THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 October 1918, Page 6

THE WAR.

THE GERMAN RETREAT,

ITS SPEED INCREASING. . OVER TWO MILLION AMERICANS AVAILABLE. •!»- ' New Yore, Oct. 20. General Marsh reports that the German retirement, which began last week on a (iO-mile front, has now spread until it has affected all except 15 miles of the 250 miles front from the coast to the Meuse. The American army is slowly making progress north-west of Verdun against still resistance. The entire Belgian coast is securely in the Allies' hands. The Germans' retreat is increasing in speed. In four days 800 square miles have been given up. The Hindenburg defences are entirely behind the Allies. General Marsh Teports that more than 2,000,000 Americans are overseas.

STUBBORN RESISTANCE SHATTERED.

IMPORTANT BRITISH ADVANCE. London, Oct. 20. On the Oise fror.t we have completely thrown back cast of the river the right wing of the Ist German Army and are continuing the pursuit between the Oise and La Fere. We captured Ribemont and Villers-le-Sec. The lOtii Army on the Sere front attacked the Hunding-Stellung line, between Pouiily and the Sissonne marshes, and pierced this powerful fortification on a front of five kilometres, shattering the stubborn resistance and advancing 1200 metres and taking 1000 prisoners. The enemy counter-attacks west of the Barenton brook were repulsed with heavy loss. The fighting was equally severe between Sissonne and Chateau Porcien. We made important progress by local attacks, reaching the Sissonne-La Selve' road and capturing several fortified works.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

THE SELLE CROSSED.

BRITISH ADVANCE CONTINUES. London, Oct. 20. Sir Douglas Haig, in a dispatch detailing operations of the 27th and 30th American divisions operating with the 4th British Army in the last three weeks, says that in the course of the fighting they displayed soldierly qualities of a high order and materially assisted in the success of our attacks, especially in breaking the Hindenburg line on September 20, when they fought with the utmost dash and bravery and captured Bellicourt and Nauroy, Early this morning we attacked the enemy's positions on the line of the Selle river northward of Le Cateau, and crossed the river despite considerable opposition. Further north tliie advance was continued yesterday afternoon. In the evening we completed the capture of Denain and reached the general line Havelny, Wandignies, Hamage, Brillon, Beuvrv. The enemy's resistance is increasing on this front. The enemy commenced to withdraw northward of the Cambrai-Bavai road. We occupied Saulzoir, and progress was made towards Denain from the south. Northwards of the Sensee canal we have already entered Denain and reached Escaudin and Somain. On the left the Bth division has taken March ienmwi and during the past ten days, in the course of an advance of over 18 miles, they took several hundred prisoners. Further northwards we steadily continue to advance, and reached the general line Orchies, Cobrieux, Bourghelle9, Templeuve, southward of Roubaix and Nechine. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

ENEMY'S VIOLENT ATTACKS REPULSED.

Received Oct. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 20, 4.20 p.m. A Frenc'h communique states: Yesterday the enemy made two violent counter- attacks between the Serre and the Aisne, one in the region of Veneuil and the other north of St. Germain Mont. We repulsed them. The enemy during the night vigorously reacted with artillery at different points of the front.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

HEAVY FIGHTING WEST OP MEUSE. =

London, Oct. 20. An Amdrican coimmunique reports: West of the Meuse heavy infantry fighting occurred in Loges wood and heavy artillery and machine-gun fire elsewhere north of Verdun. The Americans, co-operating with the British north of Wasigny, reached the Sambre-Oise canal. —Aus. K.Z. Cable Assoc. FRENCH SUCCESSES IN ARGONXE. London, Oct. 20. A French communique says: West of Chateau Porcien we also attacked the Hunding-Stellung line, captured the ridge north of Germammont, and lhave taken 700 prisoners. The battle in the Vouziers region continued all day. On the hills east of the Aisne we captured Macquart farm and Hill 103, and eastward of Vandy we captured and passed far beyond the village of Chestres, taking 400 prisoners and ten guns. Numerous air fights occurred between the Aisne and the Argonne. where German aircraft is concentrated.—Aus. Cable Assoc.

BELGIANS PURSUING ENEMY.

London, Oct. 20. A Belgian communique slates: Our troops continue to pursue the enemy. Thcv 'have occupied Zeebrugge and [Brakes, passed the Bruges-Ghent canal, i and are maktog progress towards si#, £»M» Am of

REJOICINGS AT LILLE.

