The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-10-19
Kaiser's Back Wall Has Fallen
and His Front Wall Is
Crumbling Fast.
HINDENBURG Line SMASHED
Bulgaria Surrenders Internationally
and Turkey Is WobbIing-St. Quen-
tin and Damascus Captured
Huns Preparing To Get
Out Of Belgium.
BY EDWARD W. PIckARD

The kaiser put his back to wall In
the vain effort to check the allies
on the western front, and the wall
collapsed. Bulgaria surrendered, prac-
tically Internationally Turkey at
once put out peace feelers; Austria
Hungary cried for cessation of the
war, and the Ukrainians rose in re-
volt against the Huns.
Meanwhile the aides Asaspt se;ee their
ceaseless hammering at the kaiserss
front wall--the Hindenburg linea
by smashing through 1t at many
points proved 1t was not the impreg-
nable system of defense that the Ger
mans had supposed it to be. From the
sea to verdun the battle blazed day
and night, and the official reports
showed an almost unbroken series of
victories for the allies. The Belgian
army, assisted by British troops and,
Unexpectedly, by French army,
jumped into the fray at the beginning
of the week, and, taking Dixmude and
the important Wytschaete ridge, ad-
vanced swiftly as far as Roulers.
Thereupon the Huns began making
preparations that indicated complete
withdrawal from Belgium. North and
south of La Bassee canal they were
in full flight, with the British close on
their heels, and as Haig's men APP
preached Lille the enemy began the
evacuation of that city, the German
commander requisitioning all means
of transportation to remove his plum
der. Investing Roulers, the allies gain
ed control of the railroad to the Ger
man submarine bases at Ostend and
Zeebruggee and 1t was reported the
foe was removing his heavy guns from
the Belgian coast and that the gov
ernor general Of Belgium had in
structed the provincial governors to
send all their archives at once to Brus-
sells.
Armentieres and Lens were aban-
doned by the Huns Tuesday night.
Ia
In the attack on Cambria the Brit
ish, with whom an American contin-
gent was fighting met with desperate
resistance and here and there suffer
ed a local reverse, but they could not
be long checked and pushed ahead
with logged determination until they
had the city at their mercy. The Huns
burned vast quantities of stores in
their preparations for withdrawal
-E
Next to the south comes the st
Quentin sector, and there the French
under General Debeney won a greal
| victory, capturing the city after tire
mendous fighting, which was fiercest il
and about the st. Quentin canal. This
| place was one of the keystones Of the
/ Hindenburg line and Its capture as
sured the retirement of the Germans
| on wide front Immediately north o.
| st. Quentin the British were engaged
| by enemy reserves of storning troops
and the fighting was furious, But thu
| British succeeded In breaking through
the German line on the Beauvoir- Wian
court front and created salient tina
greatly helped in the capture Of st
Quentin by the French
Between the Disc at La Fere ant
the Aisne the French pushed on to
ward Laon and succeeded In passing
beyond the elaborate system OF water
ways that comprised the chief defens,
! Of the enemy and reaching open coun
try where the tanks could operate Il
advantage. North OF Reims Foch'
+ troops drove the Huns back to the Aisn
and the Aisne-Marne canal, clearing
the country north on the vesle and re
leasing number Of towns They ais
| gained the entire ST. Thierry massif.