ENEMY HARD PRESSED.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13793, 14 June 1915, Page 5

ENEMY HARD PRESSED.

j PREPARING TO SHORTEN THEIR j FRONT.

PROBABLE RETIREMENT TO STRONG SECOND LINE.

GREAT WORKS AT COURTRAI

AND LILLE

(Received Juno 13, 4 p.m.)

London, June 12

The Allies are pressing the Germans so hard that the enemy are apparently preparing to shorten their line and fall back to a second line with Lille as the formidable salient. In the event of the withdrawal they will offer a tremendous defence cf the triangle formed by Courtrai, Lille and Tournai.

Twelve big guns are very strongly omplaced in a semi-circle around Courtrai. TJio forts at Lille have been rebuilt with reinforced concrete, electrified barbed wire extending for an enormous distance around.

Guns hare been emplaced at Mont St Hubert, which, lying behind'Tournai, commands the country for many miles in all directions.

The roads from Lille to Lens have been put in a state of defence and extensive field works have been constructed, suggesting that they are intended to cover a retirement.