New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-05
SEES ANTWERP PREPARE
TO KEEP OUT GERMANS
Correspondent Describes Visit to City OF Dreadful Ngh
and Tells of Appalling Conditions Caused
in Belgium by the War.


London. Sept. %. There is just one
thing certain about Antwerp that one
can say without fear of contradiction
and only one That is that on the
stroke of O'Clock every night Antwerp
becomes the darkest and blacklist city
in the world. Not the faintest gllmmer
of light is to be seen anywhere. Not
sound is TO be heard. Even the foot
falls of the few privileged persons al
lowed TO be out after s o'clock are
deadened. The people actually tread
softly Add to this "a dark and lower.
ing sky and you have real CITY OF
dreadful night"
At least that is how my first Ant
werpian night impressed me. Almost
anything else that you may say about
this quaint Belgian city under present
conditions is quite likely to be contra
dcted. shall only tell what | have
seen and heard.
Only n Sentry Seen.
As YOU sail up the Scheldt River af-
ter leaving Flushing you pass mile
after mile of absolutely fiat, absolutely
growing thing in sight. Not a tree
breaks the landscape; nothing but dank
desolation, utter solitude. After all
YOU have read Of how Belgium has
been laid waste you begin to feel that
all of Belgium is like this. In fact,
YOU are somewhat prepared 10 hnd
Antwerp itself barren waste OF mud-
land.
As YOU get nearer to the city. how
ever, you come into sight of the hrst
fort Here and there "A sentry STANDS
on top of the dyke silhouetted against
the skv. He is the only thing you have
seen in twenty miles that is more than
foot high. And queer fgure ne
makes. for the Belgian soldier is III.
tie bit OF a chap, and the bayonet OF
his rife towers several feet over MS
head. He resembles in striking man
ner the toy soldiers we played with AS
children, and you are in constant rear
that he will topple over the next
minute.
Children Fleeing.
Soon all along the dyke other funny
little figures climb up and wave thelr
caps in friendly greeting. As you APP
proach the landing pier you come al,
most on top of very well constructed
nontoon bridge which the Belgians have
huilt across the Scheldt for the pas
sage of troops. II
As we draw up to the pier We pun
alongside the steamer Brussels OF the
Great Eastern Railway Company, her
decks fairly swarming with fair-halred
Relgian refugees, children outnumber-
ing the grown-ups five to one MOST OF
them are wearing wooden sabots; many
az them are barefooted. On the pier
are several hundreds more. We shall
take them back with us. They are
from the tiny villages and hamlets
around Louvain and Termonde. .,
Their baggage? Oh. yes, this family
Of five have theirs tied up IN hand
kerchief which the mother clasps IN
her arms, while next to them group
Of seven have enough almost to M
sheet. and the two smallest childreh
are asleep on it. Most of them have,
walked all the way to Antwerp ana
even if the tires the Germans set IN
their homes spared anything, u IS
rather difficult to carry two or three
babies and any large amount OF mousse
hold effects twenty or thirty miles.
City of Dreadful Night"
There is no formality about going
ashore. You simply walk up the gang
nIank. and there YOU are. The customs
men male pretense of looking at
your baggage, but that is all. NOBODY
carries more than they can walk IN
nowadays. We had been careful 10
have our passports vised at the BEL
pian Embassy before leaving London
but they were never looked at
And now for this city Of contrasts,
for if Antwerp is a "city of dreadful
night" il is all hustle and stir IN the
daytime. In fact, the whole city hVes
in the streets while daylight lasts, as
if to make up for the gay evenings u
is robbed Of. Or perhaps 1t IS for lsar
the people may miss something tnht
is going on, some fresh rumor, tha'
they flock to the streets.
Even the old women sit in the open
doorways hearing the gossip and no"
and then doing little sewing or knli,
ting A flag floats lazily from the tall
steeple of the cathedral, and mat re,
minds me of bit Of conversation
heard that is not without It's grim
humor:
81 am going to change hotels 20
day." said man to friend.
"Why?" asked the other,
Because am within thirty yard'
of the cathedral" was the reply.
The centre Of all activity III Ant
/ werp is the Hotel St. Antoine. Here
1 is the headquarters Of the Belgian
government. Here at the present tim'
/ are most of the foreign ministers, ant
/ from this place everything radlates
Military headquarters is next door t
it, and all day long high powered au
| tomobiles come roaring and snortint
to its doors, bearing military Official i
of every rank and in every lmagina0l'
style of uniform.
But Grimly Serious.
The government has taken owe
every automobile in the city, and tn
absolute recklessness with which thu!
tear through the crowded streets, ut
tcrly regardless OF the danger 10 lift
and limb, is terrifying.
Some people may tell you that Ant
werp is Indifferent to its fate. but i
made no such impression on me
Never have | been in more scriou
city. Except around the st. Antoine
during lunch aud dinner and in tn
cafes just before the coming of III
dark hoar do you see anything sp
preaching jollty. The people do no
smile. They 60 about with seriou
faces. In fact, outside of the places
have mentioned, I don't think hearc
anybody laugh. Most of the folks
saw seated at the tables on the side
walks outside the cafes were drinkini
their beer or light wines-no spirit
arc permitted TO be sold-in silenc
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