America's War for Humanity Part 17

What followed was related in the House of Commons next day.

SCENES IN PARLIAMENT

Germany's reply to the speech by Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign secretary, indicating the att.i.tude of Great Britain in regard to the contemplated violation of Belgian territory by Germany was a second ultimatum from Berlin to Brussels, saying Germany was prepared to carry through her plans by force of arms if necessary.

The British government was officially informed by Belgium on August that German troops had invaded Belgium and that the violation of that country's neutrality, which the British, foreign secretary had intimated must be followed by action on the part of the British, had become an accomplished fact.

Definite announcement of Great Britain's intentions under these circ.u.mstances was expected in the house of commons that afternoon.

TELEGRAM SENT TO BERLIN

On the a.s.sembly of the house the premier, Mr. Asquith, said that a telegram had been sent early in the morning to Sir Edward Goschen, British amba.s.sador in Berlin, to the following effect:

"The king of the Belgians has appealed to His Britannic Majesty's government for diplomatic intervention on behalf of Belgium. The British government is also informed that the German government has delivered to the Belgian government a note proposing friendly neutrality pending a free pa.s.sage of German troops through Belgium and promising to maintain the independence and integrity of the kingdom and its possessions on the conclusion of peace, threatening in case of refusal to treat Belgium as an enemy." Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign secretary, had requested an answer within twelve hours.

Premier Asquith then read a telegram from the German foreign minister, which the German amba.s.sador in London had sent to Sir Edward Grey. It was as follows:

"Please dispel any distrust that may subsist on the part of the British government with regard to our intentions by repeating most positively the formal a.s.surance that even in case of armed conflict with Belgium, Germany will under no pretensions whatever annex Belgian territory."

The reading of this telegram was greeted with derisive laughter by the members of the house.

Premier Asquith continued:

"We understand that Belgium categorically refused to a.s.sent to a flagrant violation of the law of nations.

"His majesty's government was bound to protest against this violation of a treaty to which Germany was a party in common with England and must request an a.s.surance that the demand made upon Belgium by Germany be not proceeded with and that Belgium's neutrality be respected by Germany and we have asked for an immediate reply.

"We received this morning from our minister in Brussels the following telegram:

"'The German minister has this morning addressed a note to the Belgian minister for foreign affairs stating that as the Belgian government has declined a well intentioned proposal submitted to it by the imperial German government the latter, deeply to its regret, will be compelled to carry out, if necessary by force of arms, the measures considered indispensable in view of the French menace.'"

ENGLAND AND GERMANY AT WAR

By 11 o'clock that evening England and Germany were at war. Their respective amba.s.sadors were handed their pa.s.sports and Great Britain braced herself for a conflict that was felt to threaten her very existence as a nation.

CHAPTER VII.

THE INVASION OF BELGIUM

_Belgians Rush to Defense of Their Frontier--Towns Bombarded and Burned--Defense of Liege--Fall of Liege-- --Fall of Namur--Peasants and Townspeople Flee-- Destruction of Louvain_.

At 10 o'clock on the night of August 2 German troops crossed the Belgian frontier, coming from Aix-la-Chapelle, or Aachen, temporary headquarters of the general staff, and the b.l.o.o.d.y invasion of Belgium, involving the violation of its neutral treaty rights, began. Simultaneously the German forces entered the independent duchy of Luxemburg to the south, en route to the French border, and also came in touch with French outposts in the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine.

The events that followed in Belgium furnished a genuine surprise to the world. Instead of finding the Belgian people indifferent to the violation of their territory and the Belgian army only a slight obstacle in the road to Paris, as was probably expected by the German general staff, a most gallant and determined resistance was offered to the progress of the German hosts. The army of the little State was quickly mobilized for defense and its operations, while ineffectual in stopping the Kaiser's irresistible force, delayed its advance for three invaluable weeks, giving time for the complete mobilization of the French and for the landing of a British expeditionary force to co-operate with the latter in resisting the German approach to Paris.

Just across the Belgian border lay the little towns of Vise and Verviers, and these were the first objects of German attack and Belgian defense. Both were occupied after desperate resistance by the Belgians and Vise was partly demolished by fire in reprisal, it was claimed, for the firing by civilians on the German invaders. The subsequent bombardment and burning of towns and villages by the Germans were explained in every case as measures of revenge for hostile acts on the part of non-combatants and intended to prevent their occurrence elsewhere by striking terror into the hearts of the Belgian populace.

Whatever the pretext or the excuse, the historical fact remains that the result of the German progress toward the Franco-Belgian frontier const.i.tuted a martyrdom for Belgium and gained for the plucky little kingdom the fullest sympathy of the civilized world.

[Ill.u.s.tration:--From the Literary Digest BELGIUM--THE FIRST BATTLEFIELD OF THE WAR

The map shows the more important railroad lines connecting the cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Namur and those of Northern France. Paris is 200 miles by rail from Brussels and 190 from Namur.]

