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Show POWERFUL RESISTANCE IS BEING OFFERED BY RETREATING GERMANS Military Expert Declares Power of Enemy Still Unbroken and That Much Fighting Is in Prospect. By THE NEW YORK TIMES MILITARY EXPERT. (Copyright "by New York Times.) Special to The Tribune. EW YORK, Octi. 27. At the N moment when we think Germany has been roundly beaten, when her armies are in apparent flight, leaving leav-ing thousands of prisoners in our hands, with a great number of guns and a wealth of material, when we have broken through the last line of permanent perma-nent defenses and have brought the fighting out into the open, Germany suddenly sud-denly stiffens and reacts immediately against our attacks. Whereas yesterday we were fighting rear guard actions only, today we are contending with massed artillery fire supporting Infantry reactions, the entire aspect being that of two months ago. . This is what has happened since the line of the Scheldt river was reached. Just what is the answer? Is Germany badly beaten? Has the disintegration of the German army gone on apace with the popular conception? Or, after all, is it still a coherent, effective military force, still capable of sustained action? It is noticeable that while the allied gains have been very great, we have not heard a great deal of the capture of stores. Quantities of Booty Taken From Huns. In .Individual attack?, such as that along the Belgian coast, quantities of material have been taken. But in Germany, Ger-many, It may be said, reports have been silent on this feature. This would create the presumption that Germany had al-! al-! ready perfected her plans for removing a large part of them and had put the wheels In motion before the allies reached them. . As matters stand, we are dealing with a Germany who is not yet beaten down, who is still capable of inestimable harm, who is striving to make peace before her power has been shorn from her, and who is willing to resort to unexampled trickery trick-ery and treachery to obtain It. Truly, then, we must walk with measured tread. As to the military changes of the week, they have, in general, not been material. The allied drive in Belgium has borne great fruit. The Belgian coast has been entirely cleared "and the allied line brought up to the Dutch border. This was the result of one of the most decided and most rapid successes of the war on the western front. The Germans who had held the lines about Houtholst forest for-est were taken by surprise and swept back, their entire line to the coast being turned. Rapid Strides Made in Belgian Drive, Rapid strides were made in the advance, ad-vance, a great many prisoners taken and undoubtedly many more forced to intern in Holland. The submarine flotilla, flo-tilla, however, managed to escape. Finally, th Germans sought shelter behind be-hind the canal which runs from Deynze to Zeebrugge, and here the allies in this section came to a halt. Just to the south the Germane tried to halt also along the Lys river from its junction with the canal to Courtrai. The allies, however, forced a crossing of the Lys, broke Oieir grip on the river; and drove them still further back to the Scheldt. This was, in fact, the general case. As far south as Valenciennes the allies in a succession of efforts forced the Germans Ger-mans back upon the Scheldt river. As was the case in the north, however, the river crossings were all firmly held and the allies were forced to come to a halt. About midway between Valenciennes and Denain the Scheldt turns sharply westward, west-ward, while the Ecaillon, a much smaller stream which empties into the Scheldt, runs almost due south, it was along fchiSjpiver that a continuation of the line was stretched. .Here the British and American forces had been held for some days. Launch Great Attack Along Whole Front. In the middle of the week, however, these forces launched a heavy attack, which extended over almost all the front from Do Cateau to Valenciennes, and cleared a passage of the river. Scarcely was the barrier crossed, however, than another was encountered. This time it was the Little , Harpies. This, however, was soon mastered, and the Germans fell (Continued on Page Six.) RETREATING HIS MEF1M11 (Continued from Page Quo.) Back all the way to the great Mormal forest. Along the western edge of this forest Iho allies, nfler several days of hurd fighting, came to a temporary holt. The situation In the sector along the Scheldt Is one of great difficulty. Kust of that section of the .Scheldt north of TourruU there Is a mars of difficult hills, rising shurply out of n country that up 10 this point was marked by Us flatness. flat-ness. The bills rise suddenly on all sides are ,,ulte high and biidlv bioken and I fi.nirleil Tbev are cut everywhere by small streams, which wind In and mil In all direction, making this cnuntly one which Is full of good defensive positions and one Hint Is exceedingly hard to attach from the weal. On Ho- north, the Scheldt, which turn to the northeast, amply piotcels II from a flanking movement In till" direction. l)ii the south, the defensive value Is Jual as apparent. Stretching out from i ondc eastward to Moris Is the COM canal. Canal Danhs Make Military Obstacle. The I, links of Ibis canal ate bordered which form a military ohslacle of the first order Houth of this marsh 1 again Bnd I the hill country. This III turn prevents I flanking mOVimeni from the south. lh'' 1 mining of the Scheldt line al this point i does noi mejin thai the ''ill Iru line must go as tUOh I crossing cannot affect the 1 river Una nortti of Ootid 1 further south, aa has been noted, the lilies have cine up aglilnsl Ihe western bordar of tha Mormal foroat, bul this ,an he OUtfljUlkOd. , . HOUth nf L6 Catcuu there has been bul slight modification Of the battln line. The Germans are sllll holding the anglo ol the Sene anil the lilse, nlthoiigh the toady creep or tha French Is leasenlni: Ihe strength of their bold on llils Motion Of Ihe front gradually. It Is this Motion wlibh guards Mie German lines In the Champagn, and tha Hermann are cling lug to I' full knowledge or Ha lelallon to Ihe llnea further east. i,n the merlean front, north of the Argonne forest, the same general sllnn-l,, sllnn-l,, prevails. Hern the Helen lighting oT lasl week has been OOntlnUSd Inceasnnlly. 1 l,,,,, liss been more or less a steady i reap forward, but progress has been slow and espenslve, 'I I, I Hermans can bo counted upon to defend una pan or the fronl with every means In I heir posses Blou. |
