Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-10
PART RIVERS PLAY IN WARS
History is Full Of Great Battles that
Are Remembered by the Names
Of Streams Nearby.
BLOOD TAKES PLACE OF WATER

Rivers have always played great and
sometimes q decisive role in the great
drama OF war and the colossal European
struggle lie no exception TO the rule. on
the contrary, the greatest battle the world
has ever seen. both by reason OF tie
duration and the numbers engaged. is not
unlikely to so down to history as the
battle Of the rivers. These are the Aisne
the Disc and the sommo, all OF which.
during that interminable battle, literally
,an with blood.
What u role, too. has the Meuse played
In this war; 1t was the difficulty Of
crossing It IN the face OF the fire OF the
i.cgc forts which caussd tnst fortnight
dclsy in the carrying out OF the kaiser's
program which saved France and, per-
maps eventually. the British empire.
puring that fortnight the waters OF the
Meuse were choked with the bodies OF
the slain.
The River Nethe, tributary OF tho
SchIedt, formed one OF the main OBJ
stacles to the Germans in their great
assault upon Antwerp. Time and time
again the Germans succeeded in setting
a pontoon bridge completed and came
down 10 the river peuA ih HoAe "ee~N4 "
cross Il.
As they came every Belgian gun that
could be turned upon the spot was con-
centrated upon them, and they were
blown away and the bridge destroyed,
until the river literally ran with blood.
similar distractions Of pontoon bridges
burdcned with their living freight OF
men and horses and guns have occurred
on all the many rivers which this war
has brought into the terrible hmelight OF
battle.
who will ever forget the tragedy Of the
Tugela2 From being an unknown river
except to south Africans, II suddenly
sprang into universal fame. It's erosslns
proyed the crux OF the Boer war. The
attempt 20 force passage eoet thou-
sands OF lives, including that young hero.
The only son Of Lord Roberts, VINO dieo
In trying to save the guns, and upon
whom the Victoria Cross was nes'oWso
after death.
pyerybody will recall the part which
"Father Tiber' played in olden days In
the defense Of Rome, and especially LoIu
Macaulay's surring ballad which teuP
how Horauus kept the bridge against an
army and then swan back, when the
bridge WAS ntWn uoNHt WbtAhhNe Vs. -
armor. That ballad and its heroic topic
Is but an indication Of the esteem IN
which rivers have ever been held by
strategists as lines OF defense
watch on the Rhine.
what we're the Germans sinl > before
the palace OF their emperor Just before
the war startod9 And what are they sling
ing as they march to battle7 The Gar
aNg nm
Rhine" They have good reason to sing
that song. for the Rhine for generations
formed their western boundary, and no
foe ever crossed It unopposed. From the
days Of Julius Caesar. who crossed It
twice with an army, TO modern times Il
has been making history Napoleon
crossed Il times without number. His
most tragicai crossing was after this
great Battle OF Leipzig. when his broken
army struggled back into France. But On
most occasions he crossed II victorioualy.
and on one memorable occasion his army
crossed by moonlight on the ice.
A tributary OF the Elbe. Germany's
most famous river next to the Rhine,
has been made immortal by a great bat
tie on Its banks. This was the battle
of Hohenlinden. fought In midwinter be-
NWttu tilt NOhpiHtu lOiNNH VI
and Bavaria under that great military
genius, General Moreau. and the Aus.
trlans The latter were defeated with
q loss OF 5000 men. The victors lost
1900, but captured seventy-nine OF the
enemy's guns and took 1000 prisoners.
Immediately after this battle an English
bard wrote one Of his finest odes upon
Il.
Another famous little river, a tributary
OF the Danube, which itself has seen
more fighting. perhaps, than any other
stream In Europe except the Rhine. Is
the Nlbel, Upon this stream stands the
village OF Blenheim. after which the
splendid palace OF the Duke OF Marlbor-
ough. a gift from the nation. Is called.
| The river at this point, where It fails
into the Danube, Is divided into several
branches. with marshy ground between
and the French made II their left flank