Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-11

Washington, oct. l0.--The wholly
unexpected extent of the German col
lapse between s. Quentin and Cam
brai, which leaves as the enemy stands
today, great gap torn in the center
of the lines that were already strug-
Cling to eXtricate themselves and get
back to a shorter front, has given rise
to the belief here that there is even
the possibility of crushing and i'm
mediate victory for the allies
Should the French to the south or
the British to the north also succeed
in breaking through before the Ger
mans can complete an extensive re-
tirement, the capture or destruction
of n whole enemy army group might
be realized, In the opinion of OBJ
servers here the situation To-Day has
almost limitless possibilities and Mar
shal Foch is virtually certain to con
centrate every ounce of power at his
command in an effort to execute Il
final coup.
The smashing victory of the Anglo
American forces north of St Quen-
tin may be paving the way for an ear
ly invasion of Germany itself. Striking
hints of a wholly new enterprise. di-
rected at the upper Rhine valley. have
come from unofficial quarters In
France and they may follow repeated
reports from Switzerland that the civil
populations of the Rhine valley towns
are being removed bv the German
authorities.
Significant Reports.
Some officers here regard these re-
ports as highly significant. They give
them particular weight because il
now appears certain that the enemy
will be forced back all along the front
in northern France and Belgium with
in the next few days. While the con-
stant hammering is kept up in the
north to pin the German armies there,
it might be possible, it was said. to
deliver a new stroke on the Alsace-
Lorraine front that might swiftly de-
velop into an invasion of Germany it.
self bV way of the Rhine valley.
1t does not appear likely, however,
that the Rhine drive plans, if there
are such plans, will develop until the
situation clears in the north. Should
the German armies escape the triple
trap between Verdun and the North
sea, however, and establish line on
the Meuse front, many officers are
confident that the center of attack will
swing suddenly to a drive into Ger
many itself by the shortest route, the
Rhine valley.
German line Broken.
For the moment attention is con-
centrated on the startling forward
rush of the Auglo-A American forces
which have broken through the great
st, Quentin -Cambrai defensive zone
To the south 1t is known that the
enemy is straining every effort to hold
up the French along the Suippe river
All but one of the twenty-four good
German divisions on this front, 1t has
been reported. are in the front line
Should the French reach and pass the
Aisne, as they threaten TO do. the
enemy forces in the Laou pocket ap-
parently would be in desperate
straits.
Still farther east to the Meuse and
beyond, French and American forces
are striking fiercely ahead carrying
an even wider menace. and to the
north of Lille. Belgian, French and
British troops have driven forward
another grim threat. To no part of
the line. apparently, can the hard
pressed center turn for reinforce
ments and relef on a scale that
would more than delay the advance
at any point.
The spearhead of the British ad-
vance was reported at lie Cateau to-
day That would mean that the
Anglo American efforts has forged
ahead until the northern end of the
great railway system behind the Ger
mans is only fifteen miles distant.
This lateral trunk line passes through
Valencennes, Avesnes and Hirson,