The Spell of Belgium Part 22

Namur as we saw it was a busy and prosperous town. The Sambre is a water route to the Borinage, and the Meuse a financial a.s.set to any city. Its streets were wide, with many parks. One feature made it specially attractive--on the lamp-posts hung circular baskets just beneath the light, filled with flowers and hanging vines.

Not far from Namur is the old hermitage of St. Hubert, clinging to a rocky cliff. There, in the Middle Ages, it was customary to ill.u.s.trate Bible stories by the use of marionettes, small wooden figures which moved about the stage at the will of the monks. They were capable of acting out before the eyes of the marveling country folk the story of the Pa.s.sion, of the c.o.c.k that crowed thrice, and the penitence of Peter, stirring sluggish imaginations to renewed devotion. "At the right, against the wall, you see a table. There, you should remember, rested the scaffolding in the midst of which was played the Pa.s.sion. From the opening below, the man of G.o.d pulled the strings of the machine.... The man of G.o.d was the hermit, at once the author of the actors and of the piece, and impressario of the troop which he had made with his own hands."

Such was the Walloon country, as we saw it in our journeyings. It was our last trip in Belgium, for my husband received word that he had been named Amba.s.sador to j.a.pan. So we packed up our things and sadly said good-by to all the friends who had been so kind to us. Little did we think that there was soon to be war, and that many of them we should never see again.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OLD HOUSES ON THE SAMBRE, NAMUR.]

But Belgium has been through many wars before this, many sieges and sackings and burnings, so we can feel sure that the spell of its enchantment will survive the gray wave of soldiers which has swept across the land during these last sad months.

CHAPTER XV

A LAST WORD

I

SYNOPSIS OF THE WAR

Last night, when the half moon was golden and the white stars very high, I saw the souls of the killed pa.s.sing. They came riding through the dark, some on gray horses, some on black; they came marching, white-faced; hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands.

The night smelled sweet, the breeze rustled, the stream murmured; and past me on the air the souls of the killed came marching. They seemed of one great company, no longer enemies.

_John Galsworthy._

We were in America when the war broke out. It was as unexpected to me as an earthquake, notwithstanding the warning I had when we were in Brussels. Not knowing the situation then--that war was bound to come--I remember my interest in the excitement of several diplomats who dined with us one evening. They knew that trouble was brewing among the European nations. They could see the spark from the fuse of the bomb that was to throw all Europe into war. The bomb at last exploded, but not until June 28, 1914. The Servians in revenge for Austrian oppression killed the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, when he and his wife were in Sarajevo, Servia, on an official visit.

Two of the princ.i.p.al events leading up to this situation were the a.s.sa.s.sination of King Alexander of Servia, son of King Milan and Queen Draga, in June, 1903, and the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria in 1908.

Under King Peter, Alexander's successor, Russian dominance over Servian affairs grew stronger.

When the heir to the Austrian throne was murdered the German Emperor sent a telegram to the Czar which read:--

"The unscrupulous agitation which has gone on for years in Servia has led to the revolting crime of which Archduke Francis Ferdinand was the victim. Undoubtedly you will agree with me that we two, you and I, as well as all sovereigns, have a common interest in insisting that all those morally responsible for this terrible murder shall suffer deserved punishment."

The Servian and Austrian governments could not come to an understanding, and Austria declared war on Servia.

In answer to the Kaiser's telegram the Czar replied:--

"A disgraceful war has been declared on a weak nation. The indignation at this, which I fully share, is immense in Russia.

I foresee that soon I cannot withstand the pressure that is being brought to bear upon me, and that I shall be forced to adopt measures which will lead to war."

So it developed that Russia backed up Servia, and Germany backed up Austria.[10]

[10] The best authorities, of course, on the causes of the war are: The English White Paper The German White Book The Belgian Gray Book The Russian Yellow Book The Austrian Red Book The French Yellow Book

Germany needed to expand her territory and commerce and was thoroughly prepared for war. At that time Germany, Austria and Italy were in a Triple Alliance; Russia, France and England a Triple Entente; Italy refused to aid Germany and Austria, however, because she was not bound by her treaty to do so in an offensive war. She was humorously cla.s.sed with Greece and Roumania in "the triple attendre," but on May 22, 1915, she joined the Allies, declaring war on Austria.

One of Germany's excuses in entering upon the war was to keep the "barbarian Russians" out of Europe, but curiously, at this time King Albert received an ultimatum from the Kaiser demanding that the German army should be given the right of way through Belgium. The King replied that the Kaiser must respect the independence and neutrality of Belgium, and refused to let the Germans pa.s.s through the country. A second ultimatum was delivered, which demanded that a reply be given within seven hours. If within this time no answer was returned, or an answer unfavourable to Germany, war would be declared.

On August 2d the Germans entered the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. On the 3d they entered Belgium.

The statement made by the Imperial Chancellor von Bethman-Hollweg in the Reichstag on August 4th acknowledges the violation of Belgium:[11]

[11] From the German White Book.

