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V19269 A WARM RECEPTION AWAITING THE ENEMY, ON BELGIUM'S LINE NEAR ANTWERP The little detachment of Belgian soldiers whom we see here, kneeling behind an improvised log breastwork amid their turnip fields, are some of the men who rushed to the defense of their outraged country and forced even the mighty hosts of Germany to pause in their headlong descent upon France. This log breastwork differs very widely from the deep and elaborately organized systems of trenches which covered northern France and western Belgium in later years of the World War. But when the Germans were advancing on Antwerp in the later days of September, 1914, the defenders of the fortress had not yet leaned the terrible power of theGerman heavy artillery, one shell from which would have blown into toothpicks such a flimsy defense as this big tree trunk. The Belgians relied confidently upon their ability to repulse any attack upon Antwerp. The proud and beautiful seaport city, with its 400,000 people and its vast world commerce, was reputed to be the most strongly fortified place in the world with its three lines of ramparts and detached forts, the outer line covering a circuit of 60 miles. But on September 28, the Germans began the bombardment of the outer forts on the south side of Antwerp. In three days they had reduced the outer forts and at noon of October 9, twelve days after the beginning of the attack, the Germans marched into the city. They found it like a place of the dead, the defenders after their brave but useless defense, having retreated, accompanied by half the population of the city. Copyright by The Keystone Company