Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-01
THE WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society

MervilIe--A small town of northern
 France, six miles southeast of Haze
 brouck and IT miles west oW Lille on
 the left bank of the Lys, at it's june
 ture with the Canal-de-la-Bourre. The
 town is well-built and has extensive
 establishments for the manufacture of
 linen, velvet and starch, and also oil
 mills, breweries, sa1t-refinerieS, wax
 works, tanneries, tile and brick works.
 Cattle and grain are its principal ar
 monastery built by St. Maurand in
 674, the town was annexed by France
 in 1867. Its population is about 4,o00. Roubaix-A thriving, weH-built >in- dustrial city of France, two and a
 half miles from the Belgian border,
 and six miles northeast of Lille, on the Roubaix Canal The town is one
 of the chief seats of the French tex
 tile industry, more than 5000 peo-
 pie being employed in it's mills. Its
 rate of increase in population has been
 more than 1000 people annually for
 population of about 130,00O. In addi-
 ton to it's textiles, Roubaix produces machinery, rubber goods and beer. Beise-A small town of northern France, eight miles east of Reims and 21 miles west of Chalons, picturesque Iy situated on a high plateau between the Suippes and Vesle rivers. The town is practically the same as it was 75 years ago. it's public buildings. bus mess houses and dwellings having un- dergone no material change, and the | number of its inhabitants not having increased more than 300. Its present | population is about 1900. The spin ming of wool and cloth-working are | the chief industries.
 1 Malancourt-A small town of north ern France, II miles east of northeast of Varennes and 13 miles west of | of the Mouse, to east of the Forest of | Argonne. The town has button fac | tories and produces lace and em- 1 broidery. It has a population of about 1 1900.
 Nieunort-A Belgian town, half a 1 mile from the sea coast and halfway l between OStend and the French border. 1 The town is on the Yser River. It is | badly built and unhealthily situated | yet many people are attracted there l every summer by it's bathing facilities The town was reduced to ruins by the | English in 1888, but was rebuilt two years later, and fortified by Philip the Bold. The French captured it in 1745 | 1T92 and 1794. The famous battle oi 1 the Dunes, in which Maurice of Mas sau defeated the Spanish, was fought | here in 1900. Its lighthouse was erect | ed in 12S4. ShipbuiIding, rope and net
 making and fishing are it's chief in- | dustries. It has a, population of about l 1000.
 Dixnnude-A town in West Flanders
 Belgium, in the fertile district called | T,reyeland, fl miles south of Ostend and 12 miles north of Ypres, on the
 Yser River. It is a typical old fash toned Belgian place, which has | changed comparatively little in the last century In 1850 it's population was 3,200; today it has a few more l than 4,000 inhabitants. Dixmude is l known for its butter, cheese and beer and has an active trade in salt, horses and cattle. The citizens of Bruges l besieged the town in 15s0,s and the peo- | pie of Ghent storned it a few years l later. The French took Dixmude in 1 1647, 1858 and 1895. It's church of the I 18th century contains many famous ] works of art.