Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-24
Special Cable TO Erening Public Ledger
6cpyIoh'. 1918. by Ne'D York r''nes co.
with the British Armies In France. oct.


with th. British Armies in France. oct.
-.
Brltish troops are now in the outlying
streets Of valenciennes. divided from
the heart OF the city by the Scheldt
Canal, which Is the western boundary
Of the boulevards They have outposts
in the parish OF st. Naast and at La
Sentinelle. so they are able 10 look
down the avenues of that old town.
where many thousands OF people are
waiting for deliverancc, knowing that
the English are at their gates.
There was not much fighting here yes
terdsy except for a big burst of ma
chine-gun fire, but south Of Nalencienncs
to the villages and woods below lie
Cateau on front Of nearly twenty
miles. there was drive forward by
the British Third and Fourth armies
toward the great forest Of Normal, COW
ering many hundreds OF acres OF dense
woodlands, where the foliage is now
turned to scarlet ard gold, like the leaves
Of all the trees in this now battle-ground
beyond the belt forty miles deep for
hundreds OF miles. where autumn makes
no difference to the landscape because
all is dead there.
/, Beyond the liberated towns OF cam
brai Douai and Lille there are many
woods and many streams and many small
ridges and fields cut I'D by bitches ana
hedges. so that Il is not an easy coun-
try through which 20 fight. The enemy
has plenty Of cover for his men and
guns. In the woods, especially. Ger
man machine -gunners can lie IN Nln'
bush and fire until the British are close
to them before stealing away down the
slades and hiding behind other trees
SO the British have 10 go warily. anc
rather than penetrate those dense woods
thick in uidcrgrowth, work around them
dodring nachine-gun fire and surround
ing the German rear-guards'
Tank. Overcome Difficulties
on the Fourth Army front furihe
south below lie Cauteau the troops had
tho helm Of a small number OF tank
which had difficult country 20 cross
owing to the number Of small stream
and tree trunk barricades. but seem q
have overcome these obstacles and have
been reported over the widest strcan
making their way 30 the woods wher'
the German machine gunners lie in am
bush.
The morning started with thicl
white fog. 20 wet and dense that whei
I went through Dougt there was IN
visibility whatever, for the airplaneI
however low they few. and they were
flying Just above the tree tops.
II was. think. better for the British
troops. for il blinded the German ma
chine gunners. searching for any move
ment Of men apart from the fog ant
pitch darkness when the British started
as their attack began at 2:30 in som'
places and earlier in others. 1t hat
been a bad night. The enemy. antici
pating further action. fired large mum
hers OF gas shells and tried TO break NJ
the assembling of the troops by a heav!
barrage from field guns.
Germans Flee From Village
village named Boussies was TN
scene of sharp fighting, and whom the
british closed around it numbers oi
Cermans were seen running out the
other side toward the deep shelter OF
the great forest OF Normal.
Al the same time fresh re-enforce-
nlonts Of German troops debouched from
the forest and met the runaways. and
there was wild confusion, as some went
ora way and some another. II is prob
able that there will be strong counter
attacks in this district.
Several thousand prisoners must have
been taken in these operations and by
drawing close to the forest OF Normal
the British are drawing the loop tighter
n round Nalenciennes. so that the enemy
will have to withdraw quickly unless he
risks the danger of capture of its gar
rison.
am afraid that there must be many
moor peasants trapped along this line OF
hattie. wood cutters crouching in the
undergrowth through which machine
bullets are slashing. and wives Of French
charcoal burners hiding with their
babies in the cellars OF little home
steads.
This has happened on the line Of the
advance beyond big towns. and il is a
tragedy which stirs the hearts of the
british troops who go stepping day after
day far from the main lines OF COM
nunications into this great unknown n
country which they call the blue" They
give some OF their bully beef to these
women and children. though they are
ravenously hungry after cold nights and
exhausting days, and they break on
hunks OF bread and thrust them into the
ha nds Of boys and girls, whose pincheo
faces tell their tale, though they do no,
beg
Lsmentable things are happening ir
some Of these places as at St. Amand
near Valenciennes, which was captured
by British cavalry. In this village the
enemy had collected nearly 1900 people
who were suffering from what is called