Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-22
BELGIANS MOVE
BACK TO ANTWERP
Retreat Conducted in Perfect Order
to the Almost Impregnable
Fortress.
PEOPLE ARE PANIC STRICKEN
New Capital OF Little Kingdom Well
stocked with Food and Will
BE Able 90 Withstand
Long siege.
Copyright. 1914, Press Publishing Coz
ny PERCY j. PHILLIPS.

ny
BRUSSELS, Aug. a.--(special Cable
gram to New York World and Omaha
Bee. To-day the Germans occupied
Louvain. which was until this morning
the headquarters of the Belgian army.
The first hint got Of what was Rfoot
was upon returning from Antwerp early
in the afternoon. AZ a crossroads below
the railway line / met a whole corps Of
Belgian infantry marching away from
Louvain. They we're moving in perfect
order and were in splendid condition, ex-
cept they were Undiscovered.
Further on toward L,ouvaln I met with
many indications OF what had happened.
A force Of 30oo men, or perhaps more,
had been left behind in trenches to meet
the enemy ana cover up the retreat OF
the main Belgian force. learned.
With these the Germans, who had ad-
vanced along three roads from Diest.
Tirlemont and Eghexee. had a sharp en-
counter. The Beigians fought stubbornly,
by all accounts. and their losses were far
smaller than the invaders, as they have
been In each engagement.
There was a story among some OF the
but that scarcely seems likely. At all
events, from a distance of about two
miles. ! could see no indications of the
town burning.
Meets Crowd of Refugees.
At this point was stopped by an
enormous crowd of refugees, some on
foot and others in private vehicles and
Red Cross cars, The sight of these folk
being driven from their homes was pitt
full BY far the greater number were
women with young children whose fathers
were fighting at the front.
The panic OF ignorance had seized the
mob. As was about to return ono peas
ant fired his double barrelled shotgun at
my car. mistaking my canvas fishing hat
for German helmet. He blew the tail
lamp to pieces. Lest his indiscretion
should lead his into far worse trouble l
stopped the car, took his gun away from
him and broke II across the breech.
In Antwerp this morning there were
hundreds OF fugltives near the station,
who had come in from TURNOUT, Heren-
thals and other places where there had
been some fighting. These were for the
most part being sent back by train to
their homes. None OF many that had
spoken TO had even seen any German
troops, but It is easy to find an excuse
for women left alone with children to
become panic-strlcken.
Mutton for Royalty.
A gendarme told me Of one old woman
who arrived last evening at the barrl-
csdes driving six sheep She did not
want the Germans to have them, she ex-
planned, and 30 she brought them with
her. She was quite willing the Belgian
soldiers should have them II It would keep
her safe. Perhaps. she added, the queen
and princes might need some OF her
mutton
Antwerp. however, has good stores of
food TO last throughout a siege, and the
princes whom saw this morning walk
Ing through the streets with their tutors
are hardly likely to be In need.
OF the defenses OF Antwerp. It is not
necessary to speak. They are as nearly
impresnable as can be. and the force de-
Tending them Is the strongest in the
country, not even excepting Namur