The Sentinel=record., 1918-10-17

prccarious position They must ger
out rapidly or face disastrous con-
sequences.
y thousand more prisoners ana
many more canon have been cap
tureI The Germans at many places,
especially in Tie northern part Ct
the battle area seem to be surrender
ing freely Many more civilians nave
been rescued from the towns and dis
triets captured and little professions
OF these are struggling Iearward out
OF range Of the guns and cut OF the
way OF the fighting troops STORIES
are be inning to come back how lib
Grated Belgian women have seen their
sons brothers, OF husbands going forth
in battle.
quite a NUMBER of civilians have
been rescued from Roulers and it's
cnvirons. the Germans having lett in
such a hurry that they had no time to
evacuate the civilians Who wanted to
stay and take a chance Of being libet-
.ated Today these men, women and
hildren are again walking on the
free soil Of France.
The Germans aIpear to be maHAs
streuous efforts to save their munit-
ions ana equipment ami their mater
ial, the accumulation of four years
from the coast districts Of Belgium.
The roads behind the Germans are lit
tered with all sorts OF transport and
allied aeroplanes are again payin5
havoc with the retreating enemy
The weather today was cloudy but
thus far no more rain has fallen. How
ever, Flanders is mud from one end
10 the other and this condition makes
movement difficult for the allied
troops. The ooze anl soft ground
make it double difficult for the enemy
to move back Therefore, the allied
soldiers have put up with great hard
ships for they realize that they have
the enemy on the run in the most vital
section of the west front and do not
desire to let him have a chance 10
reassemble his tattered units.
Outside Courtrai the infantry has
progressed about three miles ana here
have Deen compelled to fight their
way forward for the Germans had or
ders to hold on to the last and they
did So Not many Of those who had
been stationed with machine guns to
try to hold up the advance OF the al
lied troops managed to escape. Nir-
tually all were killed or wounded or
are prisoners
! AT the Thielt positions the French
cavalry mas begun to come into d
country where the ground and roads
are harder allowing them to operate
more freely 1t is through this gap
that the Germans throughout the en-
tire Belgian coast system must 60
if they wish TO save themselves pro
yiding, Of courese, the advance con-
tinues. incidentally, every yard of adj
vance here narrows the enemy's es-
cape gap.
, 1t would seem is the weather holds
out long enough and the advance con
tues at the present rate of speed, the
Germans soon wiwll have lost control
of great stretches of Belgium espec-
tally the coast (which is important for
submarines, aside from stretches OF
northern France from where, all rules
Of tatics and strategy demand they
must evacuate as being outfanked
I, with their lines turned So far as is
known the Germans have not any
formidable lines in their rear wwherc
they can find refuge,
! Moreover, the German high COM
mand is not in a position to send re
inforcements Of any consequence to
Fladers, as they are all needed and
fully occupied elsewhere along the
front
Y The Belgans, British and French
count among their prisoners the entire
staff OF a crack German regiment in
cluding the colonel commanding what
: has become Of the German infantry in
the center of the battlefield is not
known. All that is certain is that the
advancing allied troops have not en-
ccnntered any in some hours.