The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-10-25
HUNS DRIVEN BACK
IN ALL DIRECTIONS
Flee From Belgian Coast and
Take Refuge in Antwerp.
NAVAL FORCES TAKE OSTEND
Haio's Armies Capture Douai And Lille
And Naval Forces Occupy ostend
-Anulo-American Forces Hit
South Of lie Catcau.

London.-Over front of 40 miles,
from the North Sea, in Belgium, to
Lille. in Northern France, the Ger
mans are in general retreat before the
Belgian. French and British armies.
Likewise, the enemy is being forced
to concede defeat by retrograde move
merits before the British and Ameri-
cans southeast of Cambria; under the
attacks of the French in the pocket
between the Disc and Serre Rivers
! north of Laon, and by reason OF con-
tinued strong attacks by the French
and Americans in Champagne and
along the Meuse River.
Nowhere, however, is the enemy IN
disorder. In Belgian Flanders his
steps are being fastened by reason OF
the swift drives into his lines by the
British at Lille, just south of the Bel
gian border, and by the French and
Belsians further north, which threat
ems to compel him to enter Dutch ter
ritory and face internment unless ne Is
feet enough to withdraw out of the
entire pocket between the Scheldt
River and the sea and reconstitute MS
line with it's right wing resting on Ant
werp.
Ostend, one of the famous submarine
bases on the sea, is in British hands,
Bruga, is all but captured, while to
the south from the region east OF
Roulers the AllieS forces are fast drlv-
ing toward Client in an endeavor to
seal the Western Flanders sack and
retain in its large elements OF the
enemy's forces. Strong opposition is
being offered on the Courtrai sector to
prevent the Allies from carrying out
their maneuver to the full. More than
a score of additional villages have
been liberated by the Allied troops
and numerous guns and quantities OF
stores have been captured.
In their withdrawal from West
Flanders the Germans are carrying out
a tactical movement which doubtless
will end in a general falling back of
their line in Northern France and per-
init them to materially strengthen
their resistance on a new and shorter
front. This probably will be from
Antwerp to Namur and Metz and
thence to the Swiss border, which
would still feave the Germans 80 miles
from their own border line both at
Antwerp and Namur. At present, the
center of the Flanders fighting is near
Thieh, which is about 125 miles from
AK La Chapelle, on the German Dor
der
Southeast of Cambria, over a front
of 10 miles between LIE Cateau and
Bohain, the British and Americans are
delivering violent attack against the
Germans, and at last reports they were
meeting with success, although the
Germans were savagely resisting with
machine guns and infantry and with
artillery behind their line.
North of Laon, in the sack between
the Disc and Sere Rivers, the French
are endeavoring to drive out the Ger
mans or capture them before they can
make their way eastward to Hirson.
Here also the enemy is using his ma
chine gunners and artillery to impede
the progress of the French, but further
gains have been recorded.
The greatest resistance of all, how
ever, is still being imposed against the
efforts of the French and Americans in
Champagne and along the Mouse
River, where the holding of the line
is essential to stave off a general re-
treat by the Germans all the way from
Belgium to the Swiss frontier. The
French in Champagne are still fight
ing hard to capture Bethel, but the
Germans thus far have been able to
hold this important position in their
own hands. North of Grande Pre- both
the French, and the Americans have
made further progress over the diff
cult ground. Especially severe have
been the hardships suffered by the
Americans in encompassing the nat
ural Notifications and the attacks by
hordes of enemy machine gunners
Before the Americans the Germans
are giving ground only inch by inch.