The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-19
GREAT RETREAT BEGINS.
HUNS FLEEING FROM SCENE OF
THEIR CRIMES.

OT
THEIR CRIMES.
Victory OF Belgians, Under King Al
bert, and Their Allies Forces Ger
mans to Make Hurried Retreat
From Western Part of Belgium.
With the Allied Armies in Belgium,
Oct. Is (By the Associated Press)
4.3O D. m.-The Germans have start
ed retreat on a tremendous scale
from northern Belgium, French cav
airy is approaching Thielt, seven
miles from the banks Of the Ghent-
Bruges Canal. The canal itself is only
10 miles from the border of Holland.
So fast is the enemy retreating
that the French, British and Belgian
infantry at least, in the center OF
the battle front, have lost touch en-
tilely with the enemy.
The Belgians advancing slstride the
Thourout-Brugcs and Thourout-Os-
tend roads have defeated the Ger
mans who are retreating rapidly,
This undoubtedly is one Of the
wars greatest and most vital victor
les, for the gallant little Belgian
army, ably assisted by crack French
and British troops, now has driven
the despoilers OF its country from a
large section which the Germans have
occupied since the early days of the
war and has gained position Of such
Importance that the Germans may
have to abandon the entire coast Of
Be.gium.
Moreover, the sweeping advance Of
the allied infantry, preceded by fan
of French cavalry advancing rapidly,
has left the entire area in which are
the important city of lille and the
great mining<and manufacturing dis
tricts of Tourcoing, Roubs.ix and Tour
mai, in salient which is growing
deeper every hour and which the
enemy can not hope to hold. The
French cavalry, which is on the crest
of the allied advance, has done mar
-elous work. Today it galloped for
ward more than 10 kilometers, fire.
uuently carrying out charges with all
the dash usually associated with une
cavalry upon isolated posts Of enemy
machine gunners which vainly at
tempted to hold up it's advance. Some
of these gunners taken prisoner said
they are unable to understand why
the war was going on, and why they
were called upon to continue fighting.
One officer said: 1--WE have offered
all the terms in the world for peace;
nobody seems willing to accept them.
Resistance, where it has been Dr.
dered by the enemy, has been extra
ordinarily fierce, for in these places
it obviously has been the purpose OF
the commanders of the fleeing Ger
mans to gain time in which TO remove
t!:eir materials. Stubborn fighting
has been reported, especially from
the region of Thourout. The battle
here has been from street to street
and house to house and large num-
bers of the enemy have been Killed
Some Belgian forces have swept
around the city in order to cut the
roads at the rear and also assist IN
bottling up the enemy trying to hold
out in the city itself.
Inc have pldSCN 1lie1SAAA'AN
guns in the windows of houses and
cellars and fired murderous streams
of bullets into the advancing Bel
gians but were unable to step them
The Belgians fought with dogged
determination such as only troops
fighting to regain their outraged coun-
Try could display. Nothing could stop
them.
The British following up the re-
treating Germans and overcoming
rear guards, are reported as reaching
Quesnoy and captured Linselle, along
the Lys. The ] 'gians at the time
this dispatch was filed were report
ed to be past Keyem and to have
reached positions on the other SIDE
of Cachten and Ardoye, both OF Whlch
they captured. Northeast OF Cour-
trai, Bavichove was stormed and tax
en- and the Belgians were still gong.
The Linselles position is most val
! liable for the place being northwest
of Tourcoing the allied troops are
gradually outflanking the entire Lille
salient. from which there are furth-
ec signs that the enemy is withdraw
ing. AS a matter of fact, his troops
in this salient are in an extremely
precarious position. They must get
out rapidly or face disastrous conse-
ouences. A thousand more prison
ers and many more cannon have peen
captured. The Germans at many
places especially in the northern part
of the battle area, seem to be surrend-
er:ng freely. Many more civilians
have been rescued from the towns
ecd districts captured and little pro-
cessions of these are struggling rear
ward out of range of the guns ano
cut of the way Of the fighting troops
Stories are beginning to come oach
how liberated Belgian women nave
seen their sons, brothers or nus
bands going forward into battle.
Ouite a number of civilians also
| frop, Pn111pI.C and