SPLENDID NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 October 1918, Page 5

SPLENDID NEWS.

WESTERN FROM. _ i» FEENCH PEOGEESS EAST OF ST. QUENTIN. LONDON, October 10. A French, communique reports: Our pursuit continued during the night east of St. Quentin. "We occupied Landricourt Wood and passed Beautroux and Fontaine Notre Dame. North of the Aisno we vigorously pressed the enemy east of Ostel. We hold the plateau of Croixsant. We crossed the Aisne Canal farther eastward in the neighbourhood of Villers en Prayeres in the Champagne. A vigorous attack enabled us to capture Liry. BKITISH VICTORY COMPLETE. LONDON, October 10. Mr Robinson writes: Our success is complete. We are, garnering the fruits. The enemy is Tapidly retreating on the Le Cateau line and we are pressing on his. heels. We; reached the village of Bertry at noon to-day, . nine miles from yesterday's starting ( point. Between here and Cambrai the enemy vainly attempted to stand on the railway. Elsewhere he is' blowing 'u#-the -railway and burning depots and sWres: ' South of Bertry we cut. the line, destroying the hopes of a temporary stand which is now impossible 'this side of Le Cateau, The enemy planned to retreat under our pressure, but we struck top rapidly, capturing thousands of prisoners arid many guns and material before his prepara-. ' tions were complete, and preventing the completion of the destructive programme. Many villages are falling into our hands intact, releasing thousands of French* citizens. Canadians and British eentered Cambrai, north and south. Numbers of German soldiers were __ in hiding, but did not attempt to fight. Yesterday explosions reduced the town to ruins. Fires due to the explosions rare still burning, but our troops are extinguishing them. Further mine explosions are possible. The enemy exploded the canal bridges, but we crossed easily. Many civilians remained hiding in the cellars and were beside themselves with delight, kissing and embracing anybody in khaki and telling their experiences to any listener. GERMANS' RAPID FLIGHT. LONDON, October 10. Reuter's corespondent at British Headquarters writing on the 10th, says: The enemy's withdrawal between St. Quervtin and Cambrai yesterday was so rapid that our patrols were scarcely a,ble to maintain touch. Last night this swift retirement steemed to be continuing on the right, but machinegun resistance stiffened on the left. Airmen report remarkable confusion of troops and transport moving eastward from Le Cateau.

Tie prisoners include a large number of stunted and wizened creatures. All are aware of the proposed armistice but are indifferent to the outcome, but thankful to be out of it. The prisoners' appearance suggests that some divisions are practically reduced to the point of inefficiency. Regiments and battalions are universally reduced

Prisonered officers hint that this is the beginning of a big German retreat. Guns and airmen did splendidly. It was a magnificent spectacle to see our guns shelling the whole lino and fleets of aeroplanes hovering.y incessantly overhead. The enemy artillery hardly gave any evidence of its existence. £3 GERMANS' EARLY COLLAPSE EXPECTED. PARIS, October 10. Militarists agree that Ludendorff anust immediately face a deep retirement and a severe contraction of his front.

Germans Retreating at all Points. Many Villages and Prisoners Taken. THE HUNS BADLY HUSTLED. Guise and Laon Threatened ALLIES WELL PAST LE CATEAU.

The Matin states: With the Turks and Austrians refusing to continue to fight, coupled with the striking symptoms of the demoralisation of the German troops seen during the last few days, it is evident that the Hohenzollerns' resistance will soon collapse. President Wilson's Note is so worded as to create the maximum disorder and discord in the enemy's ranks. BRITISH USE DEVASTATING GAS... LONDON, October 10. The "Western Morning News" states that the British are using a most devastating mustard gas. It penetrates the enemy clothes, "which are inferior in quality owing to the shortage of rubber. This has partly accounted for our rapid progress. We are giving tEe Germans in intensified form the medicine lie exploited. . LE CATEAU CAPTURED. VANCOUVER- Oct 11. The British advance iias reached aa average of ten. miles. They have captured Le Cateau. The line runs: , Se'lle River-St. Eoulet-Solmes. '"' The French east of St. Quentin have advanced four miles. They captured Servais. A wireless German official states: In the face of strong infantry attac&B in the direction' of Le'Cateau we retired, fighting step by step}' towards new positions. ■■■"-. ••■'

The Franco-Americans' main thrust oh Wednesday between the Aire and the Meuse was directed against- Sommrance and Romagne. Both' remain in our hands. .'■

Fifteen to twenty blocks are in almost complete ruins. The bridges over the Oscaut were blown up, but British engineers are building temporary crossings. The Germans ordered the evacuation on the 6th, 7th and Bth, midnight of the Bth being the latest possible date.

