St. John's Daily Star, 1918-10-14

              The St. John's Daily Star MfcuifDuttcJlant! VOLT?*' ($3.00 pet Annum) «^®*>J MONDAY, OCT OBER 14, 1918. (PRICE: One Cent.) No. 225. GERMANS HAVE SIGNIFIED WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT ALL TERMS OF MR. WILSON ALLIES GAINING EVERYWHERE British Advance Has peached Douai; Which Is Expected;To Fall Soon j LA FERE AND LAON CAPTURED AND FRENCH MENACE MOZIERES Over 21,000 Germans Captured In Latest Offensively Allies lONDON. Oct. 14.—The German battle line in France continues to bend under the attacks of the ententallies.Lut nowhere has it been broke.!. The enemy almost everywhere is* • i retreat towards new positions, but his retreat is orderly and the British, French and Americans are being com: pell.cd to fight their way forward slowly in the face ol enemy machine pun detachments acting as jeaiguards.Highly important strategic positions have heen wrested from the enemy by the British and French, while on their sector of the front the Ameriqpris have further advanced the'.r :me- on both sides of the Meuse, obtaining the objectives they sought. At Gates o. Douai. The British advance after days of hard fighting has brought them at last to fhe gates of _)ouai, which'feng has held back the British forces* from closing in upon the great bend in the line which has Lillt as lis centre and which has been considered by the military experts as .the keystone to the German defense! system through Northern Belgium to the sea. To the south th> French have blotted out both LiFere and Laon and the greater portion of the St. Gobain massif standjng in the elbow where the line runs,; eastward toward the Swiss' Wirier. - Hfre al?o thr Germans for weeks|_*ad stood fighting desperately, realizing that a successful advance by their foes would shatter all thsir military plans in the south and probably.compel a swifeir retirement than now is being parried LAON UNDER TRICOLOR French Troops Enter City and Are Welcomed With Joy by over Sixty-five Hundred Civilians, CARRY ADVANCE AWAY EASTWARD DARIS, Oct. 13.—Sixty-five hundred civilians were liberated when the French troops entered the city of Laon, it was officially stated tonight. The statement issued at tht war office says that the French have passed far beyond on the whole front between the Oise and the Ailette river. The text of the official statemen reads: Pursuing the enemy our troops resumed the advance this morning over cut-up roads which the enemy evacuated in hot haste, leaving quantities of material, shells, barbed wire and railroads intact. At 10.35* o'clock our advance guards fteafchtd the Laon- LaFcre railroad, wnere they were met violent machine gun fire, coming from Besny-et-Loisy and La Montagne, which were occupied by enemy rearguards. At 1 L o'clock ill the St. Gobain forest was cleared of Germans and the French flag was floating on the ,Laon cathedral. Our soldiers found over 6500 civilians who welcomed them with joy. "Continuing their advance, our troops debouched from the Laon forest at Samoussy, which was taken. Marchais was also occupied. LINES CLOSE IN ON DOUAI British Have Already Captured Outskirts of Important Position Held by Huns. HUN RESISTANCE MUCH STRONGER lONDON, Oct. 13.—iThe British are within a few hurfdred yards of Douai, F. M. Haig reports today in his official statement. They have captured the Faubourg dcs Quechrin, the Douai prison and the greater part c( Piers, close to Douai on the northwest., Successful Attacks With the Anglo-American forces on the Valencennies front, Oct. 12.— The British again attacked southwest of Douai this morning, stormed and took Brebieres and passed through to the; eastward. They are now within .lightly more than a mile of Douai iuel:. A stiff rearguard resistance by er erny machine gunners is being overcome.The resistance of the enemy through out the whole area north and south of l_e Cateau has stiffened appreciably, and this morning he put down a thin but determined barrage over the ent re region. It is evident the GerlnaS intend making a stand on the lin- from Valenciennes to Le Cateau crt southward. It is not believed, ho1 -ever, that the resistance will last lon »er than is necessary to cover the ret: \at which apparently has begun wei / of Douai. Dr. Lloyd is In New York N-w York. October 13th.—Dr. W. 'F. Lloyd, premier of Newfoundland, who has been in London sin* last June, arrived here yesterday* on his way home. Dr. Lloyd was called to Engl_.**if to attend the meetings of the imperial war cabinet. HUNS READY TO EVACUATE ALL OCCUPIED TERRITORIES German Government Signifies Willingness to Recall all Troops Within Its Own Borders as Preliminary to Armistice and Discussion of Peace Terms==Says Bid For Peace Represents The Wishes of all Germany. "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" IS PC°ULAR ENTENTE SLOGAN WASHINGTON, Oct. 12. —7 Germany's reply to President Wilson's inquiry, intercepted as it was being sent out by the great wireless towers at Nauen and forwarded her*; tonight in an official despatch from France, declares Germany is ready to accept President Wilson's peace terms, evacuating invaded territory as a prerequisite to an armistice, and that the bid for peace represents the German people as well as the government.Although on its face the text of the German note seems to be a complete acceptance of President Wilsonr's terms, the people of the tJnited States aad the allied countries should.be cautioned against accepting it as such a compliance with the president's demands as will mean immediate cessation of hostilities. As President wa<- in New York tonight and reserved comment on the rtrte, his views cannot be stated now cind none of his official family here in Washington card to speak for him. Without- any attempt to discount, what appeared to be at a casual reading an acceptance of the terms the president has laid down, officials hen; were very positive as not accepting the German note as a document which means the end of the war. It needs |»c examined and fully considered before the views he American government can be stated. Should Presidest Wilslbn finally decide that there i"s igh sincerity in Germany's proposal, he will transit to the Allies, as the German chancellor requested, lould be borne in mind that Great Britain, France the other entente nations must be taken into conration in making" a decision then as to whether an