The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-10-14
Makes LAST stand
BEL6IANS DEFEND CHIEF CITY
AGAINST THE INVADERS.
hope TO Be RELIEVED

HOPE TO BE- RELIEVED
Advance of Allied Left Wing Would
Mean Rescue of Defenders.-Big
Battle Continues on Both Wings of
Enormous Armies-French Report
Has ENCOURAGING Tone.
While the immense armies of the
belligerent Powers Of Europe are en-
gagged in a death grapple along lines
hundreds of miles in extent in battle
which, for the numbers engaged,
hercepess and stubbornness, have no
precedent in history, the little army
Of Belgium is making last stand be-
hind the forts Of Antwerp, one OF
the strongest fortified positions in
the world.
For the moment at least the strug-
gle around the chief port of Belgium
attracts the most attention, for the
result Of the engagement there must
have a considerable effect on the big
ger battle between the Anglo-French
and German forces, which extend
extend from the Swiss frontier across
France, almost to the North Sea.
The Germans, while attempting to
cross the Scheldt, southeast of Ant
werp, made their main attack from
the east, and broke some days ago,
with the aid of their sixteen inch
guns, through the first line of forts.
Between the first and second belt OF
forts, according to their own accounts
they defeated the Belgian army and
captured a number of guns.
King Albert has cal led on all men
Of military age to assist in the de-
fence of the city. Thousands OF
others, women, children and old men.
have left Antwerp hurrledly. The
towns of Holland already are crowd
ed with refugees. The mayor of Rot
terdam has sent out warning that
there is no more room there for the
.harrasSed BelgianS, and steamers for
England are crowded with refugees.
Five German army corps are taking
part in the siege at Antwerp, which
is defended by the Belgian army. The
outer forts, like those of other for
tresses which have fallen since the
war began, have not been able to
withstand the fire of the big German
guns, but the Belgians are still hope
full that with inner forts, a flooded
area and a mobile field army, they
may hold the city until assistance
may come by the defeat of the Ger
mans in France.
Such defeat, all realize, is an
enormous task, but the official COM
munication issued in Paris late on
Thursday gives the allies hope that
the long awaited decision is about
to be reached. Not for many days
has such an encouraging report from
the allies point of view been publish
ed by the French general staff.
The strong German reinforcements,
which appeared on the Belgian from
tier in the region of Lille, accord
ing to this report, shave made no
progress at any point while "at GER
tain points the enemy has moved
back. particularly to the north OF
Arras, where the fighting is develop
ing under conditions favorable to
u.s."
The cavalry is fighting even fur
ther north than this and the French
communication says operations have
developed almost to the North Sea.
Around Roye, where the Germans
captured important heights from the
French last week, the French have
regained some of the positions they
were obliged to abandon.
From the north Of Aisne. where
two forward movements by the An
glo-French troops have been men
toned within the laft few days, the
Germans seem to have withdrawn
some of their own men, probably to
strengthen their extreme right,
around which the allies have been
trying to work ever since the battle
began, nearly four weeks ago.
On the centre, between Rheims and
the Meuse, the armies are resting on
their arms, awaiting their turn to
take the offensive. But on the
heights Of the Meuse, between the
Fortress of Verdun and st. Mihie!.
where the Germans crossed the Meuse
a couple of weeks ago, tie contest
still goes on. The Germans have
withdrawn to the north of Hatton-
chatel. They. still. however. hold St.
Mihiel and some positions north OF
that town on the right bank Of the
river.
The conjecture, therefore, that the
French had driven them back across
the river soon after they made their
advance, and captured besides the
town itself, the forts of Roman and
Paraches, proves correct.
In the Voevre district the Germans.
without success, have delivered vlo-
lent attacks against the French. who
doubtless were trying to get behind
the German force on the MeUse at
st. Mihiel With the Germans to the
north withdrawing and the repulse
of their attack west of Apremont. the
Germans at st. Hihiel are considered
to be in rather dangerous position.
As an Offset to this Favorable
French statement, the German &C
count, says the French attacks on
the Argonne and to the northeast Of
verdun were repulsed while no de-
cision has been reached in the fight
ing on the German right wing.
This latter statement remains true
for, although the French claim to
have met with success. there is moth
ing to indicate any definite result has
been obtained and there probably
will be much more fighting and a
further extension of the wings, pos