Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-06
RAVIsHED BELGIUM--By viii Irwin


come through Belgium In full, last Au-
gust, tho month OF harvests. we used
to renarie casually, now and them:
We'll. there's one thing: 1t looks like
starvation in this country this winter"
we said It rather carelessly; we had
enough of the horror .of war on every
hand to keep us from botherng very
much about fnr-aYny, imaginary
danger. But the situation, when VIC
stopped 60 think about Il, admitted OF
only one Interpretation
Belgium Is the most thickly popu-
lated country In Europe; 1t is almost
like one great town tnterspcrsed with
fields AZ Il matter OF cold statistics
we know that 1t raised less than 40
Fer cent. OF It's own food. The war
struck IL In the midst of tho harvest
Unlike Germany and France. Belgium
had made no provision to feed itself
in timo Of trouble. Her bigger. more
wnrliltc neighBors had reckoned with
the harvest Az part OF tho plan of war.
Germany, across the eastern bound
airy. was putting tho Lnndstrum not
into tho trenches, but into the fields,
that they might garner the last grain
of wheat. To the south. Franco con-
cerncd herself almost AS much with
the harvest ms with the mobilization.
But the war struck Belgium UMPIRE
parcd-in an Industrial If not in n MILL
tary sense. Tho hnsty mobilization took
many OF tho farmers and field hnnds
away: and tho government had no time
In tho sudden, pressing duty of resist
ing Invasion. to set aside other labor
ers for this work. Everywhere fields
went ungarncrcd for lack OF men. And
before any. ono could touch the late
crops. tho Germans were upon them,
lighting skirmishes and pitched bat
ties all over the east and north. The
rural population fed in great numbers
cr1t
fleeing everywhere. Through NIL the
strip which Germany used ne n route
to France. l saw ruined harvests The
wheat was falling from the stalks; the
cabbnges were growing untended.
Reviving the Ways OF Ancient Warfare.
The German army. In this war, has
gone back to some of tho ways of an
client warfare. The custom Of taking
hostages. for example. was supposed
10 be n dead issue by modern armies
ono thought of the days OF Julius
Caesar when no read on the walls of
every town that Burgomeister So-and-
So and Echivins Thfs-and- That had
been seized as hostages to answer with
their lives for the good behavior CT the
populace. One thought OF Alexander
when he learned that I'm every large
city they occupied they demanded. u
cash tribute
Again, IL carried you back to those
good old days when you learned that
every town occupied by tho Germans
n food supply, equivalent to several
days provisions for either the garrison
or the main force. had been comman-
aecred at once. Brussels, for example,,
had to lay down at once $4,000 pounds
Of -four besides proportionate supplies
of meat. salt and other rough provi-
sions. Mons. when SAW 1t on the
day after the battle with tho English.
n S5p mn, ,Iaa
certain supplies of food, but all the
gray cloth, the brown leather, the
mems shoes and The socks in tho shops.
, And In all the path Of the German ar
mics. you missed tho sight Of cattle
in the fields. The Germans had seized
them, steers and cows alike, for boef.
OF course, the customer living OF tho
country is not unknown to modern war
fare. as old Southerners who lived In
the path OF Shcrmuns army can testify.
1t remained, however, for the methods
cal German to reduce the matter to an
exact science.
Wreckihg OF DclRiurn's Industries.'
One must see Belgium to understand
what conquest means to q subject peo-
pie. 1 can scarcely express il in mere
words, any moro than can convey
what war means as whole.
Here was manufacturing nation,
producing little raw material, depend
ing for the materials of industry, as
well as for food, upon Imports. and
for money upon exports. Most of these
industries stopped suddenly and alb
ruptly when the war came, because
the young men had gone to tho front.
That was phenomenon common to
all the Continental countries involved
In this unparalleled mess. Even in
Germany. with her admirable govern
ment- controlled system, the wheels
generally rested during tho period OF
mobilization. But the rost pulled their
industries together little.
II was different with conquered Bel
GUM. Some Of her towns, factories
and all, had boen. battered to pieces
This kind OF damage has probably been
exaggerated. know. now what I did
not realize when I saw that city in
flames, that only 20 per cent of Lou.
vain was destroyed by tho conquerors
But there remain such cities as, Tirle.
mont and Tiremond. which lie almost
Nat, as n result. not of reprlsaIs. but
OF battles. 49,
A Nation Unemployed and HeIpiess.. .
Leave out tho more, terrible effects Of
war--slauShtor, grief, ruined homes,