Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-09-03
ANTWERP VITAL
STRATEGIC POINT
II Captured Germany Could
Cripple British Commerce.
IS BELGIUM'S BEST DEFENSE

Pistol at the Heart OF England"-t
Is Almost as Important to That Coun-
try as One of Her Own Ports at the
Mouth of the Thames.
Military men see in the German ad-
vance OFT Antwerp an attempt to seize
that pofc In the interest of the Ger
man North sea feet.
The ships of the main German squad
ron are believed to be in the mouth
of the Elbe, close to the entrance to
the Kiel canal. The Notifications of
Helgoland and on either side Of the
Elbe estuary render the Elbe anchor
age safe from attack. These fortif1ca-
tons are believed to be impregnable
to ship attack.
The possession Of Antwerp and
Client would put the Germans in po-
sition to direct torpedo boat attacks
against the mouth of the Thames and
against Sheerness and other east coast
Of England ports
The distance from Flushing at the
Scheldt mouth is so short that torpedo
boats could make forays on English
ports. and If undamaged could regain
port before daylight
With the advance of the German
army into Belgium and possibility Of
attack on Antwerp in view, military
men early perceived one Of the most
cogent reasons for England dispatch
ing large force to the continent. Ant
werp is regarded as of almost as much
Importance to England as one of her
own ports at the Thames mouth.
Menace to Holland.
The taking of Antwerp and the utili-
zation of the Scheldt for effective oper-
ations against England may spell trou-
BILE with Holland, says the New York
Herald, but if Germany can pass her
torpedo boats down the Rhine into the
Scheldt it may mean that she can find
from Belgium or France. The entire
Belgian and north French country is
network of canals, and the extent of
the tonnage handled on these inland
waterways is hardly understood by
those who have not actually traversed
them. 1t is a fact that torpedo boats
can pass from the Mediterranean to
the English channel without going out
side, and torpedo boats are built in the
interior of France and transported to
the north and south by waterways.
All the heavy artillery built at the Creu-
sot works in central France is sent for
ward to the artillery shops Of the same
company at Havre by water.
To Germany the possession Of the
north Belgian and north French coast
means greater striking power at Eng
land. 1t means bringing forward the
numerous torpedo boat destroyers and
submarines held in leash in the Elbe
and at Wilhelmshaven, and it may
mean that after all is said and done it
is England that Germany is aiming at
even more than France in this great
struggle.
Antwerp Hard to Capture.
The defenses of Antwerp, to which
city the king of the Belgians removed
his capital, are the strongest in Bel
GUM. They We're designed as the
strategic center of the national de-
fense of the country and are supposed
to form an intrenched camp for 1OO,-
600 men.
The length of the enceinte is about
nine miles. The scheme included de-
tached forts. those which are on the
side not defended by inundation being
about mile and quarter apart and
from two to three miles in front Of the
enceinte. They are powerful works for
garrison of about 1000 men and are
intended for an armament of 100 guns
and fifteen mortars.
Although the system of defenses was
adopted in 1859, the present fortifica-
tions were started in 1878, when it was
recognized that the old ones had be-
come useless on account Of the In
creased range of artillery and the more
destructive power Of explosives. 1t
was then decided to change Antwerp
from a fortress to fortified position
by constructing an outer line of forts
and batteries at distance varying
from six to nine miles from the en-
ceinte. This second line consists of
fifteen forts, large and small.
Antwerp has long been regarded by
the English as port which must re-
main In friendly hands. Its position
opposite the mouth of the Thames is
too close to take chances. Napoleon
| seized this port in 1904 and undertook
to construct a great naval depot there
He is said to have declared that he
would make Of Antwerp "a loaded pis
iol to hold at the heart of England"
Don't Argue About War;" Health Hint.
Don't argue about the war;" says a
| health bulletin issued for members BY
DR.. Louis r. Welzmiller, physical di-