AN UPLIFTING SCENE. GERMAN CRIMES UNFORGETTABLE. London, Oct. 19. Mr. Gibbs writes: I visited Lille and saw tbe joy of hundreds of thousands of people w'iio, during the war period, have suffered tragic tilings and unforgettable outrages to their liberty and spirit. Although it was early morning the streets were thronged with well-dressed women and children and black-coated men. In tlie city's broad avenues and streets the people had everywhere draped the English and French flags, wlliich had been hidden carefully, for it meant prison for any civilian to possess 6uch symbols. They now waved from every balcony. The Germans blew up the bridges around the city a few hours before fleeing, but the British built foot-bridges, over which we entered the town. The people opened their arms in a great embrace of gratitude and love for those who Iliad helped to rescue them. It was overwhelming and uplifting. Before we had gone far up the first avenue we were surrounded by great crowds. Ladies broke through, clasping both our hands, and said: "We embrace you for j the gladness you have brought us," and kissed us on both cheeks. It was the signal for general embraces. Pretty girls offered their cSieeks, small boys pushed through and turned up their faces to kiss the soldiers, old men joined in and mothers lifted their children to be kissed. This lasted not a few minutes, but hours. Everybody liad learned a few words of English, and the greeting was constantly cried: "Welcome, Welcome! Long Live England!" Nearly 100 English people were liberated in Lille. The inhabitants of Lille will never forget the German crimes. They recall the reign of terror of Easter, IMB, when 8000 young women were forcibly sent to work hundreds of miles away. Machineguns were posted at each end of the streets, and officers ordered families to gather in doorways and made an arbitrary choice. Some were dragged out of bed screaming. Unspeakable things happened to tihem after their removal. Twelve days later 12,000 boys and men were removed. It is generally known that the Germans moved millions of pounds worth of textile machinery from Lille and the neighboring towns, and smashed what remained. It was their deliberate plan to kill the industry, but Lille to-day is a city of thanksgiving.—Au3. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

THE CITY OF LILLE.

The entry of Allied troops into the city of Lille has freed from tlie grip of the Germans one of the great cities of France. Lille is situated in a loam fertile plain, and is the centre of a rich agricultural and industrial region; it is, in addition, one of the most important junctions of the northern railway,- and has good communication by water (the Deule Canal) with the neighboring ports and with Belgium. The industries comprise chiefly the spinning of flax and the Weaving of cloth, table linen, damask, ticking and flax velvet; the manufacture of woollen fabrics and cotton spinning and the making of cotton twist of fine quality; and there are important printing establishments and State factories for the manufacture of tobacco and the refining of saltpetre, and numerous breweries. while chemical, oil, white lead and sugar works, distilleries, bleaching grounds, dye works, machinery and boiler works and cabinet-making occupy many thousands of workmen. Lille is an educational centre of some importance, and possesses a university with faculties of laws, letters, science mid medicine and pharmacy; there is also a similar Catholic institute. The old town contains (or did contain) many notable art treasures. Among these are the Paris Gate, erected in ICS2 in honor of the conquest of Flanders by Louis XIV; and the Client and Roubaix Gates, built in the Renaissance style, with different colored bricks, dating from 1017 and 1022. The more interesting buildings include the churches of St. Maurice, built in late Gothic style, its oldest portions dating from the 15th century; St. Catherine, belonging to the 15th, lGtli, 18th centuries; St. Andre (18th-century), and St. Madeleine, (end of 17tli century). All these churches possess valuable pictures. The civil buildings are mainly modern. The Palais des Beaux-Arts contains a museum and picture galleries, among the richest in France, as well as a unqiue collection of original designs of the great masters bequeathed to Lille by J. B. Wicar, and including a celebrated wax model of a girl's head usually attributed to some Italian artist of the 16th century; the city also possesses a commercial museum, an industrial museum, a fine Election of departmental and municipal archives, the museum of the Institute of National Sciences, and a library containing many valuable manuscripts. Lille is said to date its origin from 1030; in the first half of the 13th century the town, which had developed rapidly, obtained communal privileges; it was subsequently destroyed, rebuilt, and passed in turn under the rule of tlie Burgundians, the Flemings, the Austrians and the Spaniards. It was finally restored to France by the Treaty of Utrecht. In bygone days Lille was a fortress of considerable strength, and successfully withstood many sieges; in 1708, after a heroic resistance, it surrendered to Prince Eugene and the Duke of Marlborough. The population of Lille at the census of 1900 was 190,624.