Evening star., 1915-04-11

1t Is interesting as side light on the
actual war to link Antwerp's past with
the present by a brief back
History ward glance at the great
Ano-x military and commercial
city's role down to the con-
gress at Vienna in 1915. Antwerp. like
Belgium itself. has had tragic part
In history. history. It may be added.
almost apart from the nation itself. be-
cause Of its maritime and military inn
portance. Napoleon said OF Antwerp:
1T is loaded pistol which I hold
pointed at the heart of England"
Belgium. 1t Is recalled. was con-
quered by the Romans, then by the
Franks: in the ninth century 1t was
divided between Franks and To-
tharingies" under Lothaire l in S55. A
century later 1t was again divided into
upper and lower Lorraine in the
twelfth century it fell to the Dukes
of Brabant. and subsequently 1t be-
longed to Stanislaus Leczinski I. King
Of Poland. at whose death. in 1866
(sovereign of the duchies OF Bar and
Lorraine and father-in-law of Louis
SV). tho duchies reverted to France.
At the time of the French revolution
the French Lorraine, with Nancy as
capital. formed separate government.
which later constituted the depart
ments Of the Meurthe, the Meuse. the
Moselle and the Vosges. A part of the
Meurthe and the Moselle was taken by
Germany in 1871: the remainder forms
the French department of the Meurthe
and the Moselle
Thus from 1885 to 1477 Belgium was
under the house of Bourgogne: in 1877
1t passed to Austria: from 1875 to 1915
1t was under tho domination of France;
lin 1915 1t was united with Holland: in
pendence as a constitutional monarchy.
Antwerp was a very great CONNER
cial port until the sixteenth century.
and vessels ascending the Scheldt were
sometimes forced to await their turn
for six months. In 1860 Antwerp was
the richest city in Europe.
The decadence of Antwerp COM
menced toward the close Of the six
teenth century in con-
Beginning of sequence of religious
necadarc. wars and the celebrated
oe'auehce. siege of 1885. which ter
minated. despite the efforts of Marnix
de Saint-Aldegonde. In the capture of
tho city by the Prince of Parma. The
commerce of Antwerp was ruined by
the treaty of westphalia Q64s). which
closed to navigation the mouths of the
Scheldt
1t was revolutionary France that lib
Grated Antwerp under Dumourriez in
1872. Dumourriez first attacked Ost-
end while the commander Of the
French fleet. an American named Moult-
son. planted an oak tree and formed
political club ito show the people
road
A French writer recites that it was
also Moultson who commanded the
French fleet and captured Antwerp De-
cember 8. 1892.
landing at Ostend and the part taken
by the American says:
The next morning, accompanied by
his stan, the American Moultson land
pie which had decided foreign accent.
but whose generous accent was domi-
mated by the spirit of the revolution
ary propaganda" What the Franco
American said is worthy Of repetition
after a century and a quarter:
I'VE have come not to ravage your
property nor to strike an assassin's
knife into the heart of your timid
wives; we only desire your friendship,
drive out your oppressors, lead them to
the gates of hell and shut them in that
place Of punishment whence the divine
goodness should never have let them
out"
Dumourriez had manifestly permitted
he pleased" for the same day the French
commander entering Brussels delivered
a speech himself, in which he said:
keep your keys yourselves and keep
them well; do not permit yourselves
to be dominated by any stranger: you
are not made to be dominated by any
such: Join your citizens to US that we
may drive out the Germans (Aus-
trians); we are your friends. your
The news of the opening of the
Scheldt by the French to commerce
provoked emotion in
opening OF Austria and Holland.
4h. coh.1d+ At Amsterdam and
tne ocneldt. Rotterdam the prin-
cipal merchants were very cool to the
French. The government of the united
provinces turned to England for aid.
England's traditional policy was op-
posed to the occupation of Austrian Bel
GUM and Netherlands by France or any
other great power.
Burke declared in parliament:
France. mistress of the Scheldt,
Meuse and Rhine. would shake the
antique columns of the German empire
Europe"
Talieyrand was informed that Eng
land would remain neutral only until
the day that Antwerp or --msterdam
were threatened.
The reunion of Belgium and France
was discussed at length in the conven-
tion at Paris. Sieyes planned negotia-
tions with Holland. 1T is necessary"
he wrote, ito exact Flushing, for it is
urgent to revive Belgium and strike a
mortal blow at England in opposing
the Scheldt to the Thames, Antwerp
to London. and the fleets we will have
at Flushing to the English fleets.
Among the illuminated disciples of
charsis Cloots of Prussian origin, one
of the founders of the "Kult of Rea-
son." Anacharsis was in his own
right Baron Of Guadenthal. He was
banker by profession. and how he drift
ed into the convention in France is a
mystery which may be solved only by
research. That Cloots was not an
idle dreamer appears in the following
writing: ut is necessary" he said. ito
mouths of the Rhine to the Rhone: the
mouth of the Rhine is essential to our
happiness: it Is in Holland that we
will destroy Carthage. it is from Texel
that we will sail our revolutionary
fleets" Before two years." he added.
human unity will be an accomplished
fact"
A great number of our modern
prophets, sages. philosophers and poll
tfcians are un-
The Delusion of doubtedly sin