BELGIUM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 128, 23 October 1914, Page 5

BELGIUM

" THE CITY OF SILENCE." DEPRESSLXG VIEW OF ANTWERP. AN EPIDEMIC FEARED. REFUCEES RETURNING FROM HOLLAND. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 22, 6 p.m. London, October 21. It is officially stated in Antwerp that 1030 houses wcro damaged and three hundred totally destroyed. A correspondent who visited Antwerp after the German occupation described it as a city of silence. Traversing the city, he saw less than two hundred people. Not a single hotel was open, excepting those commandeered by the officers. A few cafes were open, but the food supply was small. The only water supply was from the Scheldt, which was dirty and saJty, and an epidemic was threatened.

The German flag flies from the. clock tower, which now shows German time. The Belgians have discovered proof that the Germans were prepared for an attack on Dunkirk, where they found villas within range of the forts with foundations and doors of the heaviest concrete. «The Belgian sappers whollcw them up declared that they 'had not seen such solid stuff in all their lives.

Rotterdam reports a general return of Belgian refugees. Eight trains each carrying a thousand, left Roosendaal. tnd there is a similar movement from other centres. GERMANS SHELLED FROM THE SEA. EFFECTIVE NAVAL GUNNERY. London, October 21. Warships off Belgium watched the enemy by night digging trenches by the light of flares. They took the exact range, and shelled the enemy at daylight, inflicting sixteen hundred casualties in one day, and wrecking six batteries. The first shot on Sunday destroyed a Taulic, and it is reported that the ships brought down a Zeppelin on Monday.

NAVAL GUNS IN ACTION. GERMANS BETWEEN TWO FIRES. London, October 21. The Allies have made excellent progress in Belgium. The British naval guns, finding the range manrellously, shelled tho enemy along the dyke, and the German artillery were forced to relire and the Allies made a general advance. Many Germans were taken prisoners and a large number of Belgian and French prisoners released. The German officers are dejected and confess that their armies iu France an! j Belgium are retreating. Seventeen i iraiiLoads <:( German v.o:i:idcd have I reached Brugt s. I The llrlll-h war-'Vp.* ■ !i" l':e ceii-t ! near Osteml raked the villages Rim.hward of Middelkork an I dropped heavy shells in the rear of the Germans. . A detachment with machine-guns advanced, and the Germans, caught .ietween two fires, wavered and yielded. i The infantry pressed forward, the «an- [ nonading from the sea increased, the infantry fire redoubled, and the whole German line resting on the sea retreated. The Germans removed their guns towards Outdid, the wounded traversing j Bruges to Ghent and Brussels. The French newspapers pay a tribute to the work of the British engineers in

repairing an important railway bridge ! which the enemy had <!■■ stroyed di'.rin.'! their retreat. Trains were r.'i'e u> cross • j within three weeks. A marb i- slab !'.;('. 1 been placed on the. li.'i'i;;.', in-crib."'. '■i'.npish Engineers, 1014." Sir 1). Ilaig, in a litter to a 'friend i'l England, says: "We have had the hardest time, but nothing in cur history has surpassed tlie soldierly quality of the troops.'' CERAIAX MARINES RETURN TO KIEL. SUDDEN STOP TO EXCESSES. BELGIAN SUCCESS AT ROULERS. ALLIES DE-TAKE BRUGES.' Amsterdam, October 21. The German marines from Antwerp have rejoined the fleet. It is stated that the warships at Kiel were extensively provisioned at the end of tie week. After the first Per-"»i •'—•!.••••• I'-f fat Chen.' General Jung stopped the ' si'.le of li[|iior. A soldier insulted a woman, who complained to_ an officer, j and he. immediately killed the soldier !vr itli a revolver. The Tc'cgrnaf states that tiifoty thousand Germans are entrenched between j Middclkcrk and Xieuport.

Prince, Wolrud, half-brother of t»ic Duchess of Albany, was killed on patrol duty on the western front.

Owing to negligence, a powder magazine near Brasschaet, north-cast of Antwerp, exploded on Sunday, and some German soldiers were seriously injured. THE FEEDING PROBLEM. GERMANY'S CUNNING SOLUTION. BLOCKED BY THE 'ALLIES. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 22, (i p.m. London, October 21. It is l stated that Germany suggested that Holland should re-provision the districts in Belgium occupied by Germans, declaring that Cwusany void

provide- the necessary railway waggons. The Allies held this tantamount to the abandonment of neutrality, since Germany would bo better able to provision her armies if Holland relieved her of feeding the Belgians. The Netherlands thereupon declined the project. GERMAN GARRISON CURTAILED. WiATEB SUPPLY AND TIiA.MS RESTORED. Received 22, 10.25 p.m. Amsterdam, October, 21. The Germans have curtailed this garrison at Antwerp, and sent the machine guns to the front.

The -water supply has been restored, and the tramways are running. One hundred and fifty houses were absolutely destroyed, and many were plundered. The churches were undamaged, and the public buildings, excepting the law courts, were almost spared.