BELGIUM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 29 August 1914, Page 5

BELGIUM

I-iUIXJIANS LOSE TEX THOUSAND. American Protest against ■ ZEPPKMX BOMBS. rimes-Sydney Sun Special Services. Received 28, <5:40 jun. 'London, August 28. | A 'Belgian officer estimated that tnu Belgian Josses were 10,000. The American Minister in Belgium hag protested to Berlin against the Zeppelin dropping bombs.

"ALL OR NOTHING." GERMAN LINES OF OOMMUSTCA- ' TION UNGUARDED:

Tunes-Sydney Sun Special Services, Received 28, 0.40 p.m. Ostend, August 28. s bccn decided to resist attacks of raiding parties, but in the event of the enemy appearing in great force the people, will ask the observance of tho rules eonverning an undefended town. note that the most i atna.iLp.ble thing about the German ad- . vAncp is, £hat there are no troops along the lines of communication. The railway services are re-opened by Belgians to towns through which passes of German troops have just passed. It scorns to be ''all or nothing," unless there is a second army up behind, which will supply this deficiency. There is no news of it at present. *

the opportunity seized. Received 28, .9.10 p.m. ' ■ London, August 28. The fourth German Annyi Corps, Which wa's.ordorcd south, has .returned, owing to Belgian attacks on their lines of communication; ' LAST. OF A LIEGE FORT. - [ -tpELESS s TO FRIENJ) OR TOE. ' 'Times and Sydney Sun Services.

Paiis, August 27. > Whon Port Ohaudfoiitaine, at Liege, was reduced to a heap of ruins by the Gentian bombardment, the commandant, judging that further resistance was impossible, blocked the tunnel on, .the railload from Aix-la-Oliapelle by making* several .locomotives collide. He! then set fh'o to the wreckage, not wishing to see the. German flag floating:' over 'tlio ruins of the. fort. He also , fired the powder magazine and blew up the t remains. NAMUR STILT/ RESISTS. THE TOWN TAKEN, BUT NOT THE •,■ ' FORTS, , Ostend, August 27. 'Aa officer from Naniur states that the forts are holding'.out, with tihe exception of Marchovelette and Cognelle. The Belgians fought there without assistance for two days previous to the arrival of the Frendh reinforcements. A large force of Gormans is before Namur, and the Belgians have retreated southwards. The Germans occupy the town. \ A large number of the inhabitants have been killed.

BOMBARDMENT OF NAMUR. CONTINUOUS FOR TWO WEEKS. ■BELGIANS' LONE-I-lANDED DEFENCE. Received 28, 8,40 p.m. Paris, August 28. M. Mcllot, Belgian Deputy for Narnur, stated that the bombardment commenced on August U. Until then the inhabitants had hoped that the French and English would arrive and rout the Germans before they reached the town. The Germans' first shell struck the bridge at Salzimncs, and fell on a group of oalookers, killing five.. Later, the Uhlans came in great num- > bers, and hy the 20t.1i the inhabitants were unable to pass the lines of the ' forts. While 11 German' army corps were crossing the Meuse, a powerful force was } detailed to mask the fortress, and kept up a heavy fire which extended for ten miles on both banks of the Meuse. The French tried to check the German advance. A German battery was, at midday on the 21st, placed between two forts ,and bombarded the town. The Belgian troops were then joined by the French.

MALINES EVACUATED. SUCCESS FOR. THE GERMAN ARMS. AFTER HEAVY FIGHTING. Received 28, 0,10 p.m. London, August 28 (morning). After a magnificent defence for two days, the Belgians have evacuated Malincs.

Sixty thousand inhabitants were expelled from Malines, where the Germans are entrenched.

(Malines, or Mechlin, is a city in the Province of Antwerp, Belgium, situated, on the Dyle, I|S miles north-north east of/Brussels. It is a railway centre, and lias manufactures of Mechlin lace (formerly very important). The Archbishop is .the Primate of Belgium. The Cathc dral was built chiefly in the 13th century, but a considerable part, was vebuilt in the 14th and loth in consequence of a fire. Tljp -Tribunal,, several works of art. and old buildings, are also notable. Malines was formerly under the rule of the bishops of Liege—from the 10th century to 1333, when it passed to Brabant and Burgundy. Its population is about 60,000.)

TIJE KAISER'S DREAM OF EMPIRE. [London, August 27. It is stated that German soldiers scratched all over the walls of Ljegp, "Willielm 11., 'Emperor of Europe."