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

the Meuse had headquarters. There
was tumult in Berlin. where the gem
eral staff was in session. Germany
had been deceived. Germany had been
tricked. The British. true to their ira
ditions of perfidy, had planned it all.
The BelgianS had been parties to the
hellish conspiracy. 1t all had been but
part of the plot Of Germany's enemies.
the enemies who had made war upon
her.
Never had Germany been so betrayed
as by Belgium. OF all the crimes i'll
history nothing was more hellisll.
While heseeching Germany for guns
for I.iege the traitorous hounds had
leen mounting guns on the forts of
Iiese i'll secret, with the purpose OF
ElOttins out German lives. And Ger
many had pledged to recompellse Bel
GUM in full for permitting German
troops to cross Belgium For her de-
ception, for every German life sacrific-
ed. Germany would exact toll in Bel
DRY of that foul land.
But hate could do nothing without
guns, big guns. 1t iSeditficult when an
organization has planned as minutely
and deliberately as the Germans plan
ned the invasion of France to divert
great guns hurriedly.
The general staff worked desper-
ately. feveriShly. to hasten the for
warding Of some Of the monster ~
centimeter howitzers to Liege. Con-
| Sidering the tremendous task elsewhere
+! TO employ them. they did wonders But
with all their efforts it took more than
| a week.
Meanwhile. by night and by day.
| efforts were made to force passage
through the narrow defile The Meuse
ran red those days, as it did many
ether days later in France The Ger
mans. by heroic effor-, captured one of
the forts to the east Of the city, but
not until the II centimeters were oh
tained and began to hurl their tremell-
| dOus shells against the forts back Of
the city was the tide turned. The forts
began to crumble. Az they did. the
| Germans swept through the gorge and
on into the city. 1t would have been
possible for the Belgian commander
even then to have held the Germans
back. but to do so he would have had
to shell and destroy the city. That
would have meant the slaughter Of
many Germans hut many more Bel
| gians.
| The Germans came through the city
firm in the belief that Gen. Lehman
would not make the supreme sacrifice
of his own people. They We're not de-
ceived in this.
Liege held the Germans eighteen
days. 1t is declared the Germans
could have been held eight days more
If the city of Liege had been destroyed,
so as to give free sweep to the guns in
stead Of a shield to the invaders.
The world has marveled why if
Iiese held out against the Germans
for eighteen days, Antwerp. which was
considered impregnable. fell after
eleven days. The answer is the guns
of Antwerp that defended Lege.
What did the guns of Liege cost Ger
many: The Belgian estimate, and this
they declare is conservative. is $4,000
men. But that counts but little against
the greater loss. Germany lost eigll-
teen days-eighteen priceless days
eighteen days that saved France from
destruction that enabled Britain to get
its miserable little army across the
Channel-tllat saved the world fol
democracy.
And for this Germany has tortured
Belgium until the heart of all man
kind bleedS in its pity