BELGIUM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 110, 2 October 1914, Page 5

BELGIUM

ANTWERP READY FOR THE ASSAULT. COMPLETE PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. BELGIUM IN THE HANDS OF MADMEN. AN AMERICAN ON THE OUTRAGES,

Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, September 30. Antwerp advi.,es that the positions between the three lines of fortifications have been levelled for the use of gunners. Villas and, houses have been demolished. Expert opinion on the seizure of Antwerp states that it would involve enormous loss, which the Germans in their present condition do not risk.

New York, September 30. Mr. Copland asserts that alter the conquest of Liege the German soldicrv, so long baffled and starved, but now maddened with alcohol, fell upon Belgium in a frenzy of rapine, rape, mutilation and lust.

His statements have provoked an extraordinary outburst of pubiic an«er the greater because Mr Copland has carefully distinguished between the outrages of a section of the soldierv and mere sex excesses.

Mr Copland refers to Jack the Ripper crimes as a jarallel. He states that the whole of Belgium has been given over to the passions of maddened men.

HOME FORCES' SUCCESSFUL 0 GUERILLA WARFARE. »

GERMAN OUTPOSTS TERRORISED.

BOMBARDMENT OF FORTS CON

TINUES.

Received 1, 9 p.m. Antwerp, September 30. The garrison continues guerilla tactics. The nightly sorties have terrorised the German outposts. A train was blown up and outpost* picked off. Despite the activity -of the garrison, the number of civilians killed and wounded is stilt inexcess of the Belgian soldiers.

Desperate fighting occurred at Termonde and Aerschot from Sunday until Tuesday. The Germans on Sunday were heavily reinforced, until the combatants numbered nearly 130,000. Despite the superior German artillery, a Belgian battery at Andegan. after losing 17 gunners, silenced the German battery. The bombardment of the forts at Wallhem and Wavre continues. The Germans attacked tho forts at Liegele and Brecdouck. Several sorties drove back the Germans with heavy losses.

GERMANS' SUCCESSFUL RUSE.

ENTER VILLAGE IN DISGUISE. Times and .Sydney San fences. Received 1, 6.30 p.m. •Lodon, Septont'oer 30. The German* regained Alost by a ruse. On Sunday, disguised as peanantfl, they arrived in country carta, an i suddenly uncovered their machine guns and poured a hail of lead. Soldiers and civilians were panic-skidkcai, and the fled. HOSPITAL WKE/JKED BY GUNFIRE. Received 2. 12.20 a.m. Antwerp, October 1. During the bombardment of Lien*, shells wrecked the hospital, killing four wounded soldiers and two women.