Italy's Position.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 97, 19 September 1914, Page 5

Italy's Position.

I RESERVISTS SUMMONED FOR SERVICE. By cable—Press Association.—-CWpytigW London, September 17. I The Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent says that Italian reservists state that, they have been called up for September 28. VALIANT LIEGE. VIVID STORY OF EARLY ATTACK. GERMANS MOWED DOWN! BY CAN-

NONADJES.Tlie New York Tribune on August 8 published the following vivid description of the early attack of Liuge. The dispatch came from the Tribune's London office:—

London, August 7. The only man who has yet got back to London after witnessing the first attacks of the Germans on Liege is Benjamin Hallet, a member of a Belgian zinc firm, who reached here to-day, after travelling forty-eight hours without food. Mr Hallet Baid: — "The first intimation that I had that the Germans were invading Belgium was a notice in a. Liege evening paper, on Monday, advising Englishmen to call on the English Consul there at once. I saw the Consul, and he informed that the Germans were advancing on Liege, and warned me to return to England immediately. "All the men in the city, and many women too, clamored for rifles. The supply was insufficient to go round. Food was plentiful, but nobody bothered much about eating, or sleeping either. "I heard the sound of heavy firing in the direction of Vise on Tuesday, and finally saw a red glare against the sky. The light indicated that Vise was

burning: "A grim determination not to surrender Liege to the Germans until its last defender had been killed inspired every citizen I spoke to. There are about 10,000 Russians at Liege, and most of them have volunteered to serve with the Belgian or French armies. HEARTRENDING SCENES IN THE STREETS. "There were many heartrending scenes in, the streets as the troops marched out to meet the invaders. I heard one old woman say through her tears,' He's my only son, and it will break my heart to have him killed, but I'll be satisfied if he only kills three Germans first.' "Despite their valour and resolution, I had no idea that Liegois would be able to make such a magnificent and •wonderful defence against such an overwhelming force as the Germans brought up. I saw the opening of the terrific struggle on Wednesday, and then came away. I was compelled to leave owing to a business engagement here, otherwise I wanted to stay. The temptation to remain and see the result was tremendous, almost irresistible, ill as it made me. "The Germans had their big guns far away across the river Meuse out of sight. A small detachment came in with a white flag. It was General von Emmich, the German commander, who came to demand the surrender of the

city, saying he merely wanted free passage for the troops, and would not hurt i a soul, hut be friendly with everybody, land pay cash at the people's own prices for everything that was needed. ! "If ever a man went the wrong way about getting what he wanted, it was that big German General. He hadn't any chance of getting anything when he started, and every word he said only added red-hot fuel to the determination of the Liege men to resist him to the end and then drop him into the Meusc. Some had hard work holding themselves back from doing it then and

there. They had to keep their eyes on the white flag, or they would have forgotten it and given sway to their anVON EMMICH WAS THREATENING.

"When General Von Emmich, after talking: of Waterloo, had practically given the Belgians everything they had, including existence, began referring, in a threatening tone, to the power of the German army as known to he irresistible, the Belgian officers shifted on their feet. But when he started to say what would happen to every Liegois if the city did not do at once what the Kaiser required, General Von Emmich ftas curtly told that his offer was refused, and the Belgian officers moved away breaking off the interview. "General Von Emmich had barely ridden back across the bridge over the

River Mouse, and was still in sight, cantering across the beautiful valley when there was a longer roar, a crack-

ing crash, and a splash. The bridge had been blown up. General Von Emmich was seen to turn on his horse, and watch the cloud of dust which went up into the air far above tho cloud of smoke from the explosives. "Tho next hour was, I think, the busiest I have ever seen. Women and children, weeping, were hurried away in every possible kind of vehicle, and many on foot, staggering along, trying to run and hardly able to walk because they were carrying so many things. The men, and many women, too, were taking up position to which they were sent by those who were in charge. The soldiers were hurrying at the double to their positions. Then came an astonishing silence. The Germans were coming. GERMANS MOVE TO THE ATTACK.

'•From the tops of the old dissuscd fortresses, from almost anywhere in the eity; in fact, because Liege is on a hill, the German troops could be seen approaching. Just as the first lino came into view, the guns of the German artillery, posted somewhere far behind them, started booming. The shells could be heard coming as they hummed through the air. They were not aimed at the city, but at the forts, which lie in a crooked line some distance out. Some of the shells went wide, buried in the earth, and then kicked up a vicious, spiteful kick. Some hit the forts, hut buried themselves in, the sand outworks and sputtered out. The forts did not reply. '•'Ahead of the German column, galloped some waggons. They pulled up alongside the Tiver, near the wreckage of the blown-up bridge. The soldiers, looking in the distance like busy ants at work, seemed to be tearing their waggons to pieces, and throwing the pieces into the river. Other men -picked up the bits, and, in what seemed an amazingly little while a pontoon bridge began growing in jerks across the river. "The Liege forts all this time seemed silent. I believe the Germans had come to tho conclusion that they were to t-e allowed over and into the city without opposition. The Liege, gunners were* all this time waiting, and all the time 'they were getting the line on that pontoon bridge,

BELGIANS oriLNS KlitX.

(The first rank of the German soldiers crossing the bridge were about twenty *A xl om the Bel B ian side . swinging with the bridge, and had just broken from a quaint, slow waddling march, not a run, when the Liege guns let go. When the frightful roar stopped, the only part of the pontoon bridge left was about fifty feet of it on the side where the Germans were, and the surface of the water was wriggling with German soldiers, struggling horribly to free themselves from the dead and shattered, and swim to the side. "At the' same time, Liege sharpshooters picked off one by one about a dozen German sappers who had stayed on the Belgian side after finishing the bridge and had layed down under the bank. I Some of them ran to try and find shelter under the Tuins of the old stone bridge, but they were shot down as they ran. * "The other German soldiers appeared to take no more notice of what had Happened than if it had been part of the arranged programme. Another set of waggons galloped up and another pontoon hndge was thrown across the river Meusc. Before it was completed at least a hundred of the men who were building it were shot down. As they fell into the river others took their, places and went on building the bridge. The German guns about this time did not give so loud a report ■when firing. I was told that that was because they had | moved closer to the city. "Then the battle began. The Liegois did not fire much at the artillery, which oould not be seen. They waited for the troops. The slaughter was terrible. Every time the advancing guard jumped up to run a few yards nearer to us, we could see men fall dead or wounded. I doubt if I could have watched it much longer, even if I could have stayed. And yet it was absolutely fascinating. "I was told that it had been discovered that there were no fewer than 80,000 Germans marching on the city. There were only 40,000 trained soldiers in Liege. How they have held out, I can't understand. No more war for me. No sir, never."

AT BAZBHiES IN 1870. The cases of Louvain and Termonde are vitally different to that of Bazeilles, a little town to tine eoutih, of Sedan, which in 1870 was burned to the ground because its citizens bore treacherous arms against the Prussians. It is written of that reprisal that the entire population was massacred; and cast into the flames. The correspondent 'Of a London journal pictured the nightmare of "innumerable charred corpses of women and tender little ones — 9. sight I dream of and wake in a cold sweat of horror." According to tbe commentator referred to above, the authorities agreed tihat Germtiny merely executed sntence in virtue- of the law of war. Even at this distance, the flames and the butchery at Louvain and Termonde generate passionats anger against such Hideous brutality from a. civilised soldiery. But Germany will pay to ths 'irttormosit farthing for it all; she will 'have to foot suoli a bill as will break her nationhood. ' The Indian divisions are Hearing France—'how one would like to see the massive Uhlans shrinking from the Bengali, swordsmen! —C-A.M.