The Attack Upon Liege 6l get across Belgium to France as quickly as possible, it would have been necessary to leave only a little garrison in the forts of Liege, thus protecting their flank, and press on up the Meuse Valley to the open French frontier. So valuable in the scheme of German operations was Liege that the sacrifice of some thousands of men to capture it was held worth while. This ex- plained the apparent recklessness of the opening at- tacks and the slaughter which Belgian despatches declared accompanied their repulse. Precisely the same thing was attempted by the Japanese at Port Arthur and also failed. Only one thing was immediately quite clear in the confusion. An unexpectedly heroic Belgian resist- ance temporarily delayed the advance of the Army of the Meuse. While the main German force was coming up behind, Liege still held out. If the Bel- gian resistance continued, it was certain that the real fighting would begin not in French territory but in Belgian, not about Maubeuge and Givet, but on the line of the Meuse between Namur and Liege. If Liege held out permanently the Germans could still mask it as the Bulgarians did Adrianople when they advanced to Lule Burgas. But the peril of such a movement was visible, because such an advance would leave their flank and rear open to attack by Belgian troops coming up along the Sambre and Meuse from all quarters, recnforced by the French and certain to have English help soon.