War Gazetteer

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 1, 19 August 1914, Page 8

War Gazetteer

Louvain. —Town, Belgium. On river Dylc, 1G miles N.E. of Brussels. Population about 40,000. Formerly, capital of .Duchy'of Brabant, and had' six times as many inhabitants as now.

Biamont..—Town, Franco, department of Meurthe, on river Vezouse. Population about 3000. Kiaochau -Germany’s centre of operations in the Far East is Kiaochau, This colony, which is held by Germany on a ninety-nine years’ lease, is on the south side of flic promontory of Shantung. In 1897 a German fleet seized it, nominally to ■ secure reparation for the murder of two missionaries, and in the negotiations which followed it was arranged that Germany should have a lease of Kiaochaii Bay and a certain area of land, in all about 200 square ilcs, for ninety-nine years. A .month aftertho lease was agreed to Germany declared the colony a protectorate of the German .Empire. Provision was made in the lease for the defence of tho colony, and Germany lias exercised her right, so that should the. Japanese attack Kino-chau a fight may follow. Tire garrison is not large,and consists mostly of marines. Hided, the colony is held by tho naval authorities, and a naval officer is the Governor. The total strength of the garrison is about 3125 men. As a port,. Kiao-chau is of some importance. In 1911, 614 vessels, aggregating 1,070,000 tons, entered the hay. Tho loss of the colony would seriously damage German prestige in tho Far East, besides ruining her trade in Shantung. ' i"