The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-04

q responsibility such ms falls to the lot
of few men.
In the evening I left Spa. In Axle
Chappelle L sought out my first war
billet 1 thought of LieEe. There I had
found my manhood. and had not al
tered since. Ny muscles stiffened. 1
went back homo.
In the west meanwhile events took
the following course: The Fourth Army
completed its rearward movement into
the Hermann line (next position be-
hind the Hindenburg line) in the clos
est contact and in constant fighting
with the pursuing enemy Bruges,
Thielt and Courtrai were evacuated on
the 18th
On the goth there was fighting on
the Lys, the enemy taking the eastern
bank around Deinze. He attempted TO
force us to leave the Lys by strong
pressure between the Lys and the
Scheldt. On the 25th the fighting again
took the form of battle. in which the
enemy, attacking the Scheldt slowly
gained ground towards Ghent-Oude-
narde. Between the Lys and the
Scheldt the fighting also Implicated
the Sixth Army.
The Sixth and Seventh Armies had
abandoned Lille and Douai on the nth,
and had fallen back, in touch with the
Fouth. behind the Deule canal. in the
direction of Avelghem, Journal and
Valenciennes. On the goth the enemy
was approaching these towns The
civil population again took part in the
fighting.
TWENTY SEVENTH FORWARD
The southern wing of the 18th Army
and the Second and 18th were in heavy
fighting, the enemy attacking heavily
on the 18th and 18th between lie
Cateau and the Disc. We were forced
to withdraw the front behind the Sam
bre-Oise canal. from the district to the
southwest of Landrecies as far as the
Disc. After a pause on hes19th, the
enemy attacks extended from the goth
EDWARDS toward the north.
The enemy pressed on past Solesmes
and LIE Cateau. in the direction of
Landrecies New York's 9th and the
seth divisions were engaged, here) Our
losses were heavy, and the troops did
not fight we'll at all points. Other
troops, however, conducted themselves
magnificentiy. 1t was the. same as
ever
At first the army group of the Ger
man Crown Prince had left the left
wing of the 18th Army in its position
down the Disc at far as lie Fere. The
enemys efforts to cross the Disc were
defeated. On the goth the Hermann
line between the Disc and the Serre.
was occupied. me enemy attacked
this line in force, and violent battles de-
veloped.
The Seventh and First Armies were
attacked between the Serre and the
Aisne. In the main, they maintained
their positions, and on the 25th they
threw back a powerful enemy attack
with heavy losses.
OF GREATEST STRAIN
Again, on the Aisne, as far as You
zieres-Grand Pre-, in the Aire valley,
and towards the heights to the left of
the Mouse, the enemy was applying
strong pressure. The fighting was
heavy and costly, but did not lead to
any important changes in our line. AS
before the battle extended to the east
ern bank. without producing any es-
sential alterations here either. Fur
Their southeastwards, as far as the
Swiss frontier. the line was quiet.
On the evening of the 18th the west
ern trent was In n position of the
from the Dutch frontier to verdun. No
help was coming from home. Every
encouragement WAS absent. 1t wy,s
miraculous that the troops should fight
SO hereically.
The work of evacuation went on, in
spite of the terrific condition of the
railways.
Inc OIL lIle AIlbW
Mouse line progressed slowly. Its for
was beginning. CLIO. had
to reckon with the possibility of with
drawing the front back to that line at
the beginning of November in order
still further to shorten it. OF course,
this would be of advantage to the en-
envy also. On account of the railway
destruction, the enemy attacks in the
north would be bound to lose strength.
t. N a that thew wn1fId
not attack in Lorraine.
CA great American French attack
from the front of Nancy, aimed to
strike to the Rhine and encircle Metz,
was in preparation when Germany sur
rendered.)
ITALIAN OFFENSIVE BEGINS
In Italy, on the Gath, the Italian at
tack began. At first it was directed to
the mountain front, but from the 2sth
onward it was raging with full force
on the Paive. BY the evening of the
25th there had been no important de-
The Austro-Hungarian
front was still holding. Nevertheless.
/ expected a quick conclusion of peace
with Austria Hungary. In co-opera-
ton with the Asavarian Ministry OF
War. the first protective measures on
the Tirolese frontier were arranged.
In Serbia, General Won sKovesc found
it necessary to order the retirement
behind the Danube. There was no
change on the Danube frontier of
and on the line of the
Army beyond the Sereth.
Matters there still hung in the bal
ance
A rallying Of the German people
would in any case have improved mat
tiers. 1T Ii Impossible to say for how
long we might have continued the
struggle. The enemy morale was net
too clearly known to us. III only they
had 4 firm will, great people were not
to be defeated easily. France in 1870
1871 had proved that, rs had the Beers
In their war with England.
Winston Churchilrs estimate OF the
position is given in the Sun
day Pictorial of January IL, 1919, in
the following words:
A very little more. and the subma-
rine warfare, instead of bringing
America to our aid, might have STAYED
us all into absolute surrender.
'It was neck and neck to the very
end But because the whole nation
worked without flinching ~. we
have at last come safely through.
1.-THE more one knows about the
the more one realizes on what
small narrow, perilous margins our
success turned"
Ludendorff tells tomorrow OF the coll
lapse Of the German army and peo-
pie, revealing how the great military
machine went completely to pieces as
the armistice was signed. He inveighs
against the results of the revolution
and declares the future prosperity of
Germany can be assured only IL she
to the old ways. He draws his
own set Of commandments for the peo-
pie.