New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-05
Belgians Refuse to Grant
Truce to Invaders to
Bury the Dead.
ARMISTICE OF TWO
HOURS WAS ASKED
All Bridges Over River Nethe
Destroyed-Germans Actl'
on Dutch Frontier.

Post" correspondent IN Antwerp man'S
the following statement:
"The Belgian field artillery is co
operating efrectually with our heavy
artillery. Our infantry is lntrenched
on the near bank Of tho Nethe, oppo-
site the main German forces. TWO
German attempts to cross the river
have been smothered by our artillery
This dispatch Is the first intimation
that English forces have gone to Ant
werp and are cooperating with the
Belgians in the defence OF that city.
A Central News dispatch from Ant
werp, dated last night, says;
"The Germans have been repulsed'
They asked for two-hour armistlce
TO bury their dead, but the Belgians
refused to comply. ;,
"The Belgians have destroyed all
the bridges over the river Nethe. the
Germans unsuccessfully attempted to
rebuild the bridges"
A Reuter- dispatch filed on Sunday
in Amsterdam says: -.
"The German troops to-day dis
played greater activity around the
butch frontier. They occupied Lam
aekcn after a short bombardment.'
Lanacken, a town Of 5000, in the
province Of Limbourg, Belgium, lies
three miles northwest of Maestricht.
II is a frontier customs town.
An Antwerp dispatch to The Morn
ing Post" says that Fort Waelhem, IN
front of Antwerp, has met the CHIEF
brunt of the German attack When
several Of the cupalos were damaged
the commandant urged that the men
Who were most fatigued with the ong
fight should withdraw from the fort,
AS only a small garrison was now neces-
sary. Not single man would retire
voluntarily, and it was necessary Tor
the commandant to give direct ORDERS
that part of the garrison should leave,
The commandant, though wouhden,
declared that he himself Woulu Hot
leave so long as it was possible TO nave
another shot at the enemy.
A Reuter- dispatch from Antwerp
gives the following official statement
issued there: ,,,
"The artillery duel continued through
ont the day. The general situation -
unchanged"
As result of the flooding OF the
country in the neighborhood OF WaeI-
hem a heavy German siege battery was
engulfed, according TO an Ostend dis
patch, and big gun was lost.
An agency dispatch from The Hague
"Refugees arriving here last night
from Antwerp say that the position OF
the Belgian forces is excellent and that
the German advance has been steadily
checked. The forts are admirably re
sisting the heavy German artillery fire.
an the city Of Antwerp itself great
hopes arc entertained of final victory.
There is not the slightest panic. King
/ Albert is continually in the trenches,
personally conducting operations. Inc
King stayed in one of the trenches Tor
more than twenty hours without rest
ing"
Antwerp. Oct. 4.-The Belgian War
Office announced this afternoon thar
the situation in regard to the fortiticS-
tons of Antwerp was unchanged.
London, Oct. 1.-The Belgian Minis
ter here to-day received dispatches
from Antwerp denying a report that
three forts defending the city had
fallen. He states that Fort Waelhem
wa badly damaged by the Germans,
but that none of the Notifications sur
rendered and that the Belgians have
strong positions which they are holding
successfully.
A news dispatch TO the Central News
from Amsterdam says that word has
reached there from Antwerp that Fort
Waehem destroyed an entire regiment
Of the besieging Germans on Saturday
afternoon.
4 Reuter- dispatch from Amsterdam
says: THE Germans bombardcd the
village of Briegden, near Lanaeken, in
the Belgian province of Limbourg, on
the Meuse, three miles northwest OF
Macstricht The village IS now burn
ing fercely."
The fall of the Belgian city of Nsmur
was due largely to the work of German
spies, according to Times" CORE
spondent in Belgium.
zone of the principal features of
Namurs defences was the River
Meuse," says the correspondent. THE
Germans, assisted by spies, managed
TO open the tide gates of the Meuse,
thus lowering its waters, which were
extremely deep. They were then able
10 cross the river.
"When the Namur commander saw
that resistance was impossible with
out reinforcements he tried to rally
all the forces from the outlying forts
to the main points of defence, but
owing TO the work of spies he found
his underground telephone system de-
stroyed. He was thus unable to direct
his campaign or to summon reinforce
ments.
"As the result of the Gripping of the
telephone lines each regiment was COM
PEELED to fight its way out of Namur
separately, with heavy losses. II the
garrison had remained twelve hours
3 lOuOpr NOT a "A would tarso
been able to join the Allies. AS a mat
ter of fact, only 1900 of the garrison
Of $4,000 escaped.
The German attack on Namur was
opened with 1i-inch siege guns, which
were brought into position under cover
of a cavalry screen. The older guns
Of the forts were powerless even to re-
ply. Forts Maizeret, Marchovelette,
Audoy and Cognelee were all DESTROYED
and burned, with every man of their
garrisons."
Excellent express train service IS
being maintained between Ostepd and
Client, according 10 a dispatch to "The
Observer from one of its corrcspond-
ents in Belgium. At Client railway
notice boards arc carefully corrected
in chalk hourly as certain trains arc
withdrawn or their runs are curtailed
owing to the fuctuating progress of the
fighting.
OF the result of the operations
around the other line of fortifcations
of Antwerp there is considerable mvs-
terry. The Belgian Legation at London
announced on Saturday night that the
/ Belgians had been compelled, before a
violent artillery attack, to fall back