The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-03
ENEMY SEEKS
SAFER GROUND
OVER WINTER
General Staff Officials Do
Not Look for Yielding of
All Belgium.
MAY GIVE UP FRENCH SOIL
In Any Event Line of Battle
Would Not Be Shortened
Materially.
MAY GIVE UP FRENCH SOIL
Special Despatch to THE Sun.


WASHINGTON, Oct. with the Ger
man defensive positions steadily
breaking down under sustained pres
sure from Verdun to the North Sea
and with Cambria and st. Quentin
now under>allled domination. there are
clear Indications here that the. Ger
man High Command foresees the pos
sibilty of the Teuton armies being
forced to evacuate all of Flanders and
France before fighting stops with the
winter.
Signs are accommodating to show that
the Germans are making all prepara-
items to continue their rearward move
ment to the Franco Belgian frontier
and clear intimations reached the
State Department to-day that the Ger
mans are preparing to evacuate II
necessary a large part Of Belgium.
Supplies Moved to Interior.
Secretary Lansing has received
word that all rolling stock, hospitals
and other supplies are being moved
from the district Of the Fourth Ger
man Army to the interior. German
reserves which were being held in Bel
gium have been ordered to the front.
The restrictions designed to protect
navnl information in Belgium have
been made doubly severe and the be-
lief. prevails that at least one Of the
German U-boat bases Is being moved
to a more secure position.
The information concerning Belgium
comedies with reports received here in
official quarters regarding German
preparations for the evacuation OF large
| areas in France. The apparent determi-
nation Of the German high command
to lay all occupied territory waste be-
fore moving his troops out forms part
! OF this general plan and has already
| aroused indignation here and abroad.
1t is understood that the United States
Government in cooperation with Entente
Governments is considering sending an
ultimatum TO Germany warning her that
! II this process Of wanton destruction
| continues the United States and the
Entente will exact full toll from his
toric German cities as soon as the
| American and allied forces reach Ger
man soil.
Retirement Not Voluntary.
officials and diplomats here emphasize
| the fact that the threat of reprisals
| alone may hold this wanton destruction
! in check. No other considerations ex-
cept fear for themselves so far have
| made any impression on the Germans.
The German air raids continued un-
| abated over all protests and regardless
, Of the appeals from civilization until
| the Allies began their policy of re-
| prisals against German cities. Then the
| air raids to large extent ceased.
With respect to Germany's prepara-
tions for the evacuation OF France and
the western part of Belgium General
| Staff officers here pointed out, to-day
that this does not mean that the Ger
mans voluntarily will withdraw out of
this territory The idea advanced by
some of tho critics that the German
high command shortly will order this
wholesale withdrawal to shorten the
line or for other military reasons is
not supported by the General Staff ex-
perts. In the first place they say that
the withdrawal would not shorten the
line appreciably, and secondly they say
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