The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-15
BELGIAN KING
LEADS ATTACK
UPON ROULERS
Enemy Resistance in Flanders
Said to Be Broken by New
Drive.
(By Associated Press)


PARIS, Oct. 15.-Rouiers has been
taken by the allies. This city, which
before the war numbered $4,000 in
habitants, is the first important Bel
gian town from which the Germans
have been driven.
This morning, on the anniversary
of the battle of Jena, which was
fought october IA. 1906, the battle
famed up along the Flanders front
and the first days progress gives rea-
son for high hope.
Under the command OF King Al
bert of Belgium, the British, Belgian
and French armies attacked at 5:35
O'Clock. There was no artillery prep
aration but the troops advanced un-
der cover of a creeping curtain Of
fire of extreme power Following the
gales which have been blowing for
several days, the weather turned fine
and troops progressed methodically
and in most satisfactory way. Ma
chine gun nests were forced to sur
render one after another and at six
o'clock tonight the advance amounted
to four miles in the dorection of Cour-
trai, for the British; four miles toward
Thielt for the FRENCH and two and a
half miles in the direction of Thou
rout, for the Belgians.
French Capture City.
To the French, in the center of the
line, fell the honor of capturing the
city of Roulers, and the plateau COW
ering it. Nearly ten thousand pris-
oners have already been counted and
a large amount of material and many
&.1x IL
must be made of two batteries, which
were taken with the horses attached
to the guns. This shows that the
methodical withdrawal of the Ger
mans, of which they will not fail to
speak in reporting the battle, could
not be accomplished.
Germany reserves which attempted
to hurry up to the front line did not
escape the keen eyes of the allied
aviators and gunners. One troop
train was cut in two by shells. When
the occupants of the cars jumped out
they were met and scattered by ma
chine gun fire from allied aviators
The British navy and coast artillery
did excellent work in cooperating
with the advancing infantry The
Germans did not leave Roulers with
OuL Stdl tluS Iuduy uTeS.
FOE LEAVING BELGIUM.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
BELGIUM, Monday, Oct. IA. (By the
Associated Press)-Enemy resistance
in Flanders which at first appeared to
be exceedingly heavy, is reported to
have been broken. After the British,
French and Belgian advance today
there were indications that the enemy
was withdrawing the remainder of
his material from the coast of Bel
GUM.
AS is customary during the hours
following the launching of an attack
in this difficult country, reports were
slow coming in, but most significant
of all the features of the battle was
the fact that the German coast batter
les were not firing.
The enemy artillery reacted heavily
south of Roulers after the allied at
tack was launched but north of the
city this fire was very slight, indicat-
ing that the German guns had been
withdrawn or were being taken back
by he enemy. The German rear guards
were overcome and further north the
enemy resistance gradually grew
lighter as the assault progressed.
Among the prisoners was a complete
regimental staff and a battalion COM
mander.
Germans Burn Cities.
The enemy has begun blowing up
material which he could not remove,
and the torch is being applied to the
towns that are being abandoned By
the Germans. There have been four
explosions near Beerst.
The fact that the coast batteries
are not firing has given rise to the
rumor that the British naval forces
are operating off the coast. One re-
port even went so far as to say that
Ostend. which seems bound to be
bound to be evacuated by the enemy,
has been entered by British monitors.
There is no confirmation Of these ru-
mors.
Only thin enemy barrage was en-
by the British during their
attack South of Lichtervelde, the
British have driven we'll to the east
They have passed through Roulers
and are still advancing. They are al
so operating quite a distance east of