THE DEFENCE OF YPRES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11113, 1 December 1914, Page 6

THE DEFENCE OF YPRES.

The British defence of Ypres appears to have developed into a thing of heroic proportions. The two mam points at which the Germans have, most strenuously endeavoured to break through to the coast are Ypres, to the north-west of Lille, and La massee, to the south-west of that city, aud in both cases the brunt of the attack has been met by the British troops. Having been subjected to such an unmerciful bombardment, Ypres, with its broad, clean streets and imposing old buildings, dating, some of them, back to the 18th century, mast now present a pitiable appearance. In peace times Ypres has 17,700 inhabitants, who are chiefly engaged in the manufacture of Valenciennes lace. The cloth making industry dates back to 1078, aud about 1245 Ypres is said to have been the wealthiest and most powerful commercial town in Flanders, with a population of 200,000. A succession of popular risings and the great plague of 1847 led to the decay of the industry, while curiously enough, the siege aud capture of the town by the English aud the burghers of Ghent, in 1883, caused the last of the weavers to migrate. The devastations of the iconoclasts in 1566, .and the soldiers of Alva, aud the capture of the city’- by Gueux in 1578, and by Alexander Farnese in 1584, reduced the population to a bare 5000. During the 17th century Ypres was four times taken by the French. So the old city has witnessed its full share of tragedy aud heroism.