The Cathedral "and Church of St. Herbert were used as observation posts. The Cathedral tower suffered from shells and looks ready to fall.

Twenty fires have been counted. In some cases where the windows were not broken the curtains behind were burning, indicating deliberate arson

PARIS, Oct 10. The Allies have prisonered 20,000 in two days. Fifteen thousand were taken on the Cambrai-St. Quentin front. GREAT BATTLE RAGING EAST OF CAMBRAI. HUNS EVACUATING CHEMIN DES DAMES, Received 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, October 11. A great battle is raging on a thirty mile front east of CambraL After little enemy resistance the Allies entered Grandpre, on the river Aire, in the Argonne. The Germans are evacuating Chemin des Dames. They have also began the evacuation of the St. Gobain Forest.

We recaptured Sivry, eastward of the Meuse. CAMBRAI DESTROYED BY MINES. LONDON, Oct 10. There is -evidence that the mines under Cambrai were set with a time fuse and intended to kill as many as possible. An explosion last night wrecked tno centre of the city. The flash and the roar could be seen and heard for miles. The centre, however, had already been thoroughly destroyed by the recent fires.

TtfE POSITION IN BELGIUM. , AMSTERDAM, Oct 10. It is reported that the fortifications around Antwerp have been enormously strengthened. The Germans are feverishly entrenching two sides of a triangle with its apex at Termontie and bases at Antwerp and Brussels. FRENCH REPORT. IMPORTANT ADVANCE EAST OP ST. QUENTIN. | MANY TOWNS AND VILLAGES | TAKEN. i WITHIN FIVE MILES OF GUISE. SOLID PROGRESS IN CHAMPAGNE Received 9.20 a.m. LONDON, October 11. A French communique, issued at 4 a.m., reports: East of St. Quentin our troops, closely maintaining contact, continued to pursue the enemy, whose rearguards are resisting severely. We advanced sis kilometres at certain points and carried the lines to the east of Seboncourt, the outskirts of Bernoville, east of Montigny-En Arrouaise, and Bernot. We occupied, numerous villages, including Fieulain, Neuvillette, Regny, Ohatillon-sur-Oise, Then--elles. South of the Oise we captured Servais and took prisoners. B'etween the Ailette and the Aisne the pressure of our troops, assisted by Italian units, oprating on both sides of Chemin des Dames, forced the Germans to retire beyond the Oise Canal. Notwithstanding violent machine-gun-ning we captured Reaune Chivy, Verncuil, Courtonne, Bourg, and Cemin.

Simultaneously crossing the Aisne east of Veuilly, we drove back the enemy, northwards and occupied Pargnan and Caurieux. Farther east we attacked strongly north of Berry au Bae. and gained ground, taking prisoners. In the Champagne the enemy, exhausted by incessant and severe fighting since September 26th on the front, the German Fourth Army began this morning to retreat in the direction of the Aisne. Our infantry is hustling rearguards, who are attempting to arrest our advance?! We passed villages of Liry,'Monthois, and Challerange-and reached the outskirts of , : Mont St. Martin iand St. Morel. Farther on the right we. crossed the Aisne opposite Termes, which we hold.' We occupied the station Grandpre. There were numerous prisoners taken. Despite the fog on the ; ninth, our observing aeroplanes made numerous reconnaissances far in enemy territory. Great concentrations of troops were reported, and wore attacked by massed squadrons of aeroplanes, who dropped thirty-three tons of bombs and fired thousands of cartridges with successful results on troops and convoys. During these operations twenty one enemy. machines were brought down. The fog was denser at night, when only 5| tons were dropped on various stations. •'■;...

AMERICANS MAKE PROGRESS IN ARGONNE. TWO BATTALION STAFFS Received 10.5 a.m. LONDON, October 11. At 4.30 a.m. this morning ian American report was issued as follows: On the right bank of the Meuse, the French, fighting with the First American army, continued to advance and valiantly withstood counter-attacks. The heights eastwards of Scvery have been cleared of the enemy. On the left of the Meuse we stormed Cotedamemarie. After severe fighting further westwards the enemy has been driven from the Argonns forest, and we have reached the line Sommerance Marcq-Chevieres, and opposite Grandpre. We prisoncred one thousand, including two complete battalion staffs. SPLENDID AIR WORK. Received 10.5 a.m. LONDON, Oct 11. The Press Bureau Teports: The Independent Air Force on the night or the 9th heavily attacked railways at Mezieres, Metzablon, and Thionville, and aerodromes at Friscatz and Morhange. Good results were observed at Mezieres. Five direct hif« took place at Metzablon railway station, and a fire was caused. There were two direct hits at Thionville railway, and four at Karlsruhe works. A total of 121 tons of bom'bs was- dropped. The airmen again heavily attacked Metzablon to-day. Five direct hits were observed.•

