Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-11
AMERICANS PAVING WAY
FOR GERMAN INVASION
civil Population Along tho Rlin,
Is Being Removed by Teu-
tonic Authorities.
DRIVING FOE OUT Oh FRANCE
Possibilities OF Crushing and Imme-
date Military Victory for the AL.
lies Arc Said to Be Growing
Hourly as Enemy Flces.
TBy Aasoclatsd prcsa 1

WSsS5HINGToN. October 1o.-The
cam faness victory Of the Anglo;Amer.-
be paving the way for early Invasion
Of Germany itself. Striking hints Of
wholly new enterprise, directed at
from unofficial quarters in France, and
theE follow repeated reports from
S - ,S Ian, that the civil populations
removed by the German authorities.
Some officers here regard these re-
ports as highly significant. They give
appears certain that the enemy will
be forced far back all along the front
in Northern France and Belgium with
slant hammcring is kept up in the
north to pin the German armies there.
It misht be possible. i. was said. to
deliver new stroke Oh the Alsace-
Lorraine front that might swiftly de-
velop into an invasion Of Germany itself
BY r Say OF the Rhine valley.
German collapse between ST. Quentin
and Cambria. however. may upset any
plans for drive to the Rhine that
the enemy stands to-day, with a great
gap torn in the center of the lines
that were already struggling to e.-
shorter front. there is even the poasi-
bility OF crushing and Immediate
military victory for the allies.
the British. to. the north. also succeed
In breaking through before the Ger
mans can complete an extensive retire
I msni the capture or dsSiruction o. a
realized. In the opinion Of observers
here the situation to-day has almost
t'och is virtually certain to concen.
trate every ounce OF power at his com
'nand in Al effort TO execute 4 final
coup
TRIPLE: GAP rs SET
FOR FOE NEAR vEnnrC
For this reason 1t does not appear
likely that tho Rhine drive plans, II
there are such plans. Will develop until
plnouS .uaLou eul W sIssIo uo!lsnals sul
the German armies escape the triple
trap between Fcrdun and tho North
Sea. and establish a line on the hIeusc
the center of attack will awning sud
denly TO drive into Germany itself by
the shortest route. the Rhine valley.
For the moment, attention is concen-
trated on the startling forward rush
OF the Anglo-American forces, which
have broken through the great St
the south il is known that the enemy
Is strain:nS every effort to hold up
the French along the Suippe River.
German divisions on this front il has
been reported. are now in the front
line. Should the French reach and
do. the enemy forces in the Laon pocket
apparently would be In desperate
straits.
Still farther east 10 the A1euse and
beyond. French and American forces
are striking Hereby ahead. carrying an
even wider menace. and TO the north
OF Lille. Belgian, French and British
troops have driven forward another
grim threat 10 20 part OF the line ap-
parcntly can the hard-pressed center
turn for re-enforccments and relief on
scale that would more than delay tho
advance al any point.
SPEiEIfEAD OF BRITISH
ADVANCE; AT LIE CATEAU
The spearhcad of the British advance
was reported al lie Cateau to-day. That
would mean that tho AnClo-American
efforts has forged ahead until the
northern end of the great railway sye-
tenn behind the Germans is only fifteen
miles distant
This lateral trunk line passe. through
Ealenciennes. Avesnes and Hirson.
reaches the Mouse at Charleville and
runs thence through Sedan and on to
the southeast.
General March. chief Of staff. indlcat-
cd last Saturday that the cutting of
this greatest single communication sys-
tenn OF the enemy was the main objec-
tive OF the American thrust west OF the
Mouse. The Americans are within less
than eighteen miles OF the road now