THE BULGAR SPONGE.

Northern Advocate, 1 October 1918, Page 2

THE BULGAR SPONGE.

TURKS fctEMULOUS. COUPS (IN WEST. :[_!___ Belgians! roulers. p ' ■ PALESTJNE PUSH. ■' : ! MOUNTEDB DAMASCUS. --1 - : ■-,

During the fighting of the last three days the Allies on the West , front have made prisoner 22,000 Germans and captured 200 guns, while in Palestine the British have added 10,000 Turks to the captive fold and are now rapidly nearing Damascus.

The complete collapse of Bulgaria is the most vital section of ~' to-day's news. That country has definitely decided to abandon th« the Germans and has made {unconditional submission to the Entente , Powers. The latter will undoubtedly insist on complete disarmament of the Bulgar forces, J the evacuation by the Bulgarians of territory which they have occupied since the war started, and Entente right to traverse Bulgaria at will besides exercising full surveillance there.. . Hostilities between i the Allies and the Bulgarians terminated at noon yesterday, and it asserted that until the end of the *rar the latter will be practically? on the side of the former.

Disorganisation of the i enemy forces is becoming: mire pronounced. Following on a:i official statement that Bulgaria' has definitely decided to terminate her military alliance' with Germany and the announcement of an Austrian retreat, from Albania, is a , report that the Germans themselves are withdrawing from Roumania, in which country fK t >re is an upheaval of the population, an- - tagonistic to the Teutons. On the West front there are said to be indications of the Germans retiring from the highly important de- . fence system of Chemin dies Damss, and later news gives confirma- y '" tion of this, the French ha ffing pushed their way to the highest point« of the ridge. ' : *"■ *~ . Western "ivar news maintains its excellent character. Cambrai is so hardly pressed that its fall is a matter of time only, whilst the tightening'cordon around St. Qucntin spells the likelihood of that * position's collapse at an early date. In the Flanders offensive the Belgian-British forces hay » advanced many miles and taken Roulers from the foe. The Hind enburg Line is still undergoing the fracturing process, Sir Dougia s Haig's forces having further smashed this redoubtable defence system to a depth of two miles on an eight- ' mile front. Late accounts show that '.he Germans have abandoned the very consequential Malmaison front and fallen back behind the Ailette stream, the Frenc i making such good ute of the incident , that they' have advanced .well beyond the old lines and reached Grandecoiirt. , The Briti i Jin the North intrepidly forced their ' way across the Scheldt C i *I and captured the whole of the oppos- . ing German positions. 'Up front in this area now extends for a distance of 30 miles f ron r the Sensee river. New Zealanders have •- once again proved their < alibre by clearing Welsh Ridge and capturing Lavacquerie. , .