Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-15
Allied Armies SWeep
On, No Hint of Arnistice
Only Germans at Front, Stacking Before
Driue, ShoW Effect of Efforts to
Suspend HOstiLities
By PHILIP GIBBS

ing. so far as the British were engaged.
was the strength with which the enemy
held his front line during most Of the re-
cent fighting. He has defended his front
line without force, relying upon the main
line of resistance further back.
But this time exacting an attack
he manned his front line quickly and
orders were given to his men to hold on
to the death. Many OF them fought with
extreme courage opposite the northern
portion OF the front. Their machine
guns rushed through the barrage to meet
the British In the open, Among those
who did SO were the First Bavarian
Reserves, infantry division, who fought
| desperately between Ledeghem and
Kazelberg. Their support battalion was
to have manned the second line on the
Menin- -Rouiers railway, but the British
we're too quick for them and got there
| first.
This strength In the front line was
general along the British length Of the
attack, and II was not until this was
broken that the troops could get for
ward more easily toward the river
Heule, near Courtrai, where they are
confronted by a stream eleven feet wide,
held as a defensive line by the enemy.
| In some places the German soldiers
did not fight well. and one Of their Of
fcers remarked, What can you expect
when they look to an armistice In two or
three days?"
| One German officer came over very
smartly dressed and said he was wear
ing his peace clothes"
The Fifth Cavalry Division. which
suffered very heavily in the Cambria
fighting. Is engaged on this northern
front. and in spite of their losses In
prisoners are called 'the war prolong-
ers by the German line regiments on
account of their morale. or stimmung
as they call It.
The British troops attacking further
south along the line of Lys met some ir
the front line In the neighborhood OF
wervicq. which saw burning from the
heights.
Judging from those prisoners I saw
under escort. most Of them were certain
that an armistice would be arranged
within few days, and were rejoiced a,
the prospect of peace. When some OF
them were told that that means that
Germany Is utterly defeated and lost
they said THAT does not matter so long
as we get peace. for otherwise we shall
be In a worse state"
There was group of sixteen German
officers in one batch. and l noticed how
smartly they saluted, and 1t seemed to
me with them. as with those at Cambria
that 1t was the salute of men to their
victors, for never in the old days were
they as punctual as this.
! do not know the exact success of ouI
Allies on the British left, but It Is re.
ported that they are all around Roulers
which they are not entering yet because
of explosions. and they are making goot
progress.
I know that the Belgians have taker
many prisoners. because saw they wer,
escorting them back and counting theil
birds in the cages
For the Belgians. above all, II Is a da,
Of hope, because they see before Their
beckoning finger in the mists of tn,
belfry Of Bruges, and they are on theil
way home.
There is an unconfrmed rumor tina
one of the British monitors has steamet
into ostend harbor and is firing across
the dunes there.