Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-05-07
CHURCH TOWERS
FOR USE IN WAR
Books Purporting to Be British
Secret Instructions Found
by Germans.
ALL BELGIUM IS COVERED
Journal Cathedral and Other Edifices
Noted-"Field Of Vision and Fire"
From Top Given-Routes Care.
fully Indicated.
BY OSWALD r. scHUErTE,


Correspondent Chicago Daily Nsws.)
Berlin, Germany.-Fifty-six churches
In Belgium were officially designated
as military observation points" by the
British war Office in printed instruc.
lions for officers that have fallen into
the hands of the German army.
The designations are contained in
the Road, River and Billeting Report
for Belgium" issued in four paper.
bound volumes of 100 to 200 pages
each. l have seen the volumes at the
general staff and have made my notes
direct from them. They are marked
Secret and Confidential" with this
specific warning printed across the
title page:
Confidential. This book is the prop.
erty of H. B. M. government and Is
intended for the personal information
Of -, who is personally responsible
for its safe custody. The contents are
to be disclosed only to authorized per.
sons
Reconnaissance Cover Four Years.
The imprint bears the date 1914"
and the contents declare them the re.
suit of 1913. They contain interesting
and exhaustive details of the roads and
rivers Of Belgium, with full tables of
the number of houses in each village
and the number of troops that can be
CHARTERED among the inhabitants, in.
GLIDING information concerning shell.
ter for horses and water supplies.
The tactical and strategical possibili.
ties are treated to the last detail.
On each route the observation
points are particularly emphasized,
and it is here that the Belgian
churches suddenly receive significant
military importance. More than half
the observation points recorded are
churches.
View From Journal Cathedral,
For instance, we find special atten.
ton to the cathedral towers of Journal.
with the remark that its four spires
afford extensive view of country in
all directions" These spires are 260
feet high and the cathedral is one
of the finest in Belgium. 1t is almost
1000 years old, the nave having been
built in 1910.
This cathedral is noted as an obser.
walton point on several routes, but
appears first on the route from
Journal to Renaix. On the same route
is found listed the famous little church
OF Ste. Trieste, which crowns the hill.
Mont st. Aubert north of Journal.
From the emphasis laid on this latter
church 1t seems to be a prize from a
military observers point of view. At
Its first mention. the record says:
Mont st. Aubert church, three
miles north Of Journal; good signal
station in fine weather for communi-
cation with Journal, Celles, Avel-
Chem, Audenarde, Roubaix, Lille,
Leuze and other places"
1t is interesting to find French cities
In this list.
Wide "FIeId Of Vision and Fire."
In detailing the route from Pecu to
Avelghem the report says of this same
church:
Mont st. ALBERT. From the black
and white colored church Este, Tri.
este) at western summit of ridge (450
feet high) field of vision and fire ex-
tends in all directions for many, miles"
The details of this route also give
as observation points" the cathedral
at Journal and the church at Mont de
pEnclus as good signal stations an
right bank Of Scheldt, all giving ranges
Of several miles,"
The churches are listed under the
caption OF Observation points" in the
detailed information for each army
route" contained In the war Office
booklets. Here are some of the other
excerpts: ~
. Route from Zeebrugge to Brussels,
by way Of Bruges and Client. Lessee.
. .-b- =. = .-.. .