America's War for Humanity Part 18

The object of the French triangle, having its apex at Namur, was to break the German army in two. The British troops, as related in another chapter, were cooperating with the French at Mons. When the Belgians evacuated Namur the Germans had knocked to pieces three of the forts to the northeast of the town with howitzer fire. Between these forts they advanced and bombarded the town, which was defended by the Belgian Fourth Division. Namur was evacuated when the defenders found themselves unable to support a heavy artillery fire.

The Germans attacked in a formation three ranks deep, the front rank lying down, the second kneeling, and the third standing. They afforded a target which was fully used by the men behind the Belgian machine guns.

Some fifty or sixty howitzers were brought into action by the Germans, who concentrated several guns simultaneously on each fort and smothered it with fire.

DESTRUCTION OF LOUVAIN

At this stage of the war in Belgium an event occurred that riveted universal attention upon the German operations. On Tuesday, August 25, the beautiful, historic, scholastic city of Louvain, containing 42, inhabitants, was bombarded by the Germans and later put to the torch.

The fire, which burned for several days, devastated the city. Many artistic and historical treasures, including the priceless library of Louvain University and several magnificent churches, centuries old, were totally destroyed. Only the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, was spared and left standing in the midst of ruins.

The Rotterdam Telegraf, a neutral newspaper, declared that in the devastation of Louvain "a wound that can never be healed" was inflicted "on the whole of civilized humanity." Frank Jewett Mather, the well-known American art critic, bitterly denounced the act as one of wanton destruction, saying that Louvain "contained more beautiful works of art than the Prussian nation has produced in its entire history."

Thus when the first month of war ended, the Germans had made good with their plan of seizing Belgium as a base of operations against France and had arrived in full force at the first line of French defenses, well on the way to the coveted goal, Paris.

But poor little Belgium, the "c.o.c.kpit of Europe," ran red with blood.

SURRENDER OP BRUSSELS

_Belgian Capital Occupied by the Germans Without Bloodshed--Important Part Played by American Minister Brand Whittock---Belgian Forces Retreat to Antwerp--Dinant and Termonde Fall_.

After the usual reconnaissances by Uhlans and motorcycle scouts, the van of the German army arrived at Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, on August 20. The seat of government had been removed three days before to Antwerp. The French and Russian ministers also moved to Antwerp, leaving the affairs of their respective countries in the hands of the Spanish legation. Brand Whitlock, United States minister to Belgium, remained at Brussels and played an important part in negotiations which led to the unresisted occupation and march through the city by the Germans in force on August 21 and the consequent escape of Brussels from bombardment and probable ruin.

At the approach of the German army the inhabitants of the capital were stricken with fear of the outcome. When the Belgian civic guards and refugees began pouring into the city from the direction of Louvain, they brought stories of unspeakable German atrocities, maltreatment of old men and children, and the violation of women.

"The Belgian capital reeled with apprehension," said an American resident. "Within an hour the gaiety, the vivacity, and brilliancy of the city went out like a broken arclight. The radiance of the cafes was exchanged for darkness; whispering groups of residents broke up hurriedly and locked themselves into their homes, where they put up the shutters and drew in their tricolored Belgian flags. "The historic Belgian city went through a state of morbid consternation, remarkably like that from which it suffered on June 18,1815, when it trembled with the fear of a French victory at Waterloo.

"In less than twenty-four hours the Belgian citizens were chatting comfortably with the German invaders and the allegations of German brutality and demoniacal torture dissolved into one of the myths which have accompanied all wars.

"Neither in Brussels nor in its environs was a single offensive act, so far as I know, committed by a German soldier. In a city of over half a million people, invaded by a hostile army of perhaps a quarter of a million soldiers, no act, sufficiently flagrant to demand punishment or to awaken protest came to my attention."

SURRENDER OF CITY DEMANDED

Prior to the occupation the German commander had sent forward a flag of truce demanding the surrender of the city. This was at midnight of Wednesday, August 19. The Belgian commandant replied that he was bound in honor to defend the town.

Brand Whitlock, the United States minister, then came to the fore. He recommended to the commandant and to Burgomaster Max the unconditional surrender of the city, pointing out how resistance might bring increased misfortune on the citizens. But the military commander remained adamant until orders arrived from King Albert consenting to the surrender of the city.

Mr. Whitlock was later congratulated officially by the king for his action. Undoubtedly he had a great deal to do with saving Brussels.

HISTORIC TREASURES OF BRUSSELS

The city of Brussels, thus occupied by the Germans, contains art treasures that are priceless. The museum and public galleries are filled with masterpieces of the Flemish and old Dutch school, while the royal library comprises 600,000 volumes, 100,000 ma.n.u.scripts and 50,000 rare coins. Unquestionably the Brussels Museum is one of the most complete on the Continent. A prominent historic landmark of Brussels is the King's House (also called the Dreadhouse), an ancient structure, recently renovated. Within its walls both the Counts Egmont and Hoorn spent the last night before their execution, in 1567, by the hirelings of the Duke of Alva, the Spanish Philip II's tyrannical governor of the Netherlands, who, by means of the sword and the Inquisition, sought to establish the Catholic religion in those countries. Brussels boasts another historic relic known the world over--the equestrian statue of G.o.dfrey of Bouillon, who led the Crusaders to the Holy Land. It stands upon the Place Royale, and was unveiled in 1848.

The magnificent Town Hall of Brussels would probably have suffered destruction, together with the city's other beautiful buildings, had not the government yielded without a struggle.

