South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-20
BELGIANS OFF TO FRONT
TO FIGHT FOR COUNTRY
Sail for Brussels Saturday
Second Consignment of 100
Will Follow in Ten Days
Enthusiasm in MiShaWaka.

Mishawaka Belgians are going 10
take hand in the European war
A company Of 100 is being organ
lied and an advance guard Of three
viii leave the city tonight over the
Lake Shore for New York enroute TO
Brussels. The remainder viii be
ready 10 sail within ten days. OF the
first men TO return TO their native
country and to fight for its flag, two
are single the third being a married
man with a family. All of them have
been working in the wooden mills
Wednesdays foreign mails brought
an imperative order to all ex-sOldiers
TO report at once for duty in Brussels.
Fifty letters were delivered to as
many men asking them 10 make
ready" and TO come at once. There
are ten reservists among the numbe
who are preparing to join their COM
rades- The steamship Finland sails
from New York for Antwerp Satur-
day and on this ship the three Misha-
Wakans Will take passage.
Headquarters for mastering the
men have been opened at the grocery
store OF julius A. Bennett, corner OF
West and Seventh SITS. Mr.. Bennett
has recently had a voluminous CORE
spondenCe with the Belgian consul in
new 10TH IEEdA uAlb Allt lUEdA Ellucl-
ton. and Wednesday received several
kilograms regarding the number like
~ TO be raised in Mishawaka and
other particulars in connection with
the Belgian colony here.
There was considerable hustle and
no little excitement around the i'm
provised recruiting station Wednes-
day evening. 1t was filled with men
and women who carried the COM
munications which they had received
from their native land during the day.
Some were Of such a nature as 10
draw the tears to the eyes of those
10 whom they belonged; some of
them contained the news Of the burn
ing and pillaging OF their old homes:
some told of the brothers and near
relations who had gone TO the front,
and others OF how the Belgian gend-
armes ha6 taken half of the live
stock owned by the families for war
purposes. Half of the young men
over 16 ysars old were taken from
each family TO which they belonged
and were sent TO join the various reg
iments Of their country. This was
done with their full consent, however,
as there is no longer CONSUMPTION in
Belgium.
The news contained in the letters
was eagerly read and reread In
many instances il had the effect OF
causing outbursts OF enthusiasm, and
eliciting promises from a number
who declared themselves ready and
willing 20 go along with the second
contingent from Mishawaka- Not
only that, but they all declared their
willingness to pay the expenses Of the
voyage
I'D until a late hour the Belgian
quarter Of the city was awake. The
homes OF the three men who are to
leave tonight were crowded with
their compatriots. Women laughed
and cried alternately; men sang their
national airs. not boisterOusly. how
ever: babies in arms cOoed and fret
ted and for the uonce the three men
who will soon have TO fight for their
country were the heroes of the occa-
sion.
In conversation with a News Times
reporter one Of the trio said he had
been waiting his opportunity TO go
home TO fight ever since the war be
gan; he had been in Mishawaka Tor
some FIVE years. and had saved a
comfortable sum Of money. This he
was glad 20 spend for the sake OF his
native land. He and his companions
would, IL they lived. return here. If
Il should be their lot TO be among the
slain they would have died for a
cause which they believed 10 be a
Just and honorable one,
A big send-off IS being arranged for
the first unit 70 leave Mishawaka- The
entire Belgian colony VIII accompany
them 20 the railway station TO wish
them bon voyage. The train IS sched-
uled to leave at 11:1S tonight.
Mr.. Bennett says that there viii be
no trouble whatever in raising the
second contingent Of 100 men within
the next ten days