The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-10-16
ALLIED FORCES
CROSSLYS RIVER
Capture Towns Of Menin and
Wervicu and Gather in
$4,000 Prisoners. /
POUR IN FRESH TROOPS
French Pass Sissonne, Former
Concentration Point Of
Germans.

Sweeping steadily ahead over the
lowlands OF Belgian Flanders. the
British. French and Belgian armies are
rapidly bearing away the extreme right
Hank OF the German battle line. Twelve
thousand prisoners have been captured
In two days. according to official state
ments. This would seem to indicate n
victory OF great Importance. even IL
the ground gained was not OF the ut
most Importance In the development of
the mighty allied offensive.
Allied forces have captured Menin
and Wervicq and are across the Lys
river In the neighborhood of the latter
town. There are unofficial reports that
Thourout has been taken. and II liz con-
hrmed that the British are within two
miles of Courtrai. This completely out
fanks Lille from the north. and the
Germans will probably be forced out of
that city In very short time. The
allies are now about eleven miles from
Bruges and twenty-five miles from
Ghent They have advanced In the
neighborhood OF seven miles since
Monday morning.
Fighting their way through a maze
OF barbed wire defenses and over tam
gled lines OF trenches, the Americans
west of the Meuse river are slowly but
surely cutting their way through the
kriemhilde line. They have carried
Hill 200. a height which dominates
much of the country west OF Romagne.
and have penetrated the second line OF
defense in the vicinity of Landres- -et-
st. Georges.
The battle in this area has been Of
a most savage nature. and the Ger
mans are making every effort to hold
their positions. They understand the
critical situation which has developed
there and are pouring fresh troops into
the struggle In the hope that the Amer
lean onslaught may be STAYED before
II reaches the important railroad lines
in the rear OF the German front. A
victory fer the Americans In the Ar
gonne sector would decide the fate OF
Germany on the western front and
compel general retreat by the enemy
still holds.
French and italian troops are mov-
ing more slowly along the line from
the Disc to the Aisne than they did on
when they wiped out the
greater part OF the Laon-F Fcre salient.
From all accounts It would appear that
the Germans are gradually emptying
the pocket formed when the allies
broke the lines north or st. Quentin
and along the Aisne at Berry-au-Bac.
The French however. have passed
Sissonne. formerly one OF the principal
points for German troops
IN this part OF the front. Gen. Gou-
raud's army has crossed the Aisne
west OF Rethel. and this advance would
appear to render the position Of the
Enemy further east rather perilous. AS
he progress of the French in this re-
zion continues the Germans in the
champagne sector, seem to be slowly
involved In another, pocket such as has
'ften forced rapid retirement on va
'ious sectors Of the line
Durnzzo. the most important city/in
>lbania. has been entered by the Ttal-
ans. 1t seems probable that the Aus
rians abandoned the city without a
light, being mainly concerned in maxi
ng safe retreat northward.
1t Is officially reported that Grent
'ritain has received peace proposals
rom Turkey and that her reply has
'een n demand for unconditional sur
ender to Gen. Allenby, commander OF
nc allied forces in Palestine and Syria.
Reports Of serious political strike
n bohemia and Moravia seem To con-
lrm recent rumors OF serious dissen-
ions In the dual monarchy.