HEAVY WAR TAX LEVIED

General von der Goltz, appointed by the Kaiser military governor of Belgium, levied a war tax of $40,000,000 on the capture of the capital.

Other cities occupied by the Germans were also a.s.sessed for large sums, which in several instances had to be paid immediately on pain of bombardment. It was announced September 1 that the four richest men in Belgium had guaranteed the payment to Germany of the war tax. The four men were Ernest Solvay, the alkali king; Baron Lambert, the Belgian representative of the Rothschilds; Raoul Warocque, the mine owner, and Baron Empain, the railway magnate.

BELGIANS RETREAT TO ANTWERP

After the German occupation almost normal conditions were soon restored in Brussels, so far as civic life was concerned. It was speedily announced that the Germans intended to regard the whole of Belgium as a German province and to administer it as such, at least during the continuance of the war. The Belgian army retired to the north within the fortifications of Antwerp, where they were joined by French troops, but desultory fighting against the German invader continued at many points and the Franco-British allies soon came into contact with the advancing German army.

THE CITY AND PORT OF ANTWERP

Antwerp is one of the largest, most modernly equipped and efficient ports in Europe. It is only a short distance across the English Channel, and is the head of 1,200 miles of ca.n.a.ls in Belgium which connect with the ca.n.a.l systems of Holland, France and Germany. On the harbor alone over $100,000,000 has been spent and extensions are in progress which will cost $15,000,000 more.

For the prosperity of Belgium, Antwerp is many times more important than Brussels, the capital. While the country has an enormous amount of coal and many factories and other industries, these would be of little value without the imports which enter through Antwerp.

The city has about 360,000 inhabitants. Although located fifty-three miles inland on the Scheldt River, it has natural advantages for harbor purposes which have been recognized since the seventh century. Napoleon looked over the spot and started large harbor construction.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ANTWERP AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS]

Ever since that time, according to popular belief, Antwerp has encouraged commerce. Over eighty different steamboat lines use the docks and quays. The pa.s.senger lines include boats to New York and Boston, New Orleans, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Grimsby, South American ports, Cuba, the Congo, East and South Africa and the far East.

In 1912 a total of 6,973 ocean-going vessels entered the port, and 41,000 other vessels.

Antwerp in 1870 ranked fifth in the ports of the world. Today it is believed to be second or third. Ten years ago the freight received from the inland was princ.i.p.ally by the ca.n.a.ls. Approximately 2,300,000 tons were received by rail and 5,500,000 tons by ca.n.a.l boats.

This ratio has not been maintained, but the ca.n.a.l traffic now is much larger than the rail tonnage. This gives an idea of the extensive use to which the European countries put their ca.n.a.ls, and the reader may guess the value of the city at the head of the ca.n.a.l system to the Germans.

BLOODLESS CAPITULATION OF GHENT

Historic Ghent, with its quarter of a million inhabitants, was also surrendered peaceably to the Germans, and again the energy and initiative of an American, United States Vice-Consul J. A. Van Hee, had much to do with the avoidance of tragedy and destruction.

Learning that the advance guard of the German army was only a few miles outside the city, the burgomaster went out on the morning of September to parley with Gen. von Boehn--in the hope of arranging for the German forces not to enter. An agreement finally was reached whereby the Germans should go around Ghent on condition that all Belgian troops should evacuate the city, the civic guard be disarmed, their weapons surrendered, and the munic.i.p.al authorities should supply the Germans with specified quant.i.ties of provisions and other supplies.

The burgomaster was not back an hour when a motor car driven by two armed German soldiers appeared in the streets.

At almost the same moment that the German car entered the city from the south a Belgian armored car, armed with a machine gun, with a crew of three men, entered from the east on a scouting expedition.

The two cars, both speeding, encountered each other at the head of the Rue Agneau, directly in front of the American consulate. Vice-consul Van Hee, standing in the doorway, was an eyewitness to what followed.

The Germans, taken completely by surprise at the sight of the foe's grim war car in its coat of elephant gray, bearing down upon them, attempted to escape, firing with their carbines as they fled. Notwithstanding the fact that the sidewalks were lined with onlookers, the Belgians opened on the fleeing Germans with their machine guns, which spurted lead as a garden hose spurts water.

The driver, fearing the Germans might escape, swerved his powerful car against the German motor precisely as a polo player "rides off" his opponent. The machine gun never ceased its angry snarl.

The Germans surrendered, both being wounded.

Appreciating that Ghent stood in imminent danger of meeting the terrible fate of its sister cities, Aerschot and Louvain, sacked and burned for far less cause, Mr. Van Hee hurriedly found the burgomaster and urged him to go along instantly to German headquarters.

They found General von Boehn and his staff at a chateau a few miles outside the city. The German commander at first was furious with anger and threatened Ghent with the same punishment he had meted out to the other places where Germans were fired on. Van Hee took a very firm stand, however. He told the general the burning of Ghent would do more than anything else to lose the Germans all American sympathy. He reminded him that Americans have a great sentimental interest in Ghent because the treaty of peace between England and the United States was signed there just a century ago.

The general finally said: "If you will give me your word that there will be no further attacks upon Germans in Ghent, and that the wounded soldiers will be taken under American protection and returned to Brussels by the consular authorities when they have recovered, I will agree to spare Ghent and will not even demand a money indemnity."

The news that Mr. Van Hee had succeeded in his mission spread through the city like fire in dry gra.s.s and when he returned he was acclaimed by cheering crowds as the saviour of Ghent.

THE BURGOMASTER'S APPEAL