The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-05
BELGIAN ARMY NOW
HAS TEN DIVISIONS
They Are Wen Trained Forces Ready to
to Take the Field Whenever the
Word Is Given for Offensive
in Flanders.

Havre, Dec. 5 Correspondence The
Belgian army was composed OF ll70OO
men at the beginning of the war, in
creased by 10000 volunteers in August,
1914 and was reduced TO 10000 men aft
er the battle of the User. By measures
applied TO Belgian refugees and by the
enlistment of volunteers who braved the
live wire barriers raised on the Holland
| frontier, it now has been brought up to
10 divisions Of we'll trained forces ready
to take their part in the offensive in
Flanders whenever the word is given by
the commander in chief. The Associated
Press is informed by the Belgian minis
ter of war
eff our army has not undertaken OPP
erations of wider scope up to this
time," said the minister, ct is because it
does not devolve on it to decide the mo-
ment when these operations should be-
gin. The army is only part of the
combined allied forces acting in unison
and in accordance with carefully devel-
oped plans. The army has yaliantly
filled the role, more ungrateful than glo
rious, that has been assigned to it. 1t
has just proved by its brilliant participa
ton In the last offensive in Flanders that
IL is ready to attack with fervor and
awaits impatiently the hour"
Summarizing the work of the Belgian
army during the war and referring to its
difficulties and the lack of equipment,
the minister recalled that in August,
1914, the army had only one machine gun
for each 600 men, was short of three
inch guns and had ammunition for only
about 800 shots for each piece IL had
no light mortars, no heavy artillery, no
grenades, no trench equipment, no am
bulanees, no pontoon crews, and not a
single motorcycle. II had only 1000 BIZ
cycles, two captive balloons, few super.
animated airplanes and a few posts of
wireless telegraphy.
''We had only $4,000 infantry after the |
battle OF the Yser," said the minister, |
and its equipment was in pitisble state, |
were lacking and all of the |
different organisms were deranged when |
the army base was transferred to foreign |
soil. This remnant of an army not only !
barred the way to Calais but while do |
ing so was reorganized and reinforced |
until now it counts three times the mum.
Der of men that the battle of the User
left valid. The front held by the Belgian
army has been gradually heightened from
about 1919 miles after the battle of the
User to 10 miles in June, 1915. "The
Belgian army organized this front and
held ii alone until the middle of this
year, when, as consequence of the OPP.
arations of the allied offensive in Elan
iers it was reduced, enabling the army
% dispose of considerable reserves.
'The Belgian army prepared more than
$50 miles of trenches and rebuilt more
han 200 miles of road. Eighty different
ines of normal gauge railroads were
,uilt Battery emplacements were con-
tructed by hundreds, and $4,000 miles
Il telephone wires were put up, or laid
I'm August, 1917, the army had IL
ines as many machine guns as in 1914.
even times as many field guns and
eavy pieces, with FIVE times as much
as was ON hand at the out
ct of hostilities 1t has ten times as
nany airplsnes. IL
Belgian aviators during three months
ormal activity executed nearly 1000
lights, of which 1910 were in pursuit of
dversary planes. All the different arms
the service have progressed and been I
improved in the ratio indicated by these !
CURES.
"The impression that has gone abroad !
hat the Belgian army WAS reorganized
nd re.equipped entirely by our allies is
n error" the minister added. Belgium,
killed and deprived of all her resources,
,ceived generous hospitality and power
Il aid from her glorious allies. 1t was
\ French and British soil that all was
, be done. but Belgians themselves took 3
p the work of reconstruction. The Bel !
an army created by its own efforts the '
-ester part of what was indispensable :
II it to live and fight. 1t is building its :
VA cannon, making its own powder and
$ own projectiles. Our valiant troops
I'VE held in front of them continually a
II greater number of German troops
ian the public has supposed"