The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-04
ENEMY GRIP
ON FLANDERS HAS
:. BEEN BROKEN
Germans Must Retreat
Quickly, Abandoning
Submarine Bases
MAY RETALIATE FOR
running OF CITIES
Allies Consider Warning
Kaiser Rhine Towns
Will Pay Penalty for
Vandalism

Washington, Oct. 3-Preparations
under way back of the lines in Bel
gium foreshadow the withdrawal OF
the Germans, at least from Flan-
ders, and the abandonment Of the
submarine bases from which they
have operated along the coast.
How far the retrograde movement
will extend cannot be foretold, but
the impression prevails in the cap
ital that an important change Is
impending.
Evidently anticipating an orgy of
destruction in Belgium by the re-
treating German armies, the United
States and the Entente Powers have
under consideration, and probably
will deliver to Germany, an ultima
tum announcing that she will be
held accountable for the devastation
wrought in the territory now oc-
cupied.
For the havoc wrought in Belgium
and Northern France similar havoc
will be wrought in the German from
tier towns. For the French and Bel
gium towns and cities burned and
devastated German towns and cities
will pay the penalty in kind. For
the countryside laid waste the Ger
man vineyards along the Rhine will
be obliterated. 1t is probable that
hereafter the German people, now eX-
periencing the bitterness of defeat,
will be made to understand that the
Tcutonic policy of frightfulness in
vitcs the application of policy Of
retaliation no less extreme.
The United States government al
ready has served notice upon Ger
many that her threats of brutality
will avail her nothing. If American
prisoners armed with shot guns are
put to death, German prisoners, who
have brushed aside all the laws of
civilized warfare, will be made to pay
the penalty. The principle involved
in the proposed ultimatum to Ger
many is the same, but it probably
will be indorsed by all the allied
governments. There is to be no COM
promise with German militarism
The State Department received a
report from a source which was not
disclosed, indicating that the with
drawal from Flanders already had
begun. Hospital supplies and equip
ment, rolling stock, post offices ano
storage houses now under the juris-
diction of the Fourth German army
have been transferred to the general
government in Belgium. The civilian
authorities have been recalled. The
' German reserves in Belgium have al
been sent to the front, and regula
tions in the coastal district have beer
attributed to the adoption of meas,
ures, the State Department report
reads, for the evacuation of the sub
marine bases on the Belgian coast
1t also is said that the naval staff al
Antwerp, under Won Gohenschen, is
leaving Antwerp.
The allied onslaughts upon the
German defensive line all along thu
western front might even force with
drawal of the enemy on d large scale
General staff officers are cautious il
their prediction as to just what NIGH
happen.
But this much is certain-and i
was made clear today by those il
authority-that there must be no re
Taxation in the military effort of th
United States. Germany is not We
beaten. Her armies have not bee,
destroyed. Only by the most heroi
effort can they be driven back of tn
Rhine and even there the tide O
battle cannot stop. President vii
son is especially desirous that tn
American people should not be mis-
led by their own optimism, nor les
sen their efforts with the idea tha
the war soon will be over.
From military point of view tn
Germans might be contemplating
sudden retreat in the territory nov
threatened by the allied armies or a
elastic retreat In both cases tn
preliminary measures would be TIL
same. It is not certain that they d
not contemplate fighting their wa
slowly backward, giving up groun
ohly Win struggle, and holding O
the aggressive allied forces as lon
as possible.
The view that prevails most genel
ally among general staff officers
that the Germans will yield no MOI
ground than they are compelled t
yield in Belgium and Norther
France. A general retreat is not e2
pected. The reasons for this is OF
vious. If the allied armies are keI
at bay the menace to German terr
tory remains more remote. The OF
cupied region serves as d prote1
tive barrier for the empire.
1t also is assumed that the Gel
mans will attempt to stand the
ground for the present, even if the