The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-09-16
.L|ECE THR|YES
ON SUFFERING
FOR CENTUR!ES
PRESENT EXPERIENCE
NOT NEW TO CITIZENS
Belgian City Has History Of
/ Blood and Refuses to Be
Stunnedby Last Disaster.
! BY JAMES O'DONNECL BENNETT.
| War Correspondent Of The Wheeling
Iu1nlligenCrr,)

w dl vi Va ~ W -NN'4'S
Inlnlligencer.)
! L1EGE. Belgium. Aug. 1.-LleGe Is
accustomed 10 punishment and expert
in recuprrution. In the thirteen ;ur'
bulent centuries of its existence 1t mas
been knocked down so many times
and has so promptly and Chcerfully
picked itself up. that nothing can stun
Ii for long. Mistress Of the valley CT
the Meuke and commanding THE route
from France to the lower Rhine land,
il has for ages been the desire and the
victim Of conquerors.
It's sufferings have been sufficient TO
eXtinguish a kingdom. but LieEe seems
10 thrive on suffering. After every Or
deal it puts out, the fires in its citadel
on the heights and deScends into tn"
valley to relight the fires in its forgrs.
Today, as yesterday, it is one OF the
busiest and most prosperous cities in
the world-never long diSheartened
and never permanently chaStened. The
three day siege Of August. 1914. which
was over before the rest OF the world
knew it was well begun, was a reia-
lively minor matter in the crimson an
nails of the ancient capital OF the Wal
looms, and of the penalties it paid for
its share in the world war, the one
that irked it most was being for
months sent early 10 bed by the con-
queror.
Captured Many Times.
Liege can tell story far bloodler
than the story of two years ago. In
the last four centuries and a half it
has been ten times besieged and cap
tured. In 146S Charles the Bold. ans
wering the cry of the Bishop Of Liege.
against whom the citizens had risen.
took the town, destroyed every build
ing in it except the churches, and eth
er slaughtered or drowned 10000 men,
women, and children.
Later Charles made what was left Of
the population an cXpiatory SlH or
statuary in gold enamel which the
town placed in the church Of st. Paul,
where YOU may see it TO this day. Ac-
counts being thus squared, the people
went on with the rebuilding.
Early in the next century the Emp
error Macmillan !. took LieZe twice.
Less than half century later the cleo
tor of Cologne captured it. Within
the period of less than two decades
of the lost quarter Of the seventeenth
century the French took it three
times At the opening Of the next cen
fury Marlborough captured il, and the
closing years Of that century saw the
French revolutionary armies and the
Austrians fighting for ii.
Impossible TO Surprise City.
There can be no surprise in store Tor
city with such q record. 1t unites
the resigned spirit Of old age with the
turbulence OF youth. and 1t refuses TO
be downed.
It has simply acquired q new tradi-
ton. and the ruins Of the fort Loncin
OF the battles Of 1914 have become as
much Il routine place for siChtccrS as
tho restored church Of ST. Martin. whore
the impaSsoncd hurEhers burned 300
mobiles alive in the course Of n civic dis
puto tina. ragged six centuries ago and
where. less than twenty-five years ago,
anarchists blew out all the ancient win
dows Of the south aisle with dynamite.
For the purpose Of this survey Of Rel
GUM at work in wartime I came into
was appropriate enough, for LieEe in its
passion for work, its passion for war.
| it's zeal in pleasure. and it's recuperatire
| power IS typical of Belgium.
| Crowds Gather Sunday Night.
1t was Sunday evening. The even Of
| q continental Sunday-carcfrco though
| Sedatc cnnuSh-a pageant of lights
music. promcnadcrs. and beer Slippers
| The houlcvards and shopping streets
we're illuminated and many Of the shops
were open. especially those shops for the
| sale Of souvenirs and Cimcracks whore
one could buy pins enMneled with por-
traits Of the king and queen Of the Bel
| CLANS and Of the sad. sensitive looking
royal children and patriotic books and
notices and postcards and royal bio
| Eraphies.
Germany. thought. Is displaying