Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-21
ALLIES SEIZE
5000 OF FOE;
BAG T0URNAI
Rail Center Virtually TAX
en-; Lys and Selle River
Are Crossed.

British Headquarters in Bel
gium. Oct 21.-( Reuters In
the region east OF COurtrai the
second British army today was
advancing on a line of 31a miles
along the Scheddt river. They
had gained this line by a great
bound forward Sunday.
London. Oct 2l-MOre than
5000 prisoners we're captured
by the British yesterday in the
operations north OF lie Cateau
when the Selle river was
| crossed on a wide front, accord
ing to Field Marshal Haig's
statement today.
In the Valenciennes region the
British are approaching st. Amand,
six miles northwest of Valencien-
nes. North of Tournai they are
| pushing forward to the line of the
! Scheldt river.
| The German positions were of
great natural strength and were
strongly held and there was heavy
fighting throughout the day. The
weather was unfavorable and the
| river was in flood, but the British
! forced a passage early in the fight
| ing supported by tanks.
French Over Lys.
The French troops on the allied
] center in Belgium have gained a
bridgehead across the Lys canal at
/ Nevele, seven miles west of Ghent.
The French also have gained
bridgehead over the Lys river at
! Grammene. The Germans are at
! tempting to hold line from Eede
to the river Lys at Petegem, north
of Grammene.
There is no confirmation OF a re-
! port from Butch sources thsf--EfFs
allied troops have captured Eecloo
and several thousand prisoners.
] This is believed to be extremely
: improbab Bile, as is also the report
that the fate of Ghent has been
4 sealed.
(By the Associated Press).
British troops in smashing
through the formidable German po-
sitions along the SelIe river north
of lie Cateau, captured more than
/ three thousand prisoners. The
Germans were forced from posi-
| tions of great strength on a wide
1 front and the British gains were
maintained notwithstanding enemy
counter attacks The British now
hold the heights between the Selle
and Harpies rivers and are in po-
sition to outf1ank the Normal for
est and cut the railroad between
! Valiennes and Ayesnes.
Journal Useless TO Foe.
! Further north the allied forces
! continue their progress through
Belgium and French Flanders from
! Denain to the Dutch frontier. Or
the north the Belgians are ap-
preaching Ghent while in the cen
( ter the British are marching on the
ScheIdt river and outffanking Tour
mai, an important railway junction,
which towns have been made use
less TO the Germans.
Fifteen thousand retreating Ger
man soldiers have been interned in
3! Holland, after being cut off by Bel
gian troops moving northward from
Eecloo, according to reports from
the frontier reaching Amsterdam
and transmitted by the Exchange
Telegraph company
Belgian soldiers took charge of
the Dutch-Belgian border last night
and were received enthusiastically
by the populace.
Quitting Antwerp!
The Germans are eYacuating Ant
werp, the Daily Express learns
from its Belgian frontier CORE
spondent.
10 Towns Taken.
Paris, Oct 2I-Despite the
abominable weather in French
Flanders, the British armies are
progressing in the region Of Tour
mai with clockIike regularity, cap
turing yesterday more than ten vii
lagos, including Nechin. Wanne-
hahn, Froidmont and Froyennes. the
latter mile northwest of Journal.
The allied forces. while pushing
further into central Belgium on the
north. are fighting their way for
. ward on the south toward the Bel
gian border south of Valenciennes.
Sunday the allied troops had TO
fight the elements as well as the
Germans Rain fell continually and
the soldiers were soaked and part
" blinded while airplanes were OF
little use.
With spirits undampened, how
ever. the allied troops continued
their efforts and in Flanders they
worked a little nearer to the i'm
portant city OF Ghent and are ap-
preaching the west bank OF the
Scheldt
Journal Virtually Taken.
On the right of the front in Bel
gium the British Fifth army has to
all intents and purposes taken
Journal. an important railroad
junction.
Further south the British Third
army has crossed the Selle and Is
headed toward Mons by way or
Quesnoy and north OF the Normal
forest. while General RawlinsOn' 5
Fourth army has reached the Sam
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