THE ATTACK ON LIEGE

The ancient city of Liege was attacked by the German artillery on August 4. The town itself was occupied, five days later, but the modern forts surrounding it continued for some time longer to hold out against the fierce German attack. It became necessary to bring up the heaviest modern Krupp siege guns in order to reduce them.

Amidst all the plethora of events which crowded themselves into the first few days following the outbreak of the war, none was more remarkable than the Belgian stand at Liege against the German advance.

The struggle round Liege bids fair to become historic, and the garrisons of the Liege forts when they looked out fearlessly from the banks of the Meuse on the vanguard of the German host, and took decision to block its further progress, proved their claim once again to Julius Caesar's description of their ancestors, "The Belgians are the bravest of the Gauls."

THE FALL OF LIEGE

News of the fall of Liege and the occupation of the city by German troops was received with great rejoicing in Berlin on August 8th.

Dispatches received at Amsterdam from the German capital said:

The news of the fall of Liege spread with lightning rapidity throughout Berlin and created boundless enthusiasm. The Emperor sent an aide-de-camp to announce the capture of the city to crowds that a.s.sembled outside the palace.

Policemen on bicycles dashed along Unter den Linden proclaiming the joyful tidings. Imperial Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg drove to the castle to congratulate the Emperor on the victory and was enthusiastically cheered along the way.

PEASANTS AND TOWNSPEOPLE FLEE

Following the fall of Liege came a number of sanguinary engagements in northern Belgium; the unopposed occupation of Brussels on August 20, and a four days' battle beginning on August 23, in which the Germans forced back the French and British allies to the line of Noyon-LaFere across the northern frontier of France. In the northern engagements the Belgians gave a good account of themselves, but were everywhere forced to give way before the innumerable hosts of the Kaiser, though not without inflicting tremendous losses on the invaders.

The retirement of the civilian population before the advancing ma.s.ses of the German army was a pathetic spectacle. It was a flight in terror and distress.

On Tuesday, August 18, the German troops surged down upon Tirlemont, a town twenty miles southeast of Louvain, around which they had been ma.s.sing for some days, presumably by rail and motor cars. The stories which had reached the inhabitants of Tirlemont of the happenings at surrounding towns and villages had not added to their peace of mind, and soon the moment for flight arrived. All kinds of civilians set out towards Brussels and Ghent for refuge. At times the road was full of carts bearing entire families, with pots and pans swaying and banging against the sides as the vehicles b.u.mped over the roadway. The younger women, boys and menfolk who had been left in the towns and villages fled on foot. Priests, officials and Red Cross helpers mingled with the crowd. This stream of unfortunates uprooted from their homes was thus described by an eyewitness:

"These ma.s.ses of broken-hearted people moved silently along, many weeping, few talking. With them they brought a few of their possessions, as pathetically miscellaneous as the effects one might seize in the panic haste of a hotel fire.

Ox wagons, bundles and babies on dog-drawn carts or on men's backs, bicycles and handcarts laden with kitchen utensils, all mingled with the human stream. Here were to be seen sewing machines, beds, bedding, food, and there a little girl or boy with some toy clasped uncomprehendingly in a dirty hand; they also knew that danger threatened and that they must save what they held most dear. And even among these unhappy people there were some more unfortunate than the others--men and women who had no bundle, children who had no doll. All the way to Louvain there flowed this human stream of misery. Back along the Tirlemont road rifle firing could be heard and entrenchments were to be seen in the town itself."

These scenes between Tirlemont and Louvain were typical of those on every road leading to the larger cities of Belgium as the inhabitants fled before the approach of the dreaded Uhlans.

FALL OF NAMUR

On the afternoon of Sunday, August 23, the fortress of Namur was evacuated by the Belgians, and the town was later occupied by the Germans.

The fortress was said to be as strong as Liege and it owed its importance in the present war to the fact that it was the apex of the two French flanks. One ran from Namur to Charleroi and the other by Givet to Mezieres.

Warned by their experiences at Liege, the Germans made most determined efforts against Namur. From the north, south and east they were able to bring up their big guns unhindered, and by a.s.saults at Charleroi and Dinant they endeavored to break the sides of the French triangle. Namur finally collapsed but clever strategy enabled the French to fall back upon their main lines.

The fall of Namur, nevertheless, was a decided blow to the allies. This was admitted by the French minister of war, who said at midnight Monday, August 24, of the failure of the "Namur triangle":

"It is, of course, regrettable that owing to difficulties of execution which could not have been foreseen our plan of attack has not achieved its object. Had it done so it would have shortened the war, but in any case our defense remains intact in the face of an already weakened enemy. Our losses are severe. It will be premature to estimate them or to estimate those of the German army, which, however, has suffered so severely as to be compelled to halt in its counterattack and establish itself in new positions."