Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-22
AMERICANS SMASH
ALL INSTRUCTIONS
ON SCRELDT RIVER
Repulse of Foe There May Send
Him in Hot Flight Back 10
the Meuse.
HATG CAPTURES ORCO;
HUNS STIFFEN DEFENSE
British Troops Within Striking
Distance If Tournsi and
Valenciennes.
Associated Press summary-3 .. m.


Allied troops on the northern end of
the front in France and Belgium today
arc driving INTO the German line from
west of Ghcut past Tournai ~ |aicncicn-
mes. This IL the l,ne Of the ~chcldt and
two of the important points IN il TournaI
and N9icncienHcs- arc nearly within no
grasp Of the British
German resistance IL .fiffenIng between
Journal and Ealcncicnncs. Inc southern
end of the S0-miie line from Ealcncicnnes
10 'he Dutch frontier rhc British
armies however, continue n progress.
Orcq within less than rolle 81 Journal,
on the west. hes been captured and The
British hold In Seminole. one mile vest
of Valencienne7
North 81 Tournai the British IRE along
the Scheldt on front ~ fyc miles ard
north and south of this sector rapidly
are gaining The western bank ~ the rIves
Between Falenciennes and IL Catean- the
British maintain their pressure and have
reached he Ecaillon river At Tbiant,
southwest of Nalenclenpee
French forces continue their pycssu~8
on thc front from the junction of tho
Disc and the Serro eastward 10 E0uziers.
On the extreme left fhev have advanced
north IF the ~arre Fast III he ii~ne at
Nouziers the Germans have ceased their
violent efforts 10 distodgc he French
from important hilI POSITIONS ~
French here are in 4 position 70 nutFank
the Germans facing the Americans on the
sector wr9t of the Npuse. which accounts
for the strong German efforts n drive the
French back General Gouraudr men,
however have defeated all enemy attacks.
Associated Press Summary D. "a
Development ~ the plan being followed
nv the German high command IN con-
1ueting it, retreat from northern France
and Pelglum makes it apparent that
Metz is being Used a. o pivot for the move
lnent While the Germans are pouring
fresh divisions into the line IN front of
the Americans northwest Of Eerdun in
an attempt 20 hold the line firmly, the
rest Of the German legion are swinging
back toward the Belgian border.
There are several situations along the
front, however, which render It possible
and even probable, that Marshal Foch
! will seriously Interfere wlth the orderly
retirement OF the enemy forces. tG
seems certain that rhe Hundiug line has
been outfanked IN BelgIuTn, where the
! Scheldt river has been crossed and east
Of Le Cateau, where the British and
American appear 10 have fought their
way through al destinations his line
therefore nav be rendered lntenahls
for the Germans. whO may be Iorced -
fall back 10 the line OF the Meuse before
attempting 70 stand Al hay
GERMAN RETREAT rH REATENED.
In the meantime, attacks by the allies
in Pelglum. east Of the ~eile river and
Dose region. threaten 70 dlsorGnizc
the German retreat. IN Peiglum, the
French and British are boring into the
enemy positions 50 swiftly that they may
completely 0utAank he German forces
still holding the line southwest. Bel
gan troops advancing toward tIhenI
are systematically clearing tbe country
from the Dutch frontier 20 Eeri0o, ca ne
Lys-Zeebrugge canal The French are
within seven miles of Ghcnt, niie ne
Pritish have reached the Scneldt, near
Journal.
British troops 4re WITHIN TWO miles ~
Nalencienn.s and the Germans are "a
pected to abandon that city very quickly
Farther south, the railroad running from
Nalenciennes into he Ardennes region
Is in peril and only increased resistance
will prevent the British and Americans
from cutting IT, In the Serre-Olss sector.
he French have made j material progress
st various points.
AsIERICANs ~ STUBBORN BATTLE
In the Champagne region, C'ener 81
Berthelot and General Gouraud were
unable to advance eStertlay. nor we're tho
Americans. in the Argonne able % shaAe
the defenses OF the Germans, although
Rappewoods and Hill 299 were taken fro Il
the enemy by q sharp attack.
French patrols have reachtjthc Danunt
river at Nidin This town IS on nc SOUTH
ern bank oi the river and the arrival oi
allied troops there establishes contact
With RunaRia from The south Il threatens
Austria from be southeast. i sufficiently
heavy infantry forces are aoic 70 feat a
that region al once