Mountain advocate., 1914-08-28
lovain and Aerschot Vie With
Diest and TirIemont
In HeroiSm
GERMANS OCCUPY BRUSSELS
Wrongs Flee Belgian Capital as
Forces Of Kaiser Approaeh-story
Of How Tsutonle Army Took
the City.
BY ERNEST SMITH.
Correspondent of the London Daily
News.)

Correspondent of the London Daily
News.)
Ostend.-After the heroic defense Of
Diest and Tirlemont it was the turn
OF Louyain and Aershot to try with
lhandfuls Of troops to keep the invader
at bay while the main Belgian army
was reforming its position.
The battle OF Tuesday before Tirle-
mont had gone on till ten o'clock at
night, and even after that, during
the few hours before daybreak, rifles
snapped out the notice there would
be no sleep in the land that night.
Under the cover of darkness the
Belgian general staff and army was ST.
lently moving to its new position. To
have fought where 1t was at that
moment would have given away all
the advantages OF the allies and
would have been to risk heavy loss,
and perhaps defeat.
Germans Charge Trenches.
1t was. however. not to do military
experts work that | started to write
this, but rather to follow the fortunes
of the plucky rear guard of Belgians
left behind to harrass the oncoming
Germans.
At dawn on Wednesday | saw the
Germans holly attacking the trenches
that had been filled up during the
night with fresh men. Part OF them
were OF the famous Liege field force
that had decimated the Germans who
Liege forts. They had begged to be
sent back TO Liege TO meet the en-
envy again there. This could not be
done, but they had their opportunity
now, desperate one, it is true, for
each Of those men knew he was
marked down to be sacrificed II nee
essary in the interest OF the plans of
the defense.
Air Scouts Get Range.
Two German aeroplanes flying auda-
ciously low swept over the trenches to
see how they were held. Almost i'm
mediately afterward the German ar.
tillery got the range OF the trenches
and commenced bursting shrapnel
over them. Infantry and machine
guns were quickly at work and the
little band OF defenders settled down
to keep the enemy's masses of troops
at bay as long as possible
By six o'clock the attack was gen.
eral along the whole line. but it was
particularly violent in front OF Aer-
shot There was a pitiless and deter
mined onslaught in which the German
commanders showed the same disre-
gard for the loss of men as elsewhere.
Two OF the heroic regiments from Hege
bore the brunt Of the attack in the po-
sition northeast of town. They we're
outnumbered by ten to one. but they
stuck to their positions with the cour-
age of desperation and inflicted fear
ful loss on the Germans. Their own
Losses we're terrible.
Germans Enter LouValn.
BY 10 o'clock the Germans were in
Louvain. They had brought their in
fAntry and machine guns up by motor
cars, moving quickly. AS the civil
guard aready had been dlsbanded.
there remained only the rear guard in
tbe town to harass the enemy as long
rs possible.
II was the same story at Diest.
Tirlemont and Aerschot A brief hero
ic resistance was followed by the in
evitable development Of the vast
forces the Germans we're pushing for
ward. There were desperate combats
at Corbeckloe and Lovenjoul and the
honorable retreat had been sounded
once more.