SPLENDID BRITISH PROGRESS. MUCH VALUABLE GROUND GAINED. Received 10.15 a.m. LONDON, Oct 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We resumed our advance at dawn on the whole battle front, and are rapidly progressing at all points despite tne efforts of the enemy rearguards to Hold us up. We are approaching tne large woods eastward of Bohain, anfl

have entered Vaux Aadiony. Northward of that place we reached tne general lfffe of the Selle River from Souplet to the neighhourhood of Solesmes, and captured Le Cateau. Wesrwards of Solesmes we captured Avesnes, Frieux, Thun, and St. Martin. Westward of the Canal Delesca'ut we have taken Etrun. In the towns ane villages captured to-day a num'ber of civilians were found, including 2500 in Caudry. South-eastward of Lens we further progressed, and captured Rouvroy,

Haig's aviation report states: "Lowfliers, with bombs and machine gun fire caused destruction and confusion in the columns of the Tetreating enemy. We bombed railway junctions at Mont Valenciennes and Lille, securing direct hits. Nine British machines are missing. Night-flying jb impossible. THE RECAPTURED VILLAGES. BRITISH RECEIVED WITH DELIGHT. Received 11.50 a.m. LONDON, October 11. Mr. Gibbs writes: The earlier reI ports of explosives iand damage at Cambrai prove an exaggeration. The fresh damage is not extensive. British have now taken for the firsts time understocked villages after traversing forty miles of a belt wherein not one house remains intact. Beyond Villers Outreaux we found a clean country, ploughed fields, good roads. The inhabitants, still in their shops, try to give utterance to their inexpressible gratitude for deliverance. We found five hundred civilians in Sevigny, though all the males between sixteen and sixty bad been deported. They told how the German stole everything valuable from farms and houses, even- the curtains and linen. They killed the fowls or fined the owners if the fowls did not produce enough eggs. The Germans requested milk, butter, and vegetables. They even took lard and fats from the International Relief Committee's stores. The Germans ordered them to flee at the British approach, but the people refuged in the cellars while the Germans looted the houses and smashed the furniture. A priest at Sevigny states he saw bombs affixed ""-to a church one. day, but he crept out .at night and cut the wires, and the church wa° saved* ... r { GERMANS RETIRING NORTH | OF SCARPE. Received 11.30 a.m. LONDON, October 11. The Germans are, retiring from north of the Scarpe to the Meuse. The French have captured Bertricourt. The Italian shave captured Troyon south of Laon. ' The French are menacing Guise. The Allies have completed the conquest of the Argonne forest area. BRITISH CAVALRY IN ACTION. LONDON, "Oct 10. The Germans expected to spend, a fortnight retiring towards Douai, ana" a fortnight reaching the defence* line on the Oise. The loss of Cambra* has upset the plan of a gradual withdrawal. British cavalry were definitely m action on Wednesday beyond Bertry, while the infantry were marching in fours through Bertry. This is Oiicof the most remarkable sights since the Germans first overrun the northern areas. To-day, reports show that the Anglo Americans are still rolling up the tattered Germans before them. The whole battlefield was aflame last night when towns, farmhouses, and also quantities of stores were being destroyed. HAGUE, Oct 10. In view of the military developments in Belgium, all leave of Dutcn soldiers has been suspended, AN ALLIED CONFERENCE IN FRANCE. Received 12.5 a.m. I LONDON, Oct 11. j The Press Bureau reports that trie ' Premier, Bonar Law, 'HorS. '• TvuBSPt Cecil, with the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, returned from a conference in France with M. Clemenceat*, Signor Orlando, M. Pichon, Signor Sonneno, and Allied naval and military advisers, i ■""■"-"■"■" I KING'S MESSAGE TO THE I TROOPS. Received 12.5 a.m. LONDON, Oct. 11. The King sent the following message to Sir Douglas Haig: "The magnificent advance of the armies under your command, powerfully supported by our American comrades, and opposed by the retreating but stubborn foe, j and against the most formidable de- ! fences which human ingenuity and ; strength could devise fills me with admiration, pride and gratitude. These ' sentiments will be shared by the people of the Empire. I n their name and from my heart I congratulate you and i all ranks." •