The Ordway new era., 1914-11-06
BY JACQUES oBeLs.

by ordinary means to get anything
out of Antwerp except by messenger
since the invading force has fastened
its settled rule upon the town. One
exception l might make. News sub
edited by the German military gov
ernor would stand good show Of
seeing the light in foreign countries.
do not wish to imply that Teutonic
military supervision of dispatches al.
ways surpasses in severity that OF
the other warning nations: I have lit
tie doubt that, generally speaking, the
British censor Is the most liberal In
Europe. Therefore, ! have come to
London partly to get off this cable dis
patch and partly because London is a
convenient halfway point on my way
back to the Belgian front. Briefly, I
wish to discuss the alleged atrocities
whether supposedly committed against
Germans or by Germans.
On the Road TO Holland.
Getting out OF Antwerp under the
rule of the kaiser Is much easier than
getting in, as the barriers erected out
side the city gates and the sentries
turn one back. For a. special exit a
pass from the military government Is
necessary and the obtaining of this
pass makes necessary the fatiguing
search, cross-examination and sus-
pense with which all who attempt to
move about in the war zone are pain
fully familiar. ran the gauntlet all
right and eventually found myself on
the road to Holland, that road which
has been Redeemed by the bleeding
feet of disinher1ted men and women.
striving to save their children and
some pathetic remnant of their house
hold necessities.
Dismount the Belgian Guns.
When left Antwerp the outer forts
were scenes of great activity. Ger
man soldiers were dismounting the
Belgian guns and lining them up on
the roadside preparatory to sending
them away, possibly to the western
front. As passed along l was as
tonished to find how the Germans
were making friends with the natives
Apparently. they are doing everything
they can to win the confidence OF the
Belgians, assisting them at their Ia
bors and mingling in a simple way In
their home life.
Particularly was this true Of the
marines who. as learned, were men
who had been recruited along the
Dutch frontier In Germany and hence
used dialect like that spoken in the
north Of Belgium. Here the people
naturally are reticert and distrustful.
but these Germans. with speech like
their own, have done wonders In a
few days in winning their confidence.
At the frontier Dutch. and German
is jealously on guard against the other
and together they present stiff but
dramatic picture. The Dutchman OBJ
viously sympathize with the Belgians.
One of their officers told me that the
sight of the Belgians thronging over
the border and surrendering their
arms was enough to move the hard.
est heart. Most of them were hag-
gard, some were wounded and all were
disconsolate. Immediate measures
were taken to feed the hungry and
provide comfortable quarters for all
in a neighboring training field.
sciI8 OF IOotIH9 py SCT"d0b'
Now for my knowledge and opinion
respecting the atrocity stories. I
will say at once that have no knowl-
edge of such acts, unless looting and
the placing OF civilians before attack
ing columns be considered atrocious.
So far as I know such acts may be
more or less Justifiable in war and
certainly the Germans committed
them. myself, as l cabled the other
day, was forced, with half a dozen
other civilians. to march before Ger
man infantry in the streets of Malines.
and as I 80 marched saw shops
broken into by soldiers and thorough
ly sacked.
It may be remembered by readers
of TIE Daily News that was the first
correspondent to discover and de-
scribe in detail the destruction of
Termonde. The looting there I did
not see, but credible witnesses told
what I believe to be an incontrovert-
ible story Moreover. they showed
unmistakable results Of wholesale pill
lage.
Atrocities may have occurred In
Termonde, but I found nobody who
claimed to have seen them. Cases OF
alleged wanton and horrible cruelty
have been mentioned over and over
agai1, but my most Jealous inquiries
failed to verify such reports. Mind
you, I cannot say that the reports
were false. Persons quite as trust
worthy as myself may say that they
are true.
Finds no Proof Of Atrocities.
only say that I was unable to find
proof of the atrocities. although I
earnestly sought for 1t. will say
further that. In my opinion. the atroci-
BRITISH SOLDIERS Do