South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-05
BELGIUM WILL
OPPOSE ADVANCE
Of THE GERMANS
Orders for Mobilization of
Army Are Given When Ger
many Declares War-KaiS-
er'S Troops Cross Frontier.

BRUSSELS. Aug 5.-That the Ger
mans have violated her territory. have
ignored her neutrality, has infuriated
all Belgium IT is likely that she.
knowing Great Britain was behind
her. would have declared war. but the
kaiser anticipated her.
The senate and chamber OF depu-
ties met in joint session Tuesday Al
most hysterical cheers saluted King
Albert as. wearing the uniform of
generalissimo Of the Belgian forces,
he assembled the throne. said the
king gravely In his address:
Not since 1880 has the fatherland
been exposed 70 so grave a danger as
now faces It. It is time when
united Belgium must stand shoulder
TO shoulder against a common foe.
Every Belgian must accept every
possible means Of serving his country.
No sacrifice IS too greas for our be-
loved fatherland / will accept the
responsibility laid upon me. Our
country has been invated. Belgium
has proclaimed her integrity and she
will maintain it with her last drop Of
blood"
Politics Is Forgotten.
Forgetting politics leaders of every
political faction made fervidly patri-
otto speeches assuring the king and
the country of their devotion. The
parliament Immediately passed the
war credits King Albert asked. As
he departed. the assem- blage arose and
with right hands uplifted. as if taking
an oath. declared in solemn chorus:
Belgium viii DO her duty"
Germany's second ultimatum was
delivered by the German minister in
Brussels late Monday night as the
reply OF Germany to the refusal of
Belgium to accede to Germany's first
ultimatum.
In her second note Germany de-
clared that If Belgium adopted hos
tile attitude against the German
troops and put difficulties in the way
Of their advance, Germany would be
Obliged to consider Belgium as an
enemy. In that case Germany would
not enter into any undertaking with
Belgium. but would leave the final
relations Of the two states to the de-
cision OF arms"
To this King Albert replied that
under no circumstances will Belgium
consent 10 the violation Of her neu-
trality and belligerently announces
that the army will oppose Germany's
passage so long a man is left alive.
Army Being Modified.
A state of siege was declared Tues
day at the fortified position of Liege,
Namnr and Antwerp. The Belgian
army is being modified with great
precision and activity.
frontier at Gemmenieh, near the
junction OF the Dutch, Belgian and
i German frontiers.
The vital importance of Belgium in
a war between France and Germany
lies in the fact that unless Germany
may move across the Belgian ter
ritOry, neutralized by treaty an in
vasion Of France would have to be
through the heavily fortified French
frontier proper.
The entire northeastern frontier of
France is. roughly, 44O miles in
length. For a distance of about $50
miles this frontier line separates
France fr--n Belgium and Luxembourg.
The remainder, about 100 miles, sep
arates France from German territory.
With the neutrality of Belgium OBJ
served. the scene of action would be
F'rancO-German frontier proper.
Is Well Guarded.
This line of defense runs. broadly
speaking. from Nerdun to Nancy TO
Epinal To Belfort and TO Becanzon.
Each one OF these cities is the center
of a group Of Notifications extending
northward and southeast and all fac
ing the German border Each has
its outpOsts and its thanking protec-
ton and the line is said TO be virtu-
ally continuous for the greater part
of the entire distance between Lux
emburg and the Swiss border. Be
hind this line Of Notifications France
has a second line Of defense. broadly
speaking. running parallel from
Rheims TO Chalons and to Nerdun, and
from Chalons TO Langres, 10 Dion and
10 Becanzon
The second line of protection is
from so To 100 miles from Paris and
the first frontier line of fertilization
is. roughly speaking. from t40 TO 200
miles from the French capital The
French frontier from the Strait of
Dover 90 German territory. the line
which separates France from Belgium
and Luxembourg also is well protect
ed
Thus German advance through
Belgium is in effect going around the
end"