New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-06
:. a Correspondent of The Tribune Tells of
Tour Through Belgium to Coast OF
the North Sea.
MOST DOORS OPEN TO AMERICANS
A.. Citizen of the United States of Average Nerve
Can Prowl Around the Back Door
of the Front

1 ne lAct htASt ltNbl 10 bAlS oNNNNoo ~
the big mortars at Liege and Antwerp,
and expresses the concluding belief
that England is shaking in her boots"
when she "hears their roar on the
coast"
Cargo of Pigs and Prussians.
The heavy artillerists and | were
turned out into the night air on the
Belgian border. as the passenger train
went no further, but here bewilder-
ing choice of transportation facilities
offered. There was a many-tracked
railway yard, with dozens Of long
some of them fifty cars long-military
transports waiting their turn to start
for the front. Here was one with a
mixed cargo of pigs and Prussians,
both bound for the slaughter on the
Aisne. ! rejected the mixed proposition
and finally selected a train Of box cars
filled with field post parcels-gifts for
the soldiers of the Sixth Army-and
fat cars with gray military automobiles
bound for the army headquarters in
France. A moonlight ride through
ruined Belgium in General Won Bue-
lows new limousine on one of the fiat
cars followed-the long, heavy military
transport pitching along the newly re-
built rOadbed at almost express speed.
The block signals and switch lights
had all been wrecked by the retreat
ing Belgians, and the Germans have
not had time to replace them yet; but
in spite of the fact that he was running
without signals the engineer opened up
the throttle wide. In matters military
the Germans have acquired almost the
American habit of high pressure and
speed
A German brakeman who rode into
Belgium on the first military train in
the wake of the invading army was
guide book and conductor of the linn
tied tour. Here before Verviers he said
the first fight took place, and on the
heights the first German flag was plant
ed on Belgian soil. As the train passed
through the twenty-odd tunnels on the
way to Liege he flashed his electric
pocket lamp on the walls pockmarked
by dynamite charges that failed to
blow them up. All lights We're out in
towns and villages except those fact
cries which the Germans were working
night and day for military purposes,
and there were not few of them-a
foundry running full blast, its dozens
Of iron stacks belching fame; machine
shops, a motor works, etc.-all working
stations the German flag was hung out
and Landsturm were on guard; others,
off duty, playing cards in the waiting
rooms.
Liege was reached in an hour. You
cannot see the forts from the train,
but you take your guides word for IL
that they have been completely reno
waited and are Just as good as, If not
better than, new. Here you pass
your first trainload of prisoners bound
for Germany. II is a string of third
class carriages lighted by oil lanterns,
and if one may judge from their khaki
uniforms the passengers are English
prisoners of war, mostly sleeping. Then
you have procession of hospital trains
all full; then more prisoners-the
bulk of the heavy westbound traffic
through Belgium consists Of prisoners
and wounded.
Can Smell Louvain a Mile Away.
You can smell Louvain a mile away.
You would know where you were, even
if you did not see the moonht ruins
about the railroad station, where your
military transport makes a long stop.
Here, too, at the station you see one
Of the first fruits of German culture
an implanted pine board booth with d
sign reading German beer, 10 pfen-
nigs per glass" 1t seems to fill a long
felt want In LOuvain--even at ? q. m.
Here on the platform among the sol
diers on guard you see a youngster of
about twelve armed field gray, with
miniature spiked helmet, cartridge belt
and bayonet. He is evidently the mas
cot Of che Landsturm battalion gar
r.soned at Louvain. You ask a soldier
about it, and he tells you an interest
ing story-after you have dipped into
your magic box of cheap Hamburg
cigars, a neverfailing open sesame, for
Prussian militarism has a partielity
Cor cigars.
you would be surprised" he says,
"to know how many boys ran away
from home to 90 with the soldiers.
Many eluded the watchful eyes Of the
authorities and slipped aboard troop
trains, the soldiers often helping them
10 stay hidden, and so actually reached
the front, where some Of the boys have
rendered good service. / know of one
who received the Iron Cross for bra
very under fire in carrying ammunition
70 the men in the trenches at crit
ical moment when they had run out"
Your military transport after sew
eral false starts finally makes up its
mind TO 60 on-at crawl now[but
unfortunately, at Sharbeek, which is
suburban Brussels, your free ride to
the point is cut short by a conscien-
tious Llndsturm sergeant who searches
the train and politely points out that
the document you produce IS good only
for transportation 10 Brussels. And
YOU become for the first time victim
Of war. for there are no longer waiting
taxicabs, or horse cabs, and there IS
nothing 10 do but walk.
Brussels at 8 q. m. is deader than
New York below the dead line. You
walk through miles Of streets without
sighting a military patrol, or even a
policeman, till you come 10 the heart
OF the city. Your daytime impression
of Brussels under the German occu-
patton will be OF swarms of racing
military in motor cars full Of husky
officers for whom war seems 10 mean
one long Joy ride. You pay dutifui
visit to the Kommandantur in search
Of more purple Prussian eagles and
find a line Of people stretching from
the door a block long-as on Caruso
nights al the Metropolitan-al seeking
travelling passes. To check the rush
The German authorities here charge
ten-franc fee for pass for more than
Gfteen kilometres from Brussels, five
frsncS for shorter distances. As an
American you again take precedence
and "draw a lift" 10 Antwerp.
Brussels 10 Antwerp Six Hours.
II takes you six hours TO get from
R,1,ssels 10 Antwerp by military trains.
A. YOU near your destination you see
,sbole stretches OF countryside stu
under water. where the desperate de-
Tenders tried 20 check the German al
H. nictures OF the Dayton flood. In