The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-02-21

ilSllC 1T Tie uedu Dut SOOu-llaCufeU,
music-loving and Industrious as Il
whole. Suddenly. almost in Il day.
O.0W.NW of people We're revealed as
blood-nad. cruel beyond any in all his
tory. In Belgium. upon a weak people
whose only sin was fidelity to their
country. atrocities We're committed
such as appalled, civilization. To-day,
well into the fourth year of the war,
we have Belgium in chains. hundreds
of thousands of her men slaughtered
or held in slavery. cities ruined, pas
tors of tiOckS murdered. land of peace
and plenty ravaged. temples desecrat-
ed, all law. human or divine, violated.
There must he scue hidden reason
for the fury. the wrath. the vengeance
visited uron Belgium with such terri
bic detail by the Germans.
Possibly it is in the guns of Liege.
For what is told herein credit must
he given to the Hon. Julien Koch. ut
Antwerp, now in residence at Nice
For forty-four years he has been IL
member of the Senate of Belgium. He
filled at one time the office Of Minister
Of the Interior. His nephew. Emanuel
1lavenith, will he remembered as Bel
sian minister to the AAited States.
At various times ;fthin the last
twenty years the peas of Europe has
been threatened. The Agadir incident
held within it possil ,ilities of great
danger. 1t seemed at one time as if
out OF the Algericas conference would
come war instead of continued peace.
At every sign of trOub'e the perturba-
ton was as pronounced in the cham
cellories of the smaller states as in
the larger, for war had menace as
grave for the little kingdom as the big.
In Belgium, the cockpit of Europe.
there was not a move. however. until
1912. Then, for the first time. the King
and his cabinet saw the danger near
to them. They saw in the first Balkan
war the prelude to the great war. They
We're convinced that the day was not
far distant when to trouble in the
Balkans" there would be added con-
fiict that would involve all the great
powers Of Europe. They studied the
problem of how Belgium should pro-
tect herself see as not to becoeae ils-
volved.
Eighty years or more ago the leading
nations of Europe entered into pledge
to preserve the integrity Of Belgium i;
to hold it's territory inviolate; to march
no longer over its soil in any conflict
| in which they should engage. And so
secured by the honor of her neighhors,
Belgium had felt no fears had known
no cause for cali to arms; for stand
ing army or mighty forts. Along the
MeuSe and the Scheldt she had old for.
tifications and guns of former day.
She had an army but it was of a few
divisions. On the MeuSe were Liege
Dinant and Namur. the former the
gate from Germany into Belgium. the
latter two the passages leading from
France into Flanders. In the north
fronting Holland. was Antwerp.
| Hardly had the first Balkan war and
its frights passed than the second Bal
kan war was ushered in. Then the
|
municatiOn with Berlin. Paris and Lon
don. The fears of Belgium were ex
pressed and representations were made
that in case Of hoStilitieS Belgium
would not be in position to defend her
self and maintain her neutrality unless
her Notifications We're strengthened
new and more improved guns placed il
them and her military establishment
brought up to date. 1t was suggested
that if the three nations pledged t.
preserve the integrity of Belgium ap
proved this plan they should contrac
to furnish her at the earliest time pos
sible the equipment necessary to carr,
out this program.
Approval came from the three grea
nations. Thereupon the largest ap
for military purposes was voted ant
work was begun to rebuild an(
strengthen the four great fortresses o.
the little kingdom. Contracts wer,
awarded to the Krupps for guns fol
Liege. They We're to he of the larges
and most powerful character produced
at the great works at Essen. Som,
krupl,s also were to be made for til,
forts at Antwerp, Dinant and Namur
France was to provide the bulk of til,
equipment for the Antwerp defense
from her Creusot establishments ant
England all the light howitzers.
| Commissions of British. French an,
Germans examined the plans for th'
rellodeled forts and suggested changes
in various details. Officially the under
taking was in the hands Of the Belgian
authorities, but, in fact, everything wa
under the supervision of the represen
tatives Of the three great powers.
| When all the plans We're approve'
Belgium paid to France. to Great Brit
ain and to Germany in full for all tn
guns and all the equipment the fort
were to get from those nations. Th
contracts hard been closed early in 191:
Delivery was to be made in each III
stance during the first three months o
1914.
The guns from the CreuSOt work
came on time. They were put in posi
ton in the newly built works TIVE
three and five miles further from Ami
werp than where the guns of the oil
forts stood The hawitzers from tn
British plants came next aud were sc
in the places assigned to them. DiI
ant and Namur received the Frenc
guns they were to have and all tina
was necessary. to completee the col
tract was to obtain the equipment u
] krunns had an.,;i ed in lIuYil