The daily Alaskan., 1914-08-13
IS \
 R.CH PLACE

New York, Aug. l3--Liege is the Pittsburg of Belgium. For ImiIes to the southwest or-the ci-y along the banks of the River 1Iense, there are scores of blast furnaces, ] budding furnaces, rolling mills and ! forges. 1t is the site of the fam ous Cockeriu works, said to be Che ] largest mauufactOry of machinery
 in the world
 Liege proper, with a population
 of l6S,OOO, lies at the junction of the Mouse and the 0urthc, in basin margiucd by hills. All arouud
 the city is wealth of coal and iron
 ore. The mines extend even under
 .he city and river.
 Liege's products are varied, but
 the principal one, and that which
 would make Liege a valuable prize
 of war, is that of firearms. More rhau 2Q,OOO persons are employed In the manufacture of guns. There lis a royal cannon factory and a
 small arms factory also in the
 suburby of st. Leonard.
 The city first appears in history
 in the sixth century, at which time a town grew up around the origin .uI chapel founded there by St. Mon- 'uIph, bishop of Tongress. In he !. 10th century the cpiscopate of Not
 ger, which had succeeded the early
 line, was marked by large territorial acquisitions, and the sca became recognized as an independent prin- Il ctpality of the French empire.
 Liegc was taken by Marlborough in I7o2 and the fortress was gar.t-
 soncd by the Dutch until l7lS. The | French revolutionary armies oyerruu |. tine prmcipaIjty in l792. and from .'IIg4 Co the fall of Napoleon k Was annexed to France and was . known us the department of lhe . Ourthe The congress of Vienna . in ISl5 decrecd that Lfcge with tHa i. other provinces of the Southern l Netherlands, should form part of . the new Kingdom of The Nether- lands under the rule of William l.
 of the house of Orange. The ci.f . Of Liege took an active part in ,aa . Belgium revolt of 1880 and since that date the ancient prucipality h, 1 been incorporated into the kingdom Tor Belgium.
 In the wars of the last century . Ltegc has played only a small part, but, with prospect Of a siege, today
 the city finds itself well defended with modern Qualifications It's strength, it is said, is far greater |rhm has generally been appreciated l by military sJrategtsts. In lSSS tA2 Belgian authorities decided to aIc- . auately forufy both Lic-o and Na- mur, the two important points ou ] the Mouse. At each place a num- . ber of detached forts were construct led along pertmeter drawn a dis .auce varying from within four to six miles of the city. At Iiege, l-
 of these forts were constructed, six
 on the right and six on the leit l banks of the river.
 All of the forts have been kept 1 fairly well up-to-date. The heavy guns. in their concrete easements. are raised and lowered automudcal- |Iy The names of the forts on the fright bank of the river are Barchon, 1 Eyeguee, FIeron, Chaudtontaine, Embourg and Comedies. The ave- ] age distance between the forts is four miles, but Flerou and Chaud- foutaine are separated by a little oyer a mile in direct line, as they defend the main line of the rail ! i.oad from Germany,
 The six forts on the left bank, also commencing at the north, ] |urouud a western curve. are Pom tlsse. Liers, Lantin, LOnciu, Hol- IOgue and FlemalIe.
 Twenty-Five thousand men are i necessary for an adequate defense of these Qualifications.