TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1914-12-12
Educated BeIgians Resent
Their Country's Sacrifice.
by halliday wItherspoOn.
(Boston J~ournal.)

We have sacrificed the greater part
OF our army, billions or property and
possibly our national existence. And
for whatg To help England. ThiA
talk about our sacred honor II all
very pretty. But II 10 for the most
part all very foolish. Our sacred
existence should have been more 70
our statesmen than any foolish idea
OF national Integrity"
aren't those" / asked, pretty
radical sentiments for a patriotic
Belgian 70 %express2 What about
Belgian neutrality?'
CALLS BELGIAN NEUTRALITY
FICTION
mo" he said. What I've Just
said is dictated BY common sense
and nothing else. As 10 Belgian
neutrality, that has been a diplomatic
fiction for years. Since u taking
over Of the Congo interests there
haE been no real neutrality possible.
II has nomlnally existed since II
suited the great powers TO allow II
TO exist. But n our neutrality hadn't
been VIOLATED by Germany, Il would
have been by France or England. As
a technical fact France put soldiers
on Belgian soil before Germany did.
The whole thing comes down TO
this. Our statesmen were persuaded
to throw in with England and France.
They chose the wrong side-wrong
for the good OF Belgium. This sacred
honor business is all very we'll. but
It hasn't got Us anything but trouble.
Moreover, II 1t seemed to us that we
we're in duty bound to fight we should
have quit after Llege. We were
beaten then. We had struck our
blow for a so.called principle. There
was no reason why we should 90
further and sacrifice the whole
country
SAYS THE INTELLIGENT SHARE
VIEWS
do you think" | asked, that your
views are shared by the nation?"
Absolutely yes. the intelligent
people. The peasantry--no. They
know no more here than anywhere
else. They simply do as they are
told and ask no questions"
| have given this young mans
opinions at their face value. They
may or may not express the ideas
OF the thinking Belgians. Personally
! believe they do. as ! have heard
the same things from others.
When / proceeded to Brussels and
Saw the countryside, | appreciated
the regret which must overwhelm any
Belgian.
The Belgian railways are entirely
In the hands Of the military. The
Germans are running the system
with absolute precision, as they do
everything else but they aren't
raging any particular attention to
passenger traffic. enthusiastically.
~ there is a big batch OF refugees
who want TO 60 home, a passenger
train will be made up, but 1t is catch.
as -eatch-can for the traveller.
An exceedingly accommodating Of
fcer to whom II confided my desire
to get to Brussels suggested that 1
go OUT TO Berchem, The station at
the southern entrance to the city.
and wait for a freight train. / did
1t. At 2 In the afternoon a string OF
coal cars and a caboose pulled up,
and / boarded Ii with about twenty
FIVE Belgians, mostly women ami
children, who were going home,
COUNTRYSIDE FAIRLY NORMAL
We proceeded bumpily and slowly,
getting glimpses from the caboose
windows of a fairly normal country
side and stopping at every station.
At each pause the German railroad
officials and soldiers came to our car
inquiring after the comfort of the
travellers and frequently spologizing
for the poor service. We had a bad
which finally gave up the
ghost at Lierre. We laid here for
hours.
Late in the afternoon a freight
bound for Lougain pulled into
Lierre and there was a quick trans.
fer of baggage and passengers, the
German soldiery doing the heavy
lifting. On the new train we drew
an old-fashioned sidedoor Pullman.
that dear, familiar, musty
fragrance that seems inevitably to
with a box car. We made Lonyain
at Z O'Clock and lay on the siding
Tor three hours. Here again the
soldiers were most kind, gathering
about and swapping news and sym
patty with the fu~gitives. They even
lis supper, such as it was, /
adamantine army biscuit and a gallon
of bitter tea, and two rolls literally |
buttered with margarine for the pair
Df flve-year-Uld kinder In the party |
AN IMPRESSIVE WRECK
About . o'clock a young officer
who spoke perfect French and fair
English invited me ND to the top of
HE high embankment above the rail.
road for a view Of the city 1t had
stopped raining for once aud the
moon was out. Louvain Is certainly
IN impressive wreck, stark and aaunt
and empty, Quilted 10 total destruc-
ion. Camp fires fickered here and
there, but aside from these the town
ay as dead as r. acknowledgements
ruin. My German friend said the
was most-what was the word?
-"traurigf-that's 1t. | agreed With
him. 1t wal more than sad; and I
was glad that he could find something
u sorrow in the necessary work Of
sis army.
On to Brussels. arriving at a three.
nile-out suburb at Ill o'clock.
Brussels Ia, or was on Nov. /.
normal. Apart from the
presence in the streets OF a large
number OF German soldiers, the