WESTERN THEATRE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1918, Page 6

WESTERN THEATRE.

BRITISH ADVANCE

AN OFFICIAL REPORT

LONDON, October 17

Sir Douglas Ilaig reports: In a successful local operation in the Sella Valley, v,-e captured Ha ussy.

The enemy continue? his withdrawal on the Douai-Lillo front. We are closely following and have reached a general line from Sicnits to Carvin, Lc Ittarair, Maugre, and Canighnme.

There lias been sharp fighting between tlie enemy rearguards and om" advanced detachments. We took

prisoners. The Second Br't ; «h Army, under General Plumer, co-operating with the Franco-Bel<rians, has advanced oio-ltt miles in the past three days. DurinT this period, despite stroncr rpp-s : tion. this army captured P-.Tiine c i. Werevicq, Menin, Wevelghem, Heule, Cverney, and secured northern positions at Courtrai. The Uty bank of the Lys is now cleared «« t enemv as far as north-east of T-Tarlebeck.

To-dav Ave crowed the l' r s between Amientieres and Menin. T.n the towns and villages captured bv the Second Army, many • irilja.ns were freed.

Over fmr thousand of the enemy were taken prisoner?., and upwards of 150 guns captured. Our airmen dropped ten tons of • I Anii.-s on ra,ii..:;"S and hostile centres. ROLLERS PLUNDERED HP.fl.iV VILLAGES STRIPPED. LONDON, October 16. The Havas Press Agency on the Hnnrlers front states that numerous German prisoners were found carrying nrr>pertv, looted from Holders ~4' elsewhere. They declared that thrv did this by the actual ordersof their officers, whom they named. Five of the latter wore taken prisoner., at Holders P.nrl were arrested. The demanded an interview with the Corns Commander, but the latter refund to me them, saying that lie would hare no relations with thieves. The arrested oncers will be court mnvtVLx!

Everywhere before the victorious Allied advance tlie Germans removed Hie civi i; ans from the Belgian vil '.njw, which they then stripped bare.

IN LAON

CITIZENS DEPORTED

LONDON, October 16

51. Penis writes: it is incorrect to sa.y that the Germans took hostages from Laon during the retreat. Twenty four inhabitants, including twelve women, were deported in January and interned on the pretext that France had acted similarly in Alsace, but these were returned to Laon, cr repatriated to France in April, in accordance with the Berne agreement.

The Mavor of Laon was removed on Saturday, not as a hostage, but ostensibly to give an account of his stewardship of the American Belief Committee. It is evident that the real reason of his removal was to prevent him speaking to his oounIrvmen.

Three hundred mobilisable men Wf .,--. alw taken.

The American Relief Committee alone prevented actual starvation at Laon.

MILITARY SITUATION

AN EXPERT'S REVIEW

LONDON, October 1G

General Maurice writes: The military situation is extraordinarily I'uv ouiuble, but he does not ..see any likelihood of another and greater Sedan. Sir Douglas Haig's victory en the Bth 01 October compelled a German withdrawal to the HuudingKriemhilde line, just as his victory of the Bth of September compelled a withdrawal to the Hiiidenburgline. The second, retieat, however, is not yet complete. The Americans northward of Aer,hm ara breaching the Kriemhilde line. The French rt Sissone are breakin-' in the Kunding line. The British at Le Cateau and CONVERSATION ON "BAXTER'S." Crs>tnmp.r: A Isr-o 2/ bottle of Baxter's T.'ir! Pi>.;(.)-i-. v , please. H.p-nist.: T nm s- r;v. nr'd.T" but we , , r ,t nhtr.'n <lv> large size. Will you fc-..V« -i ■xir.ll bottle? rrFtomer: T pre to- f-m Inrcrc bottle Wonse it. is pwr n*n««vnvT.l. I nlwnys ljl.-o to }: c "T-iiv!—.':;"'' l-.nndy. rr \if. Cl-«-n : ?t •■•"-= "'n prror. "B-rterV' ; s readily obt"im.hlr i' l hn*tio ß . Vnnr Chenr'st or Ptoiekerp-r can easily get the larger size for yon. Advt.

Sjlcsnies are meiiaoinj* the northern extension of the Hunding system.

On the whole, however, the German withdrawal is being well carried out. There is no sign of their fighting spirit Eeing broken, though it has ostensibly weakened. The enemy's delaying actions, together with their utilisation of their ninny railways, which are are not shown on ordinary maps, make Sedans difficult of accomplishment. Meanwhile Marshal Fooh's power of attacking is everywhere daily increased.

IN FLANDERS

ENEMY RETREATING

LONDON, October 16

The enemy is retreating southwest of Lille, west of Can-in, and also immediately west of Lille, where Ave have readied the outskirts of Hauberdin. In Flanders Ave have captured Hulsts'and Ba.vioh.eve.