The Washington herald., 1918-09-04
FREE BELGIUM
NEARS ASHUN
Line CRACKS
Yankees and British Batter
Down Weakened Teuton
Resistance.
LILLE NEARING FALL
Complete German Rout
Along Northern Front
Now Inevitable.

ne European Wal news yNStSA
day indicated to officials that the
liberation of Belgium will be ef-
fected by force rather than by
any belated offerf rom Germany
of deliverance by diplomacy.
The general opinion among mill
tarv men of all the belligerent
natioualities is now that the cap
ture of the Hindenburg lfre
switch south of Douai is phase
of the great current battle that
Lille Is bound to fall and with
Lille the German mastery of Bel
zium. It is believed that IT is no
longer a question whether the
pace of the allied armies can be
kept up. The presnece of reserves
behind the British, French and
Americans in ample movement.
incidentally it is pointed out that
troops from the United States arc
everywhere on the nroth center
and south of the line of battle
facing the Hindenburg line. The
statement. of the United States a
Sew days ago that the Hindenburg
inc was untenable has been dem
onstrated not by the capture of
the northern end of the line but
by the carrying OF the much
vaunted irresistible Drocourt-
Oucant sector. which is the most
important fact in the operations
OF the past twenty-four hours.
Yankees Continue Advances.
The other highly significant item of
the official news to the War Depart
ment is that the American troops
have continued to advance north of
the Aisne ''in spite of strong resis-
tance OF the enemy and have taken
the village OF Terny-Sorny. In his
message reciting the exlout OF the
Americans in this sector. Gen. Per-
shing says: In the operations of
yesterday CMonday) in this region
troops captured 572 prisoners. two lC5-
calfber guns and seventy-eight ma
chine guns" The capture of guns
and prisoners shows that the Ameri-
can troops made a dash with the
tayonet and captured outright the
whole German position at Terny-
Sorny. Gen. Pershinz also notes that
the American troops are being at
tackled again west of Fismes but that
the Germans were repulsed with
losses.
The high pressure OF the battle II
still centering at and across the Hin
renburg line switch and the sector in
front OF Juvigny where the Ameri-
cans are driving ahead commen-
surately with the British on the
northern end OF the Hindenburg line.
The presence Of Amricans in the ex-
trme orth Of tn battle line seems to
dispos Of tn recent rport that Gn.
Pershing had withdrawn all his men
who had been brigaded with the Brit
ish to consolidate and unity the
whole American force in France. 1t
Is verified today that the Americans
are assisting the British and It is not
improbable that they were in the
hsnd-to-hand fighting that must have
preceded driving the Germans out Of
the Queant switch. The trenches OF
this switch are stated to be cemented
TO a dpth of twelve feet and that the
sam Is true Of the line all the way to
points opposite Rheims.
Germans In General Rout.
The bird's-eys view Of the situation
today. In the light of the general adj
vance along one united battle front, is
that conversely it Is a general rout ar
the Germans with no fixed point or
line as the prepared position to rec
tify the retreating and disorganized
units. For the present. the specific
attention Of the military observers a.
being directed to the area near and
around Lille. The British drove
against this area two years ago with n
Fixed objective. 1t was proposed then.
as Il Is now. to get possession of the
city as the center Of all German po-
tentialities for resistance behind the
Hindsnburg line and in connection
with f. The possibilities OF resistance
lay IN the use Of Lille as a railway
and tram center for supplying the
lines Of communication in the north Of
Belgium between the Germans in the
field and the cities of Ostend and Zee
brugge. Both of these have been
placed out OF commission as subnna :
rine eenters by the brilliant sx )Ioits
OF the British navy. but It Is equally
necessary to take or mask them now
to prevent the concentration o. Ger
man armies there to flank the British
noted that the British are rapidly sx-
tending the salient which they pushed
into the German lines i'm general
direction east OF Arras. Some further
extension would mean that a turning
OF the British left viii be an impossi-
othty and permit the British left to
rest In the near future proba bly, In a
line south OF the German submarine
bases II is these eonsidera lions.
oraeketed- with the-constantly increas-
lns american thrust to the south.
which warrant the opinion that the
hbesauon' OF Belgium IS not a remote
event and blythe force of arms alone.
IN rheir thrust around Douar II 4,
Mfhtag men here have ceased to
pecrlate as to the causes which have
emorsiized the German armies. They