Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-03
ANTWERP A VITAL POINT.
II Captured Germany Could cripple
British Commerce.


Military men see in the German advance
on Antwerp an attempt TO seize that port
| In the interest Of the German North sea
| fleet
The ships OF the main German squadron
are believed TO be in the mouth of the
| Elbe close 20 the entrance to the Kiel
canal The Notifications OF Heligoland and
on either side Of the Elbe estuary render
the Elbe anchorage safe from attack.
These Notifications are believed to be Inn
| pregnable to ship attack
| The possession of Antwerp and Client
would put the Germans In position 20
direct torpedo boat attacks against the
mouth of the Thames and against Sheer
ness and other east coast Of England
ports
The distance from Flushing at the
scheldt mouth Ia so short that torpedo
boats could make forays on English ports.
and If unchanged could regain port be-
fore daylight.
with the advance of the German army
into Belgium and a possibility Of attack
| on Antwerp in view. military men early
perceived one Of the most cogent reasons
for England dispatching n large force TO
the continent. Antwerp is regarded as OF
almost as much Importance to England as
one of her own ports al tho Thames
mouth
The taking Of Antwerp and the utlllze-
ton of the Scheldt for effective operations
against England may spell trouble with
Holland, SAYS the New York Herald, but
If Germany can pass her torpedo boats
down the Rhine into the Scheldt it may
mean that she can find a sea outlet west
Of the Schcldt either from Belgium or
France. The entire Belgian ana north
French country is network Of canals
and the extent of the tonnage handled on
those inland waterways is hardly under
stood by those who have not actually
traverscd them. 1t is a fact that tor
pedo boats can pass from the Mediter-
ranean to the English channel without 60
ing outside, and torpedo boats are built
in the interior Of France and transported
to the north and south by waterways.
D All the heavv artillery built at the Creu-
U sot works In central France is sent for
ward to the artillery shops Of the same
q company at Havre by water.
To Germany the possession Of the north
D Belgian and north French coast means
o greater striking power at England, It
= means bringing forward the numerous
torpedo boat destrovers and submarines
l. held in leash in the Elbe and at Wilhelm
. shaver, and It may mean that after all
is said and done 1t is England that Ger
y many is aiming at even more than France
II in this great struggle.
5 The defences of Antwerp to which city
: the king of the Belgians removed HIS cap
/ ital. are the strongest in Belgium They
: were designed as the strategic center OF
s the national defense of the country and
are supposed to form an intrenched camp
for 10000 men.
!. The length of the enceinte is about min.
miles. The scheme included detached
forts, those which are on the side not
defended by inundaton being about A
mile and quarter apart and from twc
: to three miles in front OF the enceinte
= They are powerful works for a garrison
4 of about 1000 men and are intended for
i an armament of 40 guns and 15 mortars
:. Although the system of defenses was
= adopted in 1859. the present fertilization:
V We're started in 1875 when II was recog
l. nized that the old ones had become use
3 less on account of the increased range Of
r artillery and the more destructive power
Il of explosives, 1t was then decided e
a. change Antwerp from fortress to E
r, fortified position by constructing an out
a or line Of forts and batteries at distance
varying from six to nine miles from tn
n enciente. This second line consists of !
+" forts. large and small.
n Antwerp has long been regarded b.
le the English as port which must remain
Is in friendly hands. It's position opposit
le the mouth of the Thames Is too close t.
IA take chances Napoleon seized this por
4 in 1904 and undertook TO construct n grea
l. naval depot there He Is said to hav'
bat ba would mako n