El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-08
BEL6IET ARMY
IS RE0RGANIZED
EAGER FOB FIGHT
Has Been Well Equipped
With Munitions, Airplanes
and Big Guns.
WISHES TO HELP
WHIP THE GERMANS

TAvRE, France. Dec. S.-The Bel
- gian army was composed Of
L Il $4,000 men at the beginning
Of the war. Increased by 10000 volun-
teers IN August, 1914, and was re-
duced 10 $4,000 men after the battle
OF the User. By measures applied TO
Belgian refugees and by the enlist
ment OF volunteers who braved the
live wire barriers raised on the HoI-
land frontier. it now has been brought
up to ten divisions OF well trained
forces ready TO take their part in the
offensive in Flanders whenever tha
v ord is given by the commander in
chief, the Associated Press is in
formed By the Belgian minister OF
war.
Ready md Eager for Action.
IF our army has not undertaken
operations Of q wider scope uD TO this
time" said the minister, 'it is be-
cause il does not devolve on il TO de-
eide the moment when these opera
lions should begin. The army Is only
a part Of the combined allied forces
acting in unison and in accordance
with carefully developed plans The
army has valiantly filled the role.
more ungrateful than glorious. that
has been assigned to It II has just
proved by its attack with fervor and
awaits impatiently the hour"
Summarizing the work Of the Bel
Eian army during the war and re-
ferring to ats difficulties and lack OF
equipment. the minister recalled that
in August 1914. the army had only
one machine gun for each 1000 men.
was short of three-inCh guns and had
ammunition for only about 500 shots
for each piece. It had no light NOR
tars. no heavy artillery. no grenades.
no trench equipment. no ambulances-
no pOntoon crews and not single
motorcycle. It had only 1000 bicycles,
two captive balloons. n few super
ANIMATED airpianes and a few posts Of
wireless teleEraphy
Holds 10 Miles Of Front.
I'VE had only $4,000 infantry after
the battle OF the Yser." said the min
lister and its equipment was In a pitt
able state. munitions 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 doing so
was reorganized and reinforced until
now il counts three times the num-
her of men that the battle Of the User
left valid The front held by the Bel
gsan army has been gradually length
ened from about Y IL miles after the
battle OF the User TO l9 miles in June.
this front and held II alone until the
middle CT this year, when. rs a conse-
QUence Of the operations Of the allied
offensive in Flanders IL was reduced,
enabling the army TO dispose of con-
siderable reserves
Prepares go Miles OF Trenches.
THE Belgian army prepared more
than $50 miles Of trenches and re-
built more than 200 miles OF road.
Eighty different lines Of normal gage
railroads were built Battery en-
placements were constructed by hum
dreds and 1900 miles OF telephone
wires were put up. or laid under
ground.
-il August, 1917. the army had u
times as many machine guns as in
1914, seven times as many field guns
and heavy pieces with five times as
much ammunition as was on hand AZ
the outset of hostilities. Il has ten
times as many airplanes.
belgian avitOrs during three
months normal activity executed near
~ 1000 flights, of which 1920 were
in pursuit OF adversary planes. All the
different arms OF the service have
progressed and been improved iu the
ratio indicated by these figures
Works cut Own REORGANIZATION.
The Impression that has gone
abroad that the Belgian army was
reorEanized and reequipped entirely
by our allies is an error" the minister
added. Belgium. exiled and deprived