The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-11-04
GERMANY FACES
GREAT DISASTER
Military Doom Not Far Distant,
Result Of Events Last
Three Days.
RETIREMENT NOW A ROUT
Austria Joins Bulgaria and Tur,
key as Conquered Nations
at 8 O'clock Today.
fAssociated Press.)

Germany, deserted by her allies, is
apparently facing a great disaster on
the western front. There have been
many times during the past three
months when it seemed the Teutonic
armies were in critical position, but
they always have managed to avoid
debacle. Now, however there is a
greater possibility than ever that Ger
many's military doom may not be far
distant
This crisis has arisen during the
past three days. American and French
attacks west of the Meuse river, which
seem to be gaining but little, appar-
emily sapped the strength of the en-
emy. When the break came Saturday
it took en- aspects of a rout rather than
an orderly retirement such as has been
carried out on dozens of battlefields
from the North sea to Chateau-Thier-
ry since July Is.
On Sunday evening at o'clock,
American contingents were in BelVal
wood, six miles directly west of Ste
| nay. vital, POINT in the German line
along the Meuses They were only four
teen miles south OF Sedan, which is
the center of the German system in
eastern France M now appears that
the line running westward Though the
! Champagne country, cannot retreat
! eastward, but must be diverted north
ward through Belgium. This will add
many weary miles to the length of the
journey thFs seemingly RrH be+hegnn
In Belgium. the fall of Ghent is i'm
minent, for the Belgians, French, Brit
| ish and Americans are rapidly moving
ahead. The Scheldt has been crossed
at Welden, southwest of Client. while
! the Belgians are moving toward the
! Scheldt northeast of the city. This
| advance, if continued, threatens the
whole German army in France, since
| its retreat eastward through Sedan
and Montmedy seems about to be cut
| off.
East of the Meuse. the roads are
crowded with retreating Germans, it
! is reported. This would appear to in
| dicate retirement to the Briey de-
fenses, north of Metz, but the magni-
tude of the retrograde movement has
not as yet been exactly determined.
| Austria will join Bulgaria and Tur-
key as conquered nations this after
| noon at 3 o'clock.
Terms of the armistice have been
signed, but the details of the agree
ment have not as yet been made pub
lie. 1t may be assumed however, that
they are as drastic as those forced
upon Bulgaria and Turkey.
In the meantime Italian and allied
forces have occupied Trent, and have
landed at Triest. Udine, which was
Italian headquarters during the Isonzc
campaign two years ago, and from
which Gen. Cadorna was driven late
in October, 1917, has been recaptured
from the Austrians. On every front
the Austrian resistance seems to have
collapsed during the two days prior tc
the signing of the armistice terms die
tated by the interallied conference al
Versailles.
Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, has
been recaptured from the Austrians
The city was taken on Dec. 2, 1914
Forty-fve days after the allies
launched their 1918 offensive along Tho
Macedonian front the Austrian and
German troops were retreating across
the Danube out of Serbia, leaving be.
hind them the wreck of German
dreams of domination in the east.
Emperor William has written tt
Prince Macmillan of Baden, the i'm
perial chancellor, promising co-opera'
tion in the development Of constitu
tional reforms. 1t is pointed out how
ever, that no word has been said BY
, him relative to abdication.