Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-10-03
NEW RETREAT
!. IS UNDER WAY
At La bASSfE
City of Lille Being Eva
cuated by the Civil
Population.
LENS POSITION
BEING MENACED
city Held by Huns Since 1914 May Be-
come ntenable-Withdrawa Froml
eeigian Coast Said to Be Continuing
-Gernans Continue to Make Strong
Resistance in Champagne Sector and
N Are Being Slowly Forced Back.
ray the Associated Press.]

\ With their lines broken in many
[ places and held together only by
superhuman effort at nearly every
y point in active sectors from the
North sea to verdun, the Germans
appear to have reached the limit
81 their endurance and have begun
to retreat
This withdrawal 10 not limited
to any single sector but 10 re-
ported At many points along the
Iins.
Outhanksd and Imperfect by tho
Arslo- Belgian army, east Of Ypres,
- ensmy now 10 retiring frsNs
thes Iaesasss sector. II 10 reported
|that Menin and RouIers are burn
ling, that the Beisians are within
two miles Of Tureoing and that
Lille is being emptied Of its
civilian population.
On front Of twenty miles be-
tween Armentieres and Lens the
Germans continue to retire from
he salient west Of the fortress Of
lille. North Of St. Quentin the
Iritish again are storrning the Ger
han defense lines.
Berlin announces the evacuation
y the Germans Of Lens and Armen-
Heres, which have been under
heavy pressure from the British
army. ~
With Lens in the hands Of the
British and the German line moved
back to Lille or beyondIthe great
coal fields in this district, which
the Germans have defended for
Four years, will no longer be Of use
10 them.
Evacuation Of the Lille salient is
khs direct result Of the allied ad-
vanees IN Flanders and around
cambrai.
In withdrawing in the Lille Sail
lent the Germans are trying to get
out Of the giant trap constructed
by Marshal Foch.
The German supply lines are
menaeed on the ranks and should
they ~ cut the German situation
would b desperate. II would seem
however, that the retirement, un-
less 70 great depth, would be Of
little avail in putting off retreat
all along the lins.
Around ST. Quentin the fighting
still continues but it has apparent.
" taken on the aspect Of rear
guard engagement at some points.
S/ Near Rheims the Germans are
dropping back before the advance
Of General 1erthelot's army. In
/ Champagne the enemy Is slowly
giving ground ~ General Gouraud
r,slowly moves northward.
In the Belgian sectors the situa-
tion Is seemingly most critical for
I the Germans. Their retirement
/ from Laeassss would appear to
make necessary the abandonment
Of the vicinity 81 Lens, to which
the< enemy has clung since 1914. II
Lille fails the line to the south
may be roilsd up.
Theirs ara reports Of the Ger
mans moving their heavy guns
back from The western Flan-
ders coast and rumors come from
Holland that the whole coast may
!. BE svacuatsd.
British, American and Frsnch
forces seem to have definitely
broksn the German line bstwsen
I catslst and st. Quentin. They
arc across the somms, which WAS
the strongest line Of defense inl{his \
sector. Ahead Of them 10 rolling
country and thsn oomSs the 0iss
river with its line 81 railroad,
which affords the only. direct means
of sscaps Tor the Germans. a
Dsfors the oiss i reached The
I Germans must either bring greater
possr into tho line than &C any
time during the tremendous battle
of the past week or must hurry
thce forces out of the st. Gobain
sector 10 avoid snvsIopmsnt.
North 81 Rheims the Frsneh
thrsa&sn 70 reach the open country.
They have carried the hill positions
which afforded excellent defensive
8pcsitiors and seem rsady to bound
Z forward seross the lowlands 80 the \
I Sast 81 the Aisns canal. III they
svecssd in carrying out this drive
I 5ui.sy vii ssmps! the s:sH, te 4!se y '