Bisbee daily review., 1918-10-03
VAST TRAP IS IN .BOCHE FORGE
 IN FLANDERS
Submarine Bases in Belgium in Dangerous Position; Important Rail Connections Being Captured

WASHINGTON. Oct 2.-The Ger
 man grip on northern France and Bel Fium has been definitely broken. Even
 the most cautious military observers | in Washington agreed tonight that the
 Hi7denburg line was disintegrating.
 and army officers centered their whole
 attention on the efforts of the Ger
 man leaders 10 extricate their armies
 without a crushing disaster ? Outflanked in Belgium and in the
 Champagne the great German zone of
 defense works known as the Hinden
 burg line already was becoming unten-
 able when Field Marshal Haig's men
 smashed ,hroEsh it today just north
 Of St. Quentin The immediate in- vestment of the city by French troops
 and the swift widening of the breach northward. coupled with the continued 'sn'f rr0cress Of French. Belgian and British forces in Belgium, it is thought
 here, may possibly upset the whole
 German scheme Of retirement. which already had begun on the Rheims
 front
 British penetration of the line. it
 was said may furnish Marshal FCch
 with a means to embarrass the Ger AAs ity Of precipitating a veritable rout
 Ringed by wall of victorious enc
 -nie7 over the whole front from the
 North sea to Verdun. the situation Of the Germans is undoubtedly grave. The drive in Belgium is rnenacing vif- al communications on one side whife American and French troops in the champagne are sureing forward to- ward an equally cital supply lines on tho other The battle line Is assum, ing the shape of a vast trap thrustiug its iaw out tO engulf the German armies.
 The German leaders have seen their danger Official reports to the state department today indicated that evac- nation of the submarine bases on the Belgian coast was imminent There also is conclusive evidence that the evacuation of the lines before Rheims is well under way. The question uD- nermOst in the minds of army officers here is whether the German high com mand has acted in time.
 Announcement ftTom Paris that 2 900 prisoners were taken by the French yesterday in operations between the Vesle apd the Aisne rivers is signifi- cant of the difficulty of getting troops back safely out of an abandoned fight ing line. There has been no hint 0f French attack on a large scale on this front and the Berlin statements have characterized the movement as a withdrawal Only a narrow front was involved. vet 1000 men left as rear guards, were captured.
 To withdraw the whole 250-mile front where the allied and Americ.ssl forces are charging forward day after day. will be a stupendous task. With constantly increasing superiority of numbers and gun power resting with Marshal FOch. observers here believe the retreat will be difficult beyond words. There is no possibility. it vas said. of fcrecasting what may happen.
 There are several places on the front where the situation appears par ticuiarly critical Officers said the evacuation of the Belgian coast prob ably would be forced on the enemy In an effort 10 avoid an even more seri- Ous reverse in the Lille sector. The British wing of the drive in Belgium is hammering at the vital supply lines of the Lille salient on one side while the steady advance of other British forces nOrtheastward from the posi- tiOns south of DOuai, Is aimed at the only other route of escape from the rapidly forming pocket Already the large enemy forces holding the depths of this pocket face the necessity of passing along the British front on the Lys if the best lines of withdrawal are followed
 Some officers here think the Ger mans figure that surrender of the Bel gian coast line will draw the French and Belgian armies in that direction. thus easing the strain against the Lille triangle of towns long enough to permit them to carry out a with lrawal
 To the south another critical situa- ton is developing. It seems certain 'o officers here that the German lead CTS planned Go withdraw slowly from he most advanced ground they held about Rheims. gradually strengthening and shortening their lines as they went and with the movement screened by machine gun rear guard battle.
 The British smash north of St. Quen- in, however. has opened the way to he valley of the Disc and the invest nent of Laon from the north. The all of Lafere. already encircled on