New-York tribune., 1914-10-11
England's National IN. honor
involved, Says "The
Daily Mail"
LITTLE ADVANTAGE
TO GERMANY SEEN
Merely a Spectacular Success
According to "The Daily
Chronicles" Opinion.

Landau oct. 10. "The Daily MAI
od;,or,al saws: with Great Britain
and France it rests to see thaV ne'
GUM is avenged. Seeing that she mas
pot besn succored, our national hohoi
is involved. Every shell hurled INV
Antwerp must make fresh ana p"S
sionate appeal to the fighting sp''e -
our race to be up and doing NJ De'
GUMS behalf in the cause when ''
also the cause Of human freedom
"Tbe Morning Post" editorial says.
"It IS with profound regret that W
hosr of the fall of Antwerp after w
yaIlant defence. It is Impossible hue
Guatelv to express the sympathy OF our
countrvmen for the Belgian people ~
his calamity. That sympathy can oe
made practical only by increased eN
tions for the prosecution OF the w.
and the delivery of Belgium from "''
invaders" .,.., oor,e.
spondent says: A,.,vorn
which is announced this morning. goes
not come as surprise. For some uay.
it has generally been recognized tnas
tho situation was serious, and grave
doubts were entertained as to the capa-
bilirv of the garrison to resist the
German attacks and the civil popuia'
tion TO endure the horrors OF pom
bardment. This crowning disaster 20
the unhappy Belgians, who nave prayer
their part so nobly, is not OF WA,
military Importance, II, as IL Is sum
nossible 10 hone. the Belgian army mas
made good its retreat, though the
woral effect is unfortunate. The Ger
man force which will be released prop
ably will be of no great account IN the
"The Daily Chronicles" editorial an
ticipating the fall of Antwerp says: It's
fall will not affect the fortunes OF war
strategically. Its possession would not
benefit Germany. It's capture would De
merely spectacular success, when
might console Berliners for the failure
70 take Paris. but it would have no mill
tary significance. 1t could have no bear
ing. for instance, on the protracted pat
tie now being waged in Northeast
France.
"If Antwerp should fall we shall de-
plore it, not because it would be Ger
man military triumph, but because 1t
would be a hard, bitter blow TO our de-
voted ally, Belgium. Though Antwerp
may fall, Belgium will rise from her
ruins. Let il be our sacred duty as
British nation to assist Belgium IN ner
sorrows and enable her to rebuild her
shattered national life"
"The Times" editorial says:
The reasons which led TO the attack
upon Antwerp are now becoming PLAIN.
The Germans were at first content TO
leave Antwerp alone, because 1t ala NOT
stand upon their main line of communl-
cations, but still more because they
needed all their strength further south.
The gradual but steady resumption Oh
the offensive by the Belgian field army
compelled them TO mass large forces
against it. They had always meant to
subiugate the fortress, but thought they
could do so at their leisure when Paris
and the French were disposed OF. More
over the sudden stoppage OF their ad-
vance on Paris led them to face the
prospect of a winter campaign IN BEL
GUM, for which the possession OF Ant
werp becomes essential.
"A change at Antwerp could have
little present direct effect upon the
general military situation. II it re-
leased tNe NtTmhU lIoOpS WhiSh WIZ
attacking Antwerp it would also place
in the field an equal number of troops
on the other side. The Germans can
at best only obtain an empty seaport,
from which they can maintain no COM
munication with the outside world.
"The British navy will see to it that
they make no effective use of the sea
route. They cannot traverse the
Scheldt for combatant purposes ex-
cept by violation of the neutrality of
Holland, and if they fout the validity
of Hollands claim to control the
waterway TO Antwerp they will bring a
fresh hornets nest about their ears.
Even if they gained Hollands consent
to the establishment of subsidiary
naval base at Antwerp. which is un-
thinkable, it would be an empty
triumph, for they would never be able
to do anything with it.
"The sole advantage they can derive
from the entry into Antwerp is that it
will enable them to protect their flank
when the time comes to drive them
out Of Belgium. The beginning of that
process is probably very near, and this
was, perhaps, the final reason which
led them to strain every nerve TO take
Antwerp at a moment when they were
being hard pressed elsewhere"
The military correspondent of "The
Times" says: "The German success at
Antwerp has been an artille sue
cess, and the German infantry, prob
ably because they were too weak, have
not seriously attempted to invest the
place. Antwerp has not responded 10
the hopes reposed in it, not because
the garrison have not fought well, but