Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-25
RMAN REVERSES
RENDER UNLIKELY
ANTWERP INVASION
Investment of Belgian City
Would Take One Month
and at Least 100000 Men.
Food S upp ly Always
Available.
ANTWERP, Sept. 25.

ANTWERP, Sept. 25.
month ago, or even less. siege oi
this city seemed not improbable, but
German army since its retreat from Paris
that this contingency Is no longer con-
sidered. The mere preliminary invest.
ment of Antwerp would last one month
and require at least 100000 men, and these
the Kaiser cannot spare Just now, much
as he may be inclined to set even with
Belgium for daring to dispute the passage
of his troops through her territory.
That the seat of government should be
changed from Brussels here was to have
been expected. for retirement on Ant
werp had always been forescen as an
essential part of the defense of Belgium.
AS early as 1859. as soon as the fortiti-
cations OF Antwerp, erected in 1850 by
General Brialmont. approached compile
ton the principal port of the country
had been officially chosen as the military
capital of the kingdom as the "reduit
national" where the Government would
seek refuge in case of invasion.
At that time there was no thought
of barring the road of the Meuse. The
field armys action was limited to the
northern part of the country. taking Ant
werp as the base of its operations. After
the first reverse 1t would have sought
refuge in the stronghold, which was
considered impregnable.
This consisted of three lines of de-
fenses--the advanced line, with nine forts
scattered on the south, and on the west,
10 miles from Antwerp, the second line,
with II forts. surrounding the town at a
radius of about four miles, and the third
line. being the wall of decentralization
itself
LESSON FROM FRANCo-PRUSSIAN
WAR.
The scare of 1901, when the Franco
Prussan War ragged. showed the danger
Of this plan of defense In order to
prevent an armed invasion of Belgian ter
ritory after Sedan, the field army had to
be moved toward the southern frontier.
in spite of the advice of experts. After
fierce quarrels and long discussions, Gen
eral Brialmont's ideas prevailed in 1883.
and Liege and Namur were fortified in
order to guard the Meuse road and to
shelter the main army during the first
stage of mobilization.
Meanwhile the progress of siege artil-
lery had necessitated transformation of
the fortifcations around Antwerp. The
military commission of 1900 insisted
strongly on the urgency of such a work.
It was pointed out that the advanced line.
in spite of the flooding of part of its area,
was far from complete, gap of more
than Is miles being left open to the
enemy, toward the east between Schooten
and Lerre. 1t was also noticed that the
second line could not have resisted a pro-
longed bombardment, and that the third
enceiente had accordingly become useless.
1t was finally decided by the Chamber,
in 1906, to complete the first line by the
construction of 30 forts and redoubts. TO
transform the second line to an 'enceente
continue" and to demolish the walls.
ANTWERP PRACTICALLY SAFE.
II would be difficult to say exactly il
every particular of the new program has
been carried out to the satisfaction OF
military experts After the Agadir COUP
very strong criticisms of the War Office
were made because the first line of de-
fense was still far from being complete
The general. Van Sprang, who command
ed the place. admitted that, in case of an
attack he would have had to abandon
the first line. But since then very great
efforts have been made, and If we may
Judge by the results at Liege, the posi-
tion of Antwerp must be very strong
indeed
AS long as England is mistress of the
seas Antwerp can never be short of food.
Holland would no doubt, oppose the en-
trance of warships in the Schelde, but
she has already allowed, and will con-
tinue to allow, the entrance of freight
ships.
All these circumstances point to an in
vasion of Antwerp, even If the Kaiser $
troops are victorious in France, as both
unlikely and Improbable.