The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-07
First Anniversary of
 German Capture of Liege

Just one year ago today the German troops entered the city of Liege, mark- ing the first important advance of the Teuton armies which later swept on like an engu1fing flood over Belgium andN a considerable part of northern France. The Germans attacked Liege on the fifth, and two days later the Kaiser's banner was hoisfed over the city, although the Belgian forts in the vicinity of Liege held out for some time.
 In the year that has passed since the Germans, in defiance of solemn treaty, swarmed into Belgium, the rich and fertile valley of the Mouse has been transformed from a vale of plenty. throbbing with industry and incredibly rich, into place of deso1a- ton. Of all the terrible incidents of this devastating war, the downfall of Liege stands first in point of time and in its powerful appeal to the irnagina- ton.
 The Wa11oons of the valley of the Mouse are aNsturdy industrious sober people, and, although long famed as fighting men and their country as a veritable cockpit of war. they had en-. joyed peace for nearly a, century, and had devoted that period to the up- building of mighty industries. While. devoting themselves to the arts of peace, the people of the valley realized that I1iege was the most important stretegical point of Europe, because it controlled the Mons and Cherleroi highways from Germany to France. Therefore they surrounded -Liege with a dozen great forts, six on the right and six on the left bank of the River Mouse. Although the brave men of Liege manned these forts, to the bit ter end, they were doomed to failure. The light field pieces of the Germans were futile to reduce the concrete,
 
 tackers made many bloody but un- successful attacks upon them. When the heavy siege howitzers were brought up and by the nineteenth the Germans had sufficiently reduced some of the forts to permit the in vesting the remainder and sending on the masses of the troops. One of the, greatest military lessons of the war was developed by the siege of hege- that the strongest forts are useless against the giant mobile siege guns. Another lesson was that the complete reduction of fortified places is not necessary for the safety of so great an army as the Germans possessed, the investment of such a fort being ample. to protect the rear of the at tacking army. But while the forts of Liege were reduced, they succeeded in delaying the German advance for more than two weeks, and thus rend- cred invaluable assistance to France At the time the Germans entered Liege year ago today, they found a beautiful and busy city-ef 100000 people. with dozens of quaint and lovely villages nesting along the banks of the river and in the shadow gof the hills Liege was one of the most important centers of Belgium s teenAing and thrifty popu1a ton, and Ghent it's only rival for the title of industrial metropolis of Belgium. 1 Great wooden mills. foundries, arms l factories and mining industries af-
 forded employment for the workers and its technical schools were world
 famous. Within a few days all was changed, and the hum of industry
 gave way to the cIamor of heIl-on- earth.
 l History was repeating itself, how l ever. for on nine different occasions the ancient had been taken by force 1 of arms. In the fifteenth century i Charles the Bold took it and razed it's walls. which were later rebuilt. Max 1 inni1ian I. twice captured the city, and I in 649 it was sacked by the Elector | of Cologne. Three times in the seven Eteenth century it was occupied by French armies and in 1701 Mari I borough entered Liege with his army I The French and Austrians fought in
 the valley in the latter part of the eighteenth century Liege was incor- porated with the Netherlands in 1914 and with Belgium in 1880.