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Show ANTWERP GETTING BACK TO NORMAL AFTER WEEKS OF TERROR AND PANIC Antwerp. Antwerp gradually is returning re-turning to normal conditions. About 150,000 of the city's 350,000 inhabitants, inhabi-tants, most of whom fled when the Germans occupied it, have returned to their homes. Some bakeries, meat shops and grocery stores are opening in the poorer section of the city, and a few old women with dog carts are offering offer-ing apples and vegetables in the once busy markets. The German flag files from the tower of the cathedral of Notre Dame, but Belgian priests are reading mass as usual. The streets virtually are deserted except for the gray German automobiles automo-biles which dash along at mad speed carrying officers clad in smoke gray uniforms. No War Tax Levied. No tribute has been levied on the city as yet, except that the Germans have demanded supplies for their army. General von Huehne is governor gov-ernor general of the military government. govern-ment. Ma. Gen. von Bodenhausen, commander of the fortress of Antwerp, Ant-werp, will be installed shortly asi civil governor. General von Huehne has given assurance as-surance that Belgians will not be forced to dig intrenchments or do other work for the Germans if they return to the Belgian cities. Elery consideration is being shown the Belgians Bel-gians by the invaders, but this kindness kind-ness makes the Belgians suspicious, as they believe, they say, that a trap is being laid. Thousands of Natives Return. Over twelve thousand Belgians returned re-turned to Antwerp, and probably half that number from Holland. All of the Holland border towns are filled with frantic Belgians, who move about anxiously seeking relatives and are afraid to return to their native land. The country about Antwerp is desolate. deso-late. It Is estimated that about three hundred buildings were destroyed in Antwerp by bombs, most of these structures being residences. The Hotel de 1'Europe and the Taverne Royale on La Place Verte were among 25 large buildings destroyed by fire caused by bombs. La Mier and other leading business streets are untouched, but all the large business houses are still closed, despite the efforts of the Germans to restore normal conditions. Argentine Consul Killed. About sixty persons were killed during dur-ing the bombardment of the city. Theophile Lemaire, Argentine consul con-sul at Antwerp, was the most prominent promi-nent victim. He was killed In the cellar of his home by a bomb which came through the roof and floors and struck him. Consul Diederich and the American vice-consul, Harry Sherman, both narrowly nar-rowly escaped death during the bombardment. bom-bardment. They lived on the south side of the city, where the shelling occurred. The operators of a Zeppelin dirigible balloon dropped a bomb within with-in 200 feet of Mr. Sherman's home, and the house adjoining Mr. Dieder-ich's Dieder-ich's residence was completely wrecked by a bomb. cerned way. They express no curiosity. curi-osity. Familiarity with danger has in this case bred a feeling of utter contempt for it. Now Seek Verdun Forts. The reports that the Germans were making an assault in force on Toul and Nancy are erroneous. For the present their chief objective is the smaller line of forts along the Meuse line from Toul to Verdun. These are Troyon, Genecourt, Les Paroches, Camp de Romains, Lionville, Giron-ville Giron-ville and Jury-sous-les-Cotes. The first to fall was St. Mihiel, and several sev-eral of the others are reported In difficulties. dif-ficulties. In addition, the bombardment bombard-ment of Verdun continues, and some of the outer works have already been reduced. Aviator Escapee Death. While passing through Vervinay I witnessed a daring piece of work by a French aviator. Under cover of a fog he had swooped down on the German trenches and had located a number of them before he was discovered. dis-covered. Although the German artillery artil-lery fairly rained shrapnel around his fleeing plane he mounted almost straight up and finally escaped to his own lines. I was able to spend on entire day in the German trenches which have been constructed to prevent the French armies with headquarters at Toul and Nancy attempting a flanking attack. In one of the trenches the soldiers sol-diers had organized a singing society. The whole scene was wonderfully picturesque. pic-turesque. A thick fog hid the French trenches 800 yards away. The ghostlike ghost-like figures of the greenish gray-clad figures in the trenches were strangely silhouetted in the mist. Occasionally the thunder of the guns would punctuate punctu-ate the choruses. The singing was remarkable, as many of the soldiers had trained voices. Some stood at attention. at-tention. Others had their hands tightly tight-ly clasped in the attitude of prayer. They sang, "It's the Day of the Lord" and "My Vaterland; Beloved Vater-land," Vater-land," chiefly. |