'VE have offered all the terms in |
the world for peace; nobody seems |
willing to accept them"
Resistance, where it has been off |
cred by the enemy, has been extraor- |
dinarily 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 re- |
move their materials. stubborn fight |
ing has been reported especially !
from the region of Thourout. The |
battle here has been from street to |
street and house to house, and large |
numbers of the enemy have been
killed
Some Belgian forces have swept
around the city in order to cut the
roads at the rear and also assist in
bottlng up the enemy trying to hold |
out in the city itself.
The Germans had placed machine |
guns In the windows of houses and |
cellars and fired continuous streams
of bullets into the advancing Belgians |
but were unable to stop them
Can't Stop Belgians.
The Beigians fought with a dogged |
determination such as only troops
lighting to regain their outraged |
country could display. Nothing could
stop them.
me British, following up the re- |
treating Germans and overcoming the !
rear guards, are reported as reaching
Quesnoy and as having captured Lin
a,oHs ,iie INs. Inc BelglanS !
at the time this dispatch was filed |
were reported to be past Keyem and
to nave reached positions on the other |
side of Cachten and Ardoye. both of
which they captured. Northeast of
Courtrai. Bavichove was stormed and |
taken and the Belgians were still go
ing.
The Linselles position is most yalu-
able, for the place beingSnorthwest Of
CONTINUED on Page Two.S