Evening journal., 1914-10-23
BY WILLIAM PHILLIP SnWMS.

United Press starr correspondent.
HAzEBROUCK, Northern France.
via Havre. Oct 23.-"My skin is OF no
more value to my country than IS
yours. My place is on the fighting
line"
That was the reply Of King Albert,
of Belgium, to the opportunities OF his
personal staff who urged him to leave
the front. II was my privilege yes
terday to see his majesty In action at
name deleted by censorl and fighting
with the remnants of his little army
to defend the last little strip of his
native land still held by his own
troops; he is still unterrified and I'M
conquered CARRIED in the field uni
form of a general he is constantly>en-
couraging his men al every point.
The Belgian general staff admits
that the German attack in south
western Belgium is the most violent
of the present war. The Germans had
planned to sweep right through the
southwestern end of Belgium and to
take Dunkirk with a rush. They
would have succeeded IL il had not
been for King Albert and the rem
nants of his little army Driven from
3 Antwerp by an overwhelming German
force; compelled to evacuate Ostenl
to prevent being driven into the water
or made prisoners of war, thei made
their final stand in the vicinity of
Newport
The Belgians literally were fighting
with their backs against the wall They
fought like yeritahle demons. Outnum-
hered nc all times. and with artillery
greatly inferior 10 that of the enemy,
they have simply refused 10 acknowi.
edge defeat at any point. Every Ger
many assault has been repulscd with
great loss. Until the arrival of the
British monitors, which are now sup
porting them from the sea. the Relgians
were subjected 10 attacks so ferocious
in character that the British officers
who have since inspected the ground.
say il is hard to believe that they were
able to hold their positions. As at
Licge they have broken up the German
plan OF olicnse and checkmnted the pro-
gram of the German general stan The
Germans had planned 10 take Dunkrk
on October l6, according to information
secured from prisoners. The only OBJ
stacle in their way was the handful OF
Belgian troops. already completely exc
/ haustcd by their cNerticns at Antwerp
and the garrisons of the Dunkirk forts
/ The Belgians. however, refused to give
! up their own frontier line. nder the
command Of King Albert they maintain
ed their positions. Today Il is freely
Z admitted that thcy have saved the situ.
alton. As a result Of their efforts, Dun
/ Kirk is now believed imprcmablc.
The King passes up and down the limo
of his army. Sometimes he usos an au.
tomohile. At other times he is on foot
Addressing his cheering soldiers, he u.s..
the familiar "Thce" and "Ihou." usu
ally reserved for members of the sam,
family lie is comforter to the wound
ed, checrer TO the downhcarted
When The fire became particularly
hot a. the positions where Il was
my good fortune to see him. members
of his staff suggested that he leave
the trenches and go to a place OF
safety at the rear He refused Will
a smile
MY skin is OF no more value Z,
my country than is ours he en-
phatically declared to the general witt
made the request. And az that YER
moment a great German shell burs
only ten PAGES away
Realizing his position, lis soldiers
fight like demons. They LITERAL,
slaughtered the Germans, riddllnl
them with volley after volley from
their rifles and then following Will
a series OF desperate bayonet charges
The Germans last enormousl. Great
heaps OF their slain marked the line
Of their advance and their retreat
The impression Of the Belgian and
British officers with when / talked
was that If this present battle in the
north is won the King and Queen will
be able to spend the winter in their
capital OF Brussels. The aviators
have reported that the Germans have
established new fortified lines along
the Liege-Namur line extending Ia
Antwerp. These are believed to be
intended for winter quarters should
they have to fall back from their
present positions.
AS the King moved to his head.
quarters following the repulse of the
Germans, he was cheered everywhere
He was wet to the skin from the
drizzling rain that had been falling
for hours. His uniform was covered
with caked mud. His hands and face
were streaked with clay.
His appearance was In remarkable
contrast to when | last saw him in
Paris just before he became King
Then he was boyishly enthusiastic
and a smile was constantly on his
lips. Today as he looked back at the
firing line and at the strip OF terri
tory yet left TO him, his face was the
saddest that I have ever gazed on
But it was inspiring in its sorrow and
II was plainly apparent why his men
should love him now, in the gun pits
far more than when he was in the
palace. In the distance the thunder
of the guns could be plainly heard