armistice shauld be or whether discussion :hould be undertaken to carry out the details of the application of President Wilson's peace terms. The text Itc note follows: In reply to the questions of the president- of the ed States, the German government whereby dc's the German government has accepted the terms down by President Wilson in his address of January ihe Bth and his subsequent addresses on the foundation oc a permanent peace of justice, consequently its object in entering into discussions would be only to-agree upon practical details 0+ the application of these terms. The German government believes that the governments of ihe powers associated with the government of the Id States also take the position taken by President m in his address. Ready to Evacuate Territories. German government, in accordance with the "o-Hungarian government, for the purpose of ing about an armistice, declares itself ready to _ ly with the propositions of the president in regard to evacuation. The German government suggests that the president may occasion the meeting of a mixed com' mission for making; the necessary arrangements concerning the evacuation. "The present German government, which has undertaken the responsibility for this step towards peace, has been formed by conferences and agreement with the great majority of the reichstag. The chancellor, supported in all of his actions by the will of the majority, DI?.VOJ< S'OLT THE PEACE BEGGAR Serb Forces Are at Nish Capture of former Serb Capital By Allies' Forces Near. London. Oct. 12. (By the A. P.) —Serbian troops have reached a point within six miles of Nish and are storming the outer defences of the fortress. A Franco-Serbian column is moving around tne city from the southeast and another allied force is encircling it from the southwest. Allies Take Nish Berlin, Oct. 13—Nish, the capital of Serbia, has been occupied by entente forces, the war office announced today. The official statement follows:Southeastern theatre: There has been fighting in the region of Nish. In the face of strong attacks our troops retired in accordance with orders to the heights north of the town. Nish has been occupied by the enemy. ■ -_» _■  WANT HUNS WITHDRAWN Finns Ask Huns to Remove Their Mil itary Forces Stockholm, Oct. 13—The Finnish government has asked Germany to withdraw her iroops from Finland. The request was recently delivered to General Yon Der Goltz, thc Germaan high command on Finnish territory. The republican and socialist papers of Finland have Degun an agitation in favor of an approach by Finland to the entente allies, alleging that the recent policy of the government in connection with Germany has been unneutral.THE WAR SITUATION (By J. T. M.) WHILE the governments and the diplomatic gentlemen are talking peace over the cables and through the air the armies of the allies are working for peace as hard ar.d a* successfully as they have any time during the pasr three months. If I had a choice as to who 1 would entrust the peace negotiations for the allies, I would Urow up both hands for FOCH, lIAIG an.! PERSHING face to face wiih the German representatives sitting on cam-, stools with their swords Jjing on thc table and the dust of battle on tlieir eye brows If the German armies are licked, why f.arlev **«ii 'hem? If -'-?•• are not licked keep on after them till they -ire. The al!!..s ha\c them and sho lid be allowed to finish the job before handing over to arbitration. The Hun is groggy and it only means a couple of more rounds when he will be knocked clean through the ropes by a solar-plexis punch. If he is not knocked out he may get his second wind and come back. He has sent out S. 0. S. to the diplomatic life-saving stations, and they are fitting up the boats to go out to his aid. When he gets in the boat he is just likely to throw the life-saving ciew overboard. There is only one effective way to deal with a man-eat ing tiger, and that it widi the business end of a shot gun. The evacuation of the La Fere- Laon salient has broken the enemy hold on the strongest positions he held between (the Scarpe and the Meuse. Referring to this sector in my review on Saturday it was pointed out that the French have crossed the Oise to the north of La Fere and Laon, and a hurried retreat northeasterly would appear to be imminent if the enemy would avoid a rounding up on a large scale. The German command need men too badly to risk letting a division or two fall into the allied net now, so they pulled their stakes and trecked away to the northeast. On that sector of the front the allies now have them driven from the almost impregnable positions of St. Gobain forest. North of them row is the open country, and their letreat must be made along the river Serre, and over undulating plateau between the Oise and the Serre. On their right is the allies' line which swings southeasterly from La Cateau to the Oise at Neuvillette and along the east bank of the Oise which keeps them in close contact with the light flank of the retreating and defeated enemy forces. The object of the allies in this sec tor would appear to be a determined drive easterly from the Oise south of Guise which would bid fair to place themselves" in the rear of the enemy retreating along the Serre valley between Laon and La Fere. B ythe advance o fthe Franco-American forces in the Champagne which has been making great progress during the past few days, the eGrman columns retreating from Laon sector find themselves in a wide loop md exposed to pressure on both flanks i nclose contact with them. The situation in that zone of the conflict at the present writing appears(Continued on Page 6) (Continued on Pace 6) (Continued on Page B.\ |IIIIIUIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIIIIIIII!III!!IIII!!II!IIII!IIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII|III| ■special TO THEI I LAP- ! 1 DRESS SILKS | 1 Taffeta and Mousseline 36 in* wide, W 1 SHADES : Navy,SSatxt Green, Pink,! §|V-*Rose, Champagne, Browns, White = cc and Black* ____ I THIS LINE WHICH IS OF AN| EXTRA GOOD QUALITY j RANGES IN PRICES from | | 2.70 to 5.30 yard. | | ALSO FULL RANGE j I SEALETTE I 150 inch wide. Nothing more Dressy |§ 1 and Comfortable for I LADIES'COATS | Note the price || 17.50, 9.00 to 11.00.1 I MAKE NO DELAY i SEE THEM TO-DAY (Bowring Bros., Ltd. ( llillll|ll!llllll!llllllllllllll!lllllllllllllllllllll!llll!llllllllllllllltllllllllilllllllli