The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-14
BELGIAN ARMY NOW
REDUCED TO $4,000
Out of Total of 100000 That Started
Out When Germans Began to
Invade Their Territory.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press,
Furnes, West Flanders, JAN. l4.-Six
ty thousand worn soldiers strung along
the User, where they checked the rusl
OF the German invaders toward Pas dc
Calais, are all that are left of the Bel,
gian army Of 100000 men under arms
when Germany invaded Belgium, but one
OF King Albert's staff officers who has
been with the army since the siege Of
l4iege, asserts that the small Belgian
force to-day is far more efficient ma
chine than that which met the first Ger
man attack
He said to the Associated Press eorre-
spondent
''When we reached the User we were
beaten and demoralized army, almost
to the point of absolute disorganization.
| Fighting for weeks without adequate
support from our allies, and with most
Of our men believing that we had been
left to our fate, the chances of ever
again making a fighting force of our
army seemed remote. That we did so
was due to the highest and lowest fac.
tors in our civilization, the inspiration
and activity of our king and the lighting
spirit OF our peasantry
The kings aristocratic regiment of
guards is thing Of the past. They
have been disbanded and their places
taken by two regiments made up OF
Flemish peasants and commanded by ac
tive young officers in Belgium.
"When the critical situation along the
User was realized, the local peasantry
seemed to remember the glory of their
past when their people were the terror Of
the invading Spaniard and it needed only
the actual leadership of the king to weld
them into the fighting force you see here
to-day. The king Is commander of this
army and during those nine terrible days
in the trenches while the Germans hurled
their hosts at us, and we waited in vain
for the expected support, the king was
not only an inspiration to his officers
and men as he fought beside them, but |
he proved himself capable military |
leader. To-day the army is an efficient |
fighting force, too small of course for |
we are unable to give our men leave |
from the trenches such as the French |
and English now enjoy, and this has
caused some natural complaint, but in
spite OF this, as you can see for your
self, the spirits OF the soldiers could not
be better These men are all veterans
now and most Of them are young in
years. The officers are picked for their
work without regard to their former
rank and many Of the highest officers of
the army have been relegated to posts
where they are doing useful work, but
where they cannot repeat any of the
Dunders which marked the first part of
.he war.
We have no apologies to make for
Iur artillery. This service was the real
Y professional branch OF the army into
which officers went for pure love Of their
and from Liege to the User
hey have proven themselves worthy OF
he cause for which they are fighting.
'ome idea Of the value placed on our
rtillery is indicated by the fact that a
Selgian captain of artillery was placed
D command of POO French guns and .di-
ected their fire continuously for 30
ours in one of the iercest artillery
uels OF the campaign.
Only second TO our artillery are the
ocular cyclist corps and the voluntary
rotor corps The cyclists were well
rained and the Uhlans will long have
luse to remember their craftsmanship.
he automobile drivers volunteered from
hat might have been called the butter
y class OF society youths, but they
ave proven as tough as the battered
irs which they drive. They have en-.
med incredible hardships and many OF
lem occupy unmarked graves, the sole
ward for some desperate scouting ven.
ire.
The less said about our infantry ex-
ting az the beginning of the war the
stteL but the work of the men out
lere in the trenches has paid in fun for
~ past shortcomings in this branch Of
le service. We only have a few square
lies Of our country left aud practically
of this is subject 70 artillery Ere. but
Ie same spirit which made the Low
,untries famous as backgrounds IN the
iddle ages, seems 10 have revived
nacity IN our army which win continue
hold West Flanders until the advance
Brussels begins"