The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-10-26
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| LILLE SUBURBS
BeIgians Within Mile Of Impor-
tant Railway Center Of
ThieIt.
ALLIES ADVANCE UNCHECKED
Petain's Forces Enter Acy Romance ir
Drive for Important Railway
Junction-Hun Armies to
Quit Brussels.

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ders, Oct. 17.-Belgian cavalry was re-
ported to be within mile of the i'm
portant railway center Of Thielt. That
town is only about Is miles southwest
of Ghent
British patrols have entered the
southwestern suburbs of Lille.
French forces captured the village
of Acy- Romance, within a mile of the
important railway junction of Rethel,
in the Champagne, the war office an
nounced. The French made some
further progress north OF Sissone,
while between Sissone and Rethel they
repulsed a violent enemy counter-at-
tack near st. Germainmont.
To Quit Brussels.
Paris, Oct. IA high German
functionary in Belgium declared on Oc-
tober 8 that German occupation of
Brussels would end, at the latest, with
in 10 days. according to reliable infor-
nation received in London, says the
correspondent of the Echo de Paris.
All the civilian population along the
Belgian coast has been moved back
out of the country and British ayiators
are said to be reporting fires over a
vast area.
Allied Wedge Goes Deeper.
The German extreme right wing is
being threatened more and more us the
allied wedge in Flanders is driven
deeper. The, enemy resistance seems
J to be slackening In Flanders, and it
3 III 81 ssAayed Ael3 tliat m .5srt taalt RasSlts
may be seen within few days.
Already the advance of the allies is
from two and one-half to five miles on
a 30-mile front
On the right the British hold Menin
and Wervicq and he Courtrai almost
within their grasp. The evacuation OF
the great industrial centers of Lille,
RoubaiX and Tourcoing seems inevi-
table as the result OF the gain.
Twenty Miles From Dutch Frontier
On the left the Belgians are ap-
preaching Thourout. only IL miles from
Bruges and within 20 miles of the
Dutch frontier.
There are signs that the Germans
realize the days Of their occupation of
Belgium are numbered. They already
have begun the work of destruction
in western Belgium. 1t is understood
BrugeS and Client are to be evacuated
soon.
Allies Rushing On.
With the Allied Armies In Belgium,
Oct. 17.-Menin has fallen. Allied
troops are a mile east Of Roulers and
advanced patrols are. according to
latest reports, within mile Of
Courtrai. The Lys river seems to have
been crossed between Confines, which
has been captured, and Darneton. Re
ports indicate that another crossing
of the Lys has been effected at
WervicQ, although this has not been
confirmed.
South of the zone where the mud
spattered allied troops fighting their
way forward through the rain and the
mist and over sticky ground the enemy
has begun a withdrawal. His troops
are being moved backward from Point
a-Vennin and Berclau and from the
Rolleghem front. Here British patrols
have reached the outskirts Of the town
Of Neurchin.
Battle In Deep Mire.
Everywhere the Germans are fight
ing rear guard actions, with large num-
bers of men involved in the struggle.
The battle is being fought In contin-
uous rain, which makes the fighting in
creasingly difficult. Troops storming
ahead lose their 'oting In the ooze,
some sinking In as far as their knees.
The wounded returning from the front
are plastered with mud.
Cuerne has been stormed and taken
and the Belgians have captured Bevern
station. They are east and north of
the Bevern canal and are before Iseg-
hem.
Gains have further turned the Ger
man lines both north and south Of the
area under attack and the enemy re-
tirement reported from the southwark
is the result.
Greater Withdrawals Expected.
Further Withdrawals on broad scale
may be expected unless the weather
continues so bad as TO prevent further
advance. The enemy is showing signs
of great nervousness and more fires
and explosions are reported.
Elsewhere along the front other
British forces are gaining ground. but
their progress has been merely to
straighten the, lines and to carry out
consolidating operations In advantage
GUS positions
Enemy defenses Of great strength