NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1918. THE OUTLOOK.

Northern Advocate, 2 October 1918, Page 2

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1918. THE OUTLOOK.

Registered for transmission through .the post as a newspaper.

The cables to-day continue to give us the best of good news from the war zones. Details are not yet to hand of the terms imposed upon Bulgaria, but there is every reason to believe that the subjugation of that country has been complete. It would, however, have suited the temper of the people better if they had learned that they Allied troops had traversed the territory of the enemy, demanding back something for the brutality extended to unfortunate Serbia. Still, as we pointed out yesterday, it was diplomatic to get Bulgaria out of the way so that a comparatively free hand might be obtained in the Balkans to deal with the Turkish issue. That freedom has practically been assured, and we have only to couple it with the remarkable successes achieved by General Allenby's forces in Palestine to gain a pretty fair impression of the Turkish position An unofficial message from New York to-day states that there is high authority for stating Turkey has asked for ail armistice, and although all messages at the present stage of ex-

citement must be taken "cum grano

salis," there is nevertheless good reason to believe that the Turks, like the Bulgars, will soon be out of the war. All along , the line the Ottoman allies of Germany have been beaten. They have suffered heavy def eata in various parts of Asia Minor end the Holy Land, and if we may accept the statement that their resources are low it is not unreasonable to think that severance from Germany will complete the ruin. If the armietice has not yet been asked for we can safely say that the request will not long be delayed. The counting of chickens before they are hatched is never a wise proceeding, but in the present instance there does not seem to be any great risk in proclaiming the early exit of Turkey from the war. With the surrender

of Turkey and Bulgaria the great

southern combination of the Central Towers will stand broken and de

Proved. The dreams of eastern expansion will be for ever shattered j.md the Austro-German alliance will have to facep without aid, the "fight to the finish" which the Allies are now forcing. How soon that great fight will terminate it is yet too early to forecast, but the events of the

last few weeks give us every en-

couragement in the belief that the Western front will ere long be final-

ly and completely broken. Since General Foch launched his great offensive there has been no cessation in the attack. At all points the Allies are winning, and positions are being taken in a few hours which previously cost months of hard fighting to attain. Correspondents in the West declare that an early retirement of the enemy from Northern France is assured, and it is to be sincerely hoped that these anticipations will be fully realised. The capture of Roulers is amongst the lastest important phases of Western fighting. When it is understood that this position controls no fewer than four railways and eight main roads it will be readily admitted that the Germans would never have relinquished their hold if dire circumstances had not forced them to surrender. The capture of this stronghold also means the domination of the Menin-Lille railway which gives direct communication with Ostend. • If, therefore, we may accept the dictum of the correspondents that German power is broken we may expect big developments in Belgium before long. It is, of course, unwise to forecast too much, lest happy calculations go astray, but the reading of the news to-day justifies a most optimistic regard of the future.