"We were compelled to over-ride the just protests of the Luxembourg and Belgian governments. Our troops have occupied Luxembourg and perhaps are already on Belgian soil. Gentlemen, that is a breach of international law. It is true that the French Government has declared at Brussels that France is willing to respect the neutrality of Belgium so long as her opponent respects it. France could wait, but we could not. The wrong--I speak frankly--that we are committing we will endeavour to make good as soon as our military goal has been reached."

The Germans motored into Belgium by three different roads. Fifteen hundred picked soldiers came in advance in one hundred and fifty automobiles. The army followed at such speed that their commissariat could not keep up with them, and they did not even wait for their heavy siege guns. They expected to live on the country, and so some straggling parties of German soldiers were captured by peasants with an offer of food.

The charming little border town of Vise was the first to be destroyed by the Germans. "This district contains a large population of gun-makers familiar with the use of firearms and unfamiliar with the ways of warfare, and it seems proven that several citizens of Vise did take part in the hostilities and that they fired at the enemy. The Germans retaliated with ruthless severity."[12]

[12] From "How Belgium Saved Europe," by Dr. Charles Sarolea--as is much of the following.

Among the weaknesses in the defense of Liege were the lack of sufficient soldiers to man the forts, and the long distances between the different fortresses, as well as the lack of support by rifle entrenchments. The fortresses did not prove impregnable because they were built to withstand a horizontal fire, while the German howitzers dropped sh.e.l.ls from above. The three German army corps under General von Emmich made attack after attack. On the third day they lost twenty-five thousand men, some of the crack regiments from Berlin suffering heavily.

The forts held out long after the town was occupied by the Germans for the reason that they were built to defend the river approaches rather than the town, and until August 5th the Germans were unable to cross the Meuse.

It was difficult for the Germans to get the proper range for their big guns, and the story is told that a German soldier with a white flag of truce walked towards a fort in order to get the correct distance. His white flag was respected until he arrived at a spot where he signaled back to his comrades. It is needless to say that he was then killed.

From the moment when the Germans were able to get the proper range with their heavy siege artillery, the fate of Liege was sealed. Toward the end of August, all the forts were occupied by the Germans.

"The resistance of Liege is not only one of the most magnificent achievements in military annals;--it is also one of the decisive events in the world's history."

It has already been the inspiration of much poetry and prose. The following extract is taken from the poem called,

"HOW LIeGE HELD THE ROAD"[13]

We were pounding at the anvils when they pounded at our gate; "Open," cried the German squadrons; "let us pa.s.s, or meet your fate!

We are millions; dare deny us and Liege is but a name."

But we chose to die in honour than to buy our lives in shame.

So we banked our eager fires, and we laid aside the sledge, Recking only that our sires had endowed us with the pledge To maintain an ally's honour, to uphold the Belgian code, And we answered with our cannon, THAT LIeGE WOULD HOLD THE ROAD!

[13] From the volume of poems ent.i.tled "The Song of the Guns," by Herbert Kaufman.

Here are a few of Verhaeren's remarks on the fall of Liege:

"It is true that for the moment our factories are silenced and seemingly dead, but as soon as the war is over they will awake again like sleeping monsters. We were a little too sure of the tomorrow. War in our eyes was other people's business. It has come to us, formidable and terrible, at a moment when we did not look for it; like a mountain whose crumbling rocks are falling upon us to crush us William's army has come upon us. Our numbers were small and we stood alone. We were attacked with disloyalty and betrayal. We hastily raised our forces at Liege in old forts. All that was done in a day, in an hour, in a moment, and at once we became the marvel of the world. The fate of the Spartans was like that of the Liegeois. Today, as then, a handful of men saved the world. We should have only room in our hearts for pride. Tears dishonour us."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Citadel, Namur_]

Namur, another great stronghold of Belgium, was bombarded on August 21st, and thirty-six hours later the Germans entered the town. When the forts were destroyed only twelve thousand out of the twenty-six thousand Belgian soldiers were left. Ammunition was so scarce in this region that the Civic Guard had to give up their weapons to the remaining Belgian troops. The French and the British as well suffered a terrible defeat at Charleroi August 22d, and were obliged to retire. Fighting all the way, they made their masterly retreat through Mons into France by way of St.

Quentin.

Between the fifth and twentieth of August the poor wounded and dying soldiers were brought into Brussels. When the crowd in the streets shrieked and howled "Vive la Belgique!" the wounded tried to wave their arms (those who had them), and show some sign of appreciation. Houses were opened and prepared by the Red Cross Society to receive them. The refugees as well, from Charleroi and Liege, and from the districts where the fighting was going on, rushed to Brussels for protection, but the Germans were close behind and entered the city on August 20th without firing a shot.

At the beginning of the war hardly any food was to be had in Brussels and other Belgian towns, and what could be bought went up to very high prices. Flour cost fifty cents a pound, and bread one franc for two pounds. Salt was not obtainable.