The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-09
RFL CLANS MAKE DETERMINED
EFFORT TO HOLD ANTWERP


| defend Itself to the utmost.
"Of course victory may be obtained
by the side with the heaviest guns. but
We must consider the man behind the
gun and the Belgians are fighting with
the heroism which has made them ia
nous throughout Europe"
While fighting desperately against
the capture of the city the Belgians
have another hard task on their hands.
1t is OF the utmost importance that the
route to Ostend and Client be kept open
so that the army at the last moment may
escape and Join the allies in France.
| 1t Is presumed that the Government
would not have been moved to Ostend
| II deferces of ample strength had not
been prepared
On all the roads leading northward
from Antwerp there may still be seen
| long lines of terrified. weeping, ruined
peasants. bearing their pitiful burdens.
In search of safety and protection.
Some Of them have come from the south
| OF Belgium going TO Antwerp in the
belief that they could not be harmed.
and when scarcely settled being com
PEELED to move on again. Families have
been scattered and the scenes OF suffer
ing and hardship are heartrending. the
Dutch newspapers say. One hundred
Thousand fugitives from Antwerp are
said to have been sheltered in Holland
already and many more are on the way.
| They wasted no time in leaving when
the German commanders gave the two
hours notice OF bombardment.
ships Boilers Blown Up.
A. a precaution against the possible
] seizure of Antwerp and the Scheldt as
a German base the boilers Of all German
ships In the harbor have been blown
up, the explosions vying in intensity
with those of the great German cannon.
The rumor that the Kaiser has offered
a reward OF the Iron Cross and $4,000
marks to the first man to enter Ant
werp has been circulated among the
! Belgians and has increased the srdor
of their resistance and their efforts 10
prevent a possible victory from being
OF great advantage TO the Germans
In working their way TO the inner
! Notifications the Germans have vir-
tually destroyed half dozen small
communes within tho fortified area.
Among those to suffer the most was
Lierre, near the Nethe River. other
towns are Schoonaerde. Grembergen
4 f1tN HuOHth, NDIllNh
Churches and public buildings in these
places have been destroyed and years OF
work will be required TO make them
again the prosperous happy places they
were only a few short weeks ago.
In all OF these towns the Belgian sol
diers made a stirring fight against the
Kaiser's men. They remained In the
| trenches for forty-eight hours at a
stretch in some cases, and kept up their
| fire despite heavy losses. Unkempt,
| sleepless. worn and harried. they lost
no whit Of the splendid courage they
have shown. no part of the inspiriting
| morale they have always exhibited.
while the forts at Waelhem and Wavre-
| st. Catherine were falling in ruins about
| them they retreated in as orderly a
manner as II they were on a parade
ground, and raked every foot OF ground
with well directed bullets that made the
Germans afraid to advance into the
open until the very last moment.
| Lose 10000 on the Nethe.
The passage Of the Nethe Is said to
have cost the Germans 20, 900 men. At
other points they lost heavily, but they
are bringing up an apparently mex
| haustible supply OF soldiers and arma-
ment from Brussels and the southern
towns which they hold Before they
got across the Belg1ans shot down sew
eral pontoon bridges and at times gained
| the upper hand by driving the Germans
back from the opposite bank. Num-
bers told in the end, however. Even
In retreats the Belgians have not hesi-
tated at making desperate sorties which
have been a constant menace to their
| antagonists.
From the accuracy with which the
German guns find the location OF the
defending forces II IL evident that the
ground had been mapped out in advance
and that spies are operating within the
| Belgian defence zone. Time after time
| the Belgians have retired to an APP
parently safe spot, only TO be driven
out within Ave minutes by a verltable
hail of well directed shells