Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-08-24
Poor Belgium
Battle Ground

The German army, invading Bel
gium and the adjoining Dutch prov
ince of Limburg, is travelling in the
print of olden wars" it is wading
through wheat fields that grow deep
with many waterings of blood No
land on earth has been so prolific of
battlefields; for modern Belgium, the
older Flanders, lies and always has
lain between the greatest nations of
Europe; and when these nations
fight, this pleasant, peaceful, green
and busy land is crushed as between
the upper and neither millstones.
Historically, it all began with
Caesar; but who can tell how many
unchronicled and unremenibered bat
ties of savage warriors were fought in
the deep and mysterious forests be-
fore the dawn of civilization? Caesar,
at any rate, found the Belgae already
the bravest of all the people of
Gaul;" and every schoolboy has
learned with what bitter pains the
Roman legions overcame Nervii on
this very ground. In later ages the
struggles east and west were fought
out here. Corutray witnessed the
awful slaughter of the French when,
in 1902, the Flemings hurled them,
horse and men, into a canal and
butchered them there without mercy.
No less than six times the town OF
Mastricht, in Limburg, close by
Liege, in Belgium, has been the scene
of desperate battles-in 1879, in
1882, in 1878, in 1747, in 1894
clear down to 1880, when the Dutch
fought with the Belgians there
Namur, little farther south, which
began it's recorded battling when the
Aduatici withstood Caesar there, has
seen battles between the forces of
almost all the neighboring powers.
Roulers, Hasselt, Turnhout, Wavre,
Arion, Dinant-these and other
places have listened to the clash of
arms through the centuries, and
many times known the welter of
blood.
Last of all, in 1915, the great and
final struggle between the warning
lies on both sides OF the River Meuse.
power of Napoleon and the allied
and Blucher, was fought out on this
dark and bloody ground-at Wavre
at Quatre Bras, at Waterloo. More
souls than all those who march with
the invading Germans, or the defend
ing Belgians, British or French will
swing across these historic fields; the
wraiths Of ancient thousands will en-
velop them.
Strangest of all things is the fact
that, in this gentler age of the world,
the deep-growing corn on the Belgian
fields again will be trampled by the
feet of armed and fighting men, and
the red current once more will fertil-
ize the dark soil In this twentieth
century of higher enlightenment the
"old, unhappy, far off things and bat
ties long ago" are called into a new
and still more terrible being by the
ambitions of men and nations.
The city of Liege, Belgium, is in
the province of East Belgium. which
lie son both sides of the River Meuse
1t is strongly fortified, being
ringed about by modern forts. Its
population in 1901 was 157,700, the
majority being Walloons.
Liege is noted for it's many old
churches, that of st. Jacques dating
from the eleventh century, st. Bar
tholomew's from the eleventh and
twelfth, and St. Croix and St. Mar
tins from the tenth.
The city was captured by Marlbor-
ough, the famous English general, in
1902.
The University of Liege is attended
by over 1000 students. Manufactur-
ing is the principal industry of the
city's inhabitants.
Liege is about fifty miles from
Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The
battle of Waterloo, which broke the
power of Napoleon in 1915, was
fought between the two cities.