The Little River news., 1918-10-19
GERMANS PREPARE
 I'D QUIT BELGIUM
Great Streams of Enemy Traffic Are Observed Moving East Ward-Allies Hamper
 Retreat.

With the Allied Armies in Belgium, Oct. 16-There are many signs that the Germans are planning further withdrawal in the face of the steady pressure of the allies. Great streams of enemy traffic began moving last night and continued today on the roads around Courtai and Harlebeke and on the railways running north east
 Trench mortar5 and direct machine gun fire are seriously hampering the enemy transport in it's attempt to get the material away through the mud The German withdrawal con- tinues in the Lille sector, but slow ly.
 | In the southern battle area there has been fighting of minor char acter. More civilians have been res cued from towns, especially from Illus |Sy.
 Enemy defenses of grea: strength were encountered by the British. There were wire entangiements o. great depth and innumerable pill boxes, which had to be reduced
 There is an unconfirmed report that in the fighting in Flanders, Thourout has been surrounded It is not known whether there are still any guns in the place, but the .rapidity of the ad- vance Of the allies ought to mean that the town will be found in;act when it is occupied
 Allies Continue Successes.
 Throughout yesterday evening in the moonlight the allies continued tirelessly to follow up their splen- did successes in Belgium.
 At o'clock this morning Belgian cavalry patrols were reported to be within kilometer of Thielt Pre- viously cavalry was reported to be working toward Thourout
 The British were reported to be across the Lys east of Confines with their posts established beyond La Basserville
 Yesterday the Germans attacked from Iseghem and forceC the Belgian I line back to Boschmolens, but coun- ter-attack drove them to anu beyond their starting point Prisoners and guns continue to be gathered in, but there has been no time to count the latest captures
 i,2OO Left in ROulers.
 Twelve hundred civilians were found in the city of Roulers when the British and French reached the place Monday. They had been liv- ing more or less normal life dur ing the German occupation. The cor respondent says it was noticeable that the Germans had put up signs and notices in the English language, which may be an indication of the announced German intention to set up separate Flemish kingdom.
 There was an impressive scene when the place was taken. A French major gathered the rescued civilians and German prisoners around a bat tered piano in the square and as the shells screamed overhead he played "The Marseillaisc'
 Did you ever hear that hefore?" he asked the people of the city.
 The civilians cheered themselves hoarse.
 | Roulers was in good condition after the German retirement Germans Steal Food. | Definite information nas been re- ceived that the Germans removed Spanish and American rations worth 45,000 francs before abandoning Rou> lers. The civilians there ceased re- joicing over their liberation long enough to show the French troops where there were some enemy mines which were designed to destroy large part of the town. They also reveal ed the hiding places of some Germans. The Germans today resumed their long-range bombardment of the French seaport of Dunkirk, on the Strait of Dover.