New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-25

- Of OeSVV""Nf ,,,
ls ,hipk Antwerp is going to sur sur
leoPS because tho Germans nave suN
renee IN bombsrding the lnnSO,t t
eeeeess The city. Ii may DC 50, pet :
psr y think that is the pest . ,ll..sS
90 ~. such phrases as 'holdihg ou'
cpinlVIis a extremity" which are 70 Ve
% nc -" .Sc pspcrs, naturally lead 70
isse " III =" that the last extremity. Is
ne pew, Vou might we'll enough think
ser 10 i said in print that Ant
M W. - omen her gates tomorrow
vrp 5s;ors / have talked with hold no
las ~ They say two thlngs'
ss SEQ that the fate OF Antwerp oe,
ti'ss an forts. but on armies; and
lsnos. operations on the left wing OF
tas' ,,is.s have a direct bearing on tue
nsas;bilitv Of Antwerp.
e's......ndlv. say soldiers who take large
"TT1gland cannot afford TO let
yiesS fan into German hands. Inc
An'Ne-F Gov that military conviction are
isSsSns that they need not be dis
- %, II might be indiscreet TO DIS
sSsssei an, The oft quoted saying OF
cas- IN thst Antwerp in an enemy 5
NaPyS.' ,SvoSnld be pistol pointed at the
aatSs of England, dispenses with dis
hfsrt u 49,
elssloa, are not prophecies, on their
~, on mine. Anything Is possible
rsil " Rpt such opinions may be
n va" .,.ting on record 20 make the
NeI~ Nv most. BY the time they ar
looInss! New York their value can be
i've - aecurstely estimated than II can
he here to-day
Antwerp Memories.
;.ssioe nobody ever visited Ant
-. -. came away without q feeling
ven 80 for q city of which the
g. snd charm are unique. 1t was
e ,ssss'Tsdema who said TO me long
yesrs ago; A...,-.r, Che will
~ vou many things. She will give
,sr rev Impressions. her streSls AhH
.s,Tss and churches, her cathedral
y. museums, the qusintness OF her
nsn..;.;nsl hfe-to all these things you
an sttseh yourself and you VIII never
torgst them VI. hod
- taking about Rubens. he added;
V's y sunnose you have Judged Rubens
-, ~ acres of SecOnd-rate canVSses
a. tle Louvre But no man can meas
-. he genius OF that great painter
.Ti ~ has seen the Descent from the
S. ~. in the Cathedral at Antwerp
SI Tademss predictions came true.
can. 70 Antwerp. | spent some days
.ssrs. In q dream. The place seemed
~. ~ Ibis world. Its commerce and
:-Sus.ries and decks are, or were, mod
~. enough. Even its heroic history
"a sserihces seemed less the real
I,tvsrp than the atmosphere which
vor breatbed. Not only the history
irs the shirt Of The past WAS there.
Var realized, as you cannot otherwise,
,-l,. life had been in such city IN
c.bsr centuries. Every house had
..9rv 10 tell. The domestic architect
aro had q fascination of its own. Out
~ vour hotel window you looked upon
o,ist splendours which belonged TO an
age when beauty was religion. Inc
Cathedral is-or was-like no other,
,pitbe Rubens that hung over the altar
IVA YOU with d feeling which, so lar
!. rat master is concerned, was q new
feeling. The spirit Of the human trag-
ejy Of the CucifXion had entered into
him. and of the divine. You might
think the coloring too vivid in parts,
sober Is was the whole tone, but not
the Cathedral itself was more abso--
la.ely an expression Of reverence, OF
sympathy, of that something IN Christ
which could only come from the
unity in his person Of God and Man. /
suppose the picture has been put IN
safety; we may all see il again some
dsy. But If the Cathedral is to share
The fate Of Rheims, never in another
setting can the Descent from the
Cross" be to mortal eyes what 1t mas
been till now.
Albert.
an that is Of the past. How far
AstKerp will vindicate anew its ola
history Of indomitable defence we do
10. yet know. But there is to-day
within the walls OF what is still the
new capital OF Belgium one figure
worthy Of her past. The King is there.
from the beginning Of the German in
yasion Of his neutral and innocent
kingdom Albert has been the chief in
spirstion Of troops and people. HIS
courage his devotion, his identity with
his suffering peOple,-these are worthy
Of King as Kings once were. Even
in Aneriea, where we have no prepos-
sessions in favor Of Kings, we can pay
homage 10 this one, not only King
out & Man. And the Queen Is with
hin; in her veins flows the wine OF
thiyslry.
By way Of Amsterdam, which has be-
cone a great distributing news centre,
he reply Of President Wilson to tbs
hiser reaches US here ia England.
iou will not hear much English crlu-
esm Of this surprising state paper. In
90 far as il reGtfrms his and our neu-
iftlity, they and we may be content
Win u. But 30 SO far as It reathrms
ms sympathy and friendship with the
Kaiser, II Is a puzzle 70 plain people OF
snstever nationality. The apologize
zone Of 1t IL a puzZle,-as II the Presl-
cent desired 10 express certair
esferenee 10 so great potentate.
Dis however, may be the fault Of the
Translation and rotranslation OF the
original As 10 is printed here, II
zones from the North German Ca
s.eile,' having first been put into the
1ermsn tongue for the behoof ana
gTatiheation Of the German people;
and then done into English again; Z"
oe olgested By English and Americans
IS best they may
As an American 7 must admit ! do
20. IKE to see an American President
Writing to the author Of this war "as
friend to friend" Perhaps Mr.. VIII
ssa' IL his unacquaintance with the
..39Fnnlas Of diplomacy, was misled into
ne use Of the "friend" by dim reml-
elseence Of the phrase good and great
Trend" sometimes used by a ruler IN
ssaoressing a Sovereign Of another
over. There ia no parallel between
.ls cases. In Mr.. Wilson's effusion the
s y. ne makes Of the word is personal,
". Y, diplomatic, and he says:
a. speak thus frankly because ! know
N you expect and wish me TO speak
Siiriend TO friend"
me Kaiser did not order the de
'aes.on Of Lorvain he has approved
lhe actual giver of the order re-
'hs unrebuked and unpublished. IL
sc Qlu not nfr 10 n l. sol,