Middletown transcript., 1914-10-24
international News Service.

Lendon.-A correspondent writing
from Bergen-op-Zo Holland, gives
q vivid description of the entry Of the
German army into Antwerp.
The bulk of the kaiser's force did
not enter the city until Saturday after
noon, when $4,000 men passed In re
view before General Won Schultz, mill
tary governor Of Antwerp, and Admi
raj von Schroeder, who, surrounded by
q gIittering star. sat their horses IN
front Of the royal palace In the Place
de- Meir.
For i've hours the mighty host
poured through the streets OF the de
serted city, while the houses SHOOK
to the thunder Of their tread" he
writes. Company after company, reg
Iment after regiment, brigade afte1
brigade, swept past until the eye
grew weary Of watching the ranks oi
gray under slanting lines Of steel.
Gas they marched they sang, the
canyon formed by the high buildings
along the Place de Meir echoing to
their voices roaring out Die Wacht
am Rhein' and "A Mighty Fortress Is
Our God
Like an Election Parade.
Each regiment was headed by its
field music and colors, and when dark
ness fell and street lamps were light
ed the shrill music of flies, the rattle
Of drums and the tramp Of marching
feet reminded me of a torchlight cleo
tion parade.
Hard on the heels of the infantry
rumbled artillery, battery after bat
terry.
Behind the field batteries rumbled
the quick firers-the same pompoms
whose acquaintance had made al
Weerde and elsewhere. And then
heralded by a blare Of trumpets and
a crash of kettledrums, came the cav
airy, cuirassiers in helmets and
breastplates Of FURNISHED steel, hus
sars in befrogged jackets and fur bus
bies, and finally the uhlans, riding
amid forests of lances under cloud
VI AutLCAAA6 pCAAOhSs
"But this was not all, nor nearly all
for after the uhlans came the blue
Jackets Of the naval division, broad
shouldered, bewhiskered fellows, with
caps worn rakishly and a roll Of the
sea in their gait.
"Then the Bavarian infantry in dark
blue, the Saxon infantry in light blue
and Austrians in uniforms of beautiful
silver gray, and last of all squadron
of gendarmes in silver and bottle
green.
GAS that fighting machine swung
past could not but marvel at how
the gallant, chivalrous and coura
geous but ill-prepared little army OF
Belgium had held it back as long as
It had.
Few See Entry.
''The most remarkable feature Of
this wonderful spectacle was that
there were comparatively few persons
TO see it. So far as onlookers were
concerned the Germans might as vel
have marched through the streets oi
Pompeii. Another American and
standing on the balcony Of the Ameri
can consulate, were the only specta
tors, SO far as l know, in the whole
length of the Place de Meir, which Is
the State street Of Antwerp. 1t re
minded me Of circus that had come
to town a day before 1t was expected
A feature of the procession was g
victoria drawn by a fat white horse
and with two soldiers on the box
which accompanied a regiment Of Ba
varians. Both horse and carriage
were decorated with flowers. It was
evidently a species of triumphal char
lot, for 1t was filed with hampers oi
champagne.
Pay for What They Take.
The correspondent says the German
soldiers treat the townspeople witt
consideration, paying in German sil
yer for what they take from the shops
Describing the fear of the Antwerp
citizens when the kaiser's soldiers en-
tered, the correspondent says:
when the main body of troops be
gan entering the city on Saturday
morning the townspeople-those whC
had not escaped from the city-rushet
out with beer, cheese, bread and flow
ers, evidently with the idea Of placat
Ing them by means of their pitifu
little offerings. 1t was not a pleas
ant sight, but these people have beer
so terrified by tales of German bar
barities that one can hardly blame
them"
The correspondent estimates tha
less than one hundred civilians wert
killed during the bombardment.
Havoc Wrought by Shells.
Telling Of the rain of shells which
swept the city, he says:
"a 42-centimeter shell tore com
pletely through a handsome stont
house next door to United States Con
sui General Diederich's residence
crossed the street and exploded in thu
upper story of a school. There is no
a block in the Boulevard Leopold tina
does not contain several shatteret
houses. No buildings were damaged
In Place de Meir, though three she'll
struck the pavement, tearing hole
as large as a grand piano.
"a shell entered the roof of the He
tel St. Antoine, passed through tw,
bathrooms and exploded in the room
occupied 4S hours before by the Rus
sian minister, destroying everything
In it.
Cathedral Struck.
"The cathedral was struck only b,
one shell, which entered through tn
wall over the western entrance and ez
ploded over the side chapel. Tn