New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-23
Burgomaster Argues Four
Hours to Prevent De-
Struction of City.
UHLANS MAKE WOMEN
VICTIMS OF SAVAGERY
Belgian Newsboy Gets Off with
Scourging - Soldier Gives
Life to Aid Comrades.
BY JOHN BANIsTER.


une and London Standard" y
Wetteren, Sept. 22.-Anxiety Of the
Germans to prevent newspapers pup
Iished elsewhere from getting into
Brussels to give the people there an
inkling Of the truth the Germans strive
so hard to conceal would be comical II
the ruthless brutality shown toward
any one found carrying newspapers es-
pecially English newspapers, were not
only too often tragic. Men and women
are stripped and searched in all parts
Of Belgium for newspapers or even
newspaper cuttings. 1t was formally
announced in Brussels that any one
bringing French or English newspapers
into the city would be shot without
trial. r.
1t is English newspapers the Ger
mans especially fear, and that oihceTs
privately covet for their own perusal'
as | discovered recently in France my
self. There is nowadays rarely any
thing in the French papers except the
more or less authentic atrocities,
eulogy of the French and English
troops and a vague official announce
nent from day to day of part successes,
but the English papers are daily TEEN,
ing with information about actuai
events which would bring dismay ana
disgust to the bulk of the German rank
and file, the majority Of whom; OF
course, are neither brutes nor tooIS',
As for the population of Brussels,
the Germans fear, rightly or wrongly,
that if it is generally known that
mighty Germany is crumbling there
will be an uprising to exterminate the
, German garrison. A little story was
told me here to-day Of small boy
carrying a parcel of Belgian newspa-
pers, most of the news in which Is
copied from the English newspapers
two or three days old which have
reached Ostend.
Uhlans Capture Newsboy.
He was captured by Uhlans near here
on Sunday and taken before the burgo-
master at Alost, who was asked 10
punish the lad for selling Belgian
newspapers on German territory in de-
fiance of military law. The burgomas-
ter boldly replied that if he was re-
ouired to take German orders to pun
ish a boy for selling newspapers in his
own country, in his native village, they
must regard him as No longer having
any authority to punish anybody. The
German captain clustered, but finally
contented himself with having the
newspapers burned in his presence and
thrashing the unlucky boy with his rid
/ irg whip. The lad escaped without
serious injury and is still busily sell
/ ing newspapers.
VI. Van Steenbrugge, Burgomaster OF
the village of Avelgem, near RenaiX,
who is nearly eighty years old, was
carried off as hostage by the Uhlans
and forced to spend the night sleeping
on the ground in turnip field. The
wife of village innkeeper was forced
| to serve the Uhlans, and was badly
mistreated until her young son, lad
of twelve. succeeded in bringing some
( Belgian gendarmes to the rescue and
! the Germans had to make bolt for II.
This humiliation of respectable
women, which seems to be a common
practice among the Uhlans, speaks
more eloquently than even their hot
/ blooded brutality of the moral deca
dence which the curse Of militarism
has caused in a large section of the
manhood of Germany. Their scOrn OF
modesty is apparent in their least true
ulent misdeeds. The moral tone of
South Germany is far superior.
1t was only the prompt, courageous
measures taken by Burgomaster
last week from all the horrors Of Lou
vain. Two German soldiers pretending
they had been attacked by civilians,
Braun drove out to Oordegem and
spent four hours pdcifying the German
General Won Boehn. He was assisted
by the American Consul ct Client.
General Won Boehn at length admitted
the soldiers never ought to have en-
tered Client. The incident shows how
slight spark might bring disaster to
Client All over the town now the leg
end, Long live our Burgomaster!" ap-
pears on doors, walls and windows,
showing how grateful is the city Of
$4,000 inhabitants and how fully the
peril escaped so narrowly is realized.
To Occupy Client Soon.
English people at home must find it
difficult to realize how it is that fight
ing is continually taking place and has
been for weeks within few miles of
Ghent,' and the town itself, with its
famous old churches, remains un-
harmed