The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-05-30

HEADQUARTERS OF THE BEL
CLAN ARTILLERY ESTABLISH.
MENT BEHIND THE ALLIES FRONT
May 80. - Here, where the Belgian
army is making its own cannon, its
own rifles, It's own shells. its own
transport wagons, its own saddles and
harness, one can appreciate how other
outstanding features of the war have
unduly obscured the Belgian military
effort since the battles of 1914.
The Belgian army had six divisions
of infantry and two divisions Of cav
airy left to hold line of approximate
ly eighteen miles or just about four
men to the yard Of front, front where
particular vigilance Is required be-
cause Of the German tactics of con-
slant trial attacks. No part Of the
allies line is more closely watched
and explored by the enemy's patrols.
A weak spot anywhere would provoke
an immediate offensive.
The Belgian army has had to work
necessarily to keep up its breastworks
and at the same time put up an unre-
hitting defense. The solidity of that
defense, 1t may not be sufficiently re-
membered is an important factor in
giving to the British and French arm
les liberty of movement In operations
on other parts of the line. Is:
Belgium lost all her manufacturing
establishments and all her resources
in raw materials in the defeat of the
allies at Charleroi and the retreat from
Antwerp, yet Monsieur de Broqueville
minister of war, with Belgian ingenu-
ity, skill and perseverance, has built
up on the hospitable soil of France ar
tillery and munition establishments
that not only enable the Belgian army
to reply shot for shot to the Germans
on the User front but also contribute
to the armament and the supplies of
the allied armies.
It was to the United States that
Monsieur De Broqueville looked i'm
mediately after the termination of
heroic defense of Belgian soil on the
User for the reconstruction of Belgian
industry. Specialists were sent to
purchase American machine tools for
the manufacture OF everything the
army needed and when the machines
arrived, mechanics released from mill
tary service, were ready to operate
them. Fourteen thousand workmen
are today employed in those establish
ments.
The invasion found the Belgian
army In the midst of an entire reor-
ganization of its artillery. Siege can
non ordered from the krupp works in
Germany had not been furnished. Mil
lions of cartridges ordered from the
same source also had been held up.
1t was with disorganized armament
and insufficient material that the Bel
gians held the Germans before Liege.
Before Antwerp, in the retreat to Elan
ders and In the defense of the User
and 1t may be said that the remaining
debris Of the armament and munitions
was exhausted. The WORKOUT field
guns, brought back in the retreat to
the User, were partly replaced by
French three inchers but at that time
all the allies were short of their re-
Quirements In armament and NUM-
tion6.
The Belgian government began in
exile to work out it's great problem of
war supplies. Today it furnishes sad
dies and harness to the British army
and other supplies to all its allies, in
GLIDING Russian, besides keeping up
the equipment Of it's new army.
The Belgian army is new in nearly