The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-17


Brussels the following Sunday had for
more than three days seen the spirit OF
quiet, unaffected enforced good feeling
steadily deepening. one does not imagine
these things.
The German soldier who was doing
with his detail OF guards on the sidewalk
in front of the Gard du Nord and who
good naturedly drew in his long Saxon
legs In order to let Brussels pedestrian
pass comfortably was no Pigment OF the
Imagination. nor was his wide. sleepy
smile founded on anything bu, fact.
The three young German officers who
| refined up In front of the Palace Hotel in
the Place Roger. who bowed susvely to
! the porter and who called out to him.
! VIII you permit us to quarter ourselves
/ here for the night were TOO substantial
TO be fairy figures. We saw scores upon
scores OF such incidents.
on many doorways as we passed along
we saw chaked In German script the
words Good people" or Very good peo-
| ple"--words written there by advance
| guards who had gone ahead of the main
| body to select quarters for officers, men
and horses
The number OF officers and men each
house would hold and the number OF
horses that could be stabbed In each barn
also was chalked on the doors of these
! Belgian farmhouses, villas and cottages
Good people meant that the advance
guard had been received with civility.
Very good people" meant that they had
met with helpfulness in making their
| arrangements. on house which
| stared blankly out on a village street
! from broken windows there was written
In German script these words: This
house has been unjustly attacked; go
easy now"
In Belgian villages 30 remote and SO
small that possibly reports of high handed
! would have reached
outer world | have time and again been
! in tiny provision shops, linen diapers
shops, apothecary shops and statoners'
shops when German soldiers were making
their purchases.
They talked quietly with the shop PEG.
pie. handled the wares with consldefa-
ton and invariably paid for all they took.
AS they left they would lift or touch their
caps and bid the merchant and ais wife
behind the counter good-day. Payment
was always scruplously made. Generally
the German mark was the coin. II was,
OF course. instantly accepted.
More often than not the purchasers
we're private soldiers. They manifested
the dignity Of b.arug though not the
grace Of their officers.
Hero is a morc essential example Of
the conduct f the Germans on Wednes-
day afternoon. August ~. we reached La
Buisscre. where there had been a sharp
engagement the Monday before between
French infantry and artillery posted on
A hluff seventy feet high. and German in
fantry and artillery in the fields and the
town below.
Five hundred Germans made a
bayonct charge up the heights and cleared
out the French. Houses. brewcries and
shops in the little town suffered badly by
shot and flame.
! Tho Germans made successful occu-
patton. aud within twcnty-tour hours
.A.g.s Of 10
townspeoplc were back In their homes.
Forty-eight hours after the last shot We
saw Belgian children playing IN the
, | street.
German soldier was teaching his
good uaturcd companion how to ride a
bicycle once tho pupil fell OF his wheel.
lie roarcd with laughter. The children
; laughed too. Tho soldier looked around
at them. waved his hand and continued
. 10 laugh.
At the upper end Of tho main street
, = group Of Belgian women were washing
, clothes, another group was knitting.
within twenty PAGES Of them tn" court
yard of a livery stable was packed with
French prisoners guarded by German
sentrics.
German officers aud soldiers occupied
houses along the main street. devastation
everywhere was apparent, hut th're wa
not u suggestion of fear or panic any
where.
, am not defending tho Germans.
. owe them nothing, except whut any man
owes another who treats him with de-
>, cency expect nothing from the Ger
mans.
The truth Is that all Of ne correspond
onts have right tn feel IA little resenSul
toward the German authorities, both
:, military and civil They have baked our
" work at every turn They havs delayed
= and aforementioned US and they have had
, us under guard during three DAYS and
y under surveillauc" during four duNs Al
WAYS they have been polite ubou, II, hut
that has not nit.gatcd the dis,racting DC
- lays we havc had to endure In forward
=, ing our news 10 our papers
y, Truth, however. remains truth, and II
- the matter OF these alleged atrocities W.
-. feel there have been shocking falsehoods
give MY most solemn word IA to tn
T. truth OF what have written.
n, We have seen no atrocities
We can got proof 90 none
., We do know on tn" contrary, ina
; German officers have fraternized viii
. English officers they have taken prison
=, ers and have parted with these words
- "a dinner at tho Carlton old fellow, whci
" we meet at London In happier times"
. once more | say there has been tn
!, inevitable and shocking waste and miser!
! ~ war I'm this Belgian campaign. but Il
w ind the flendishness Of It. a that fiend
= ishnes- Is charged against tho German
v troops, a man will have TO travel furhe
and observe moro sharply than i've intel
lgent. Jealous American correspondent
have travelled and observed.
At COPYRIGHT. 1914 bV the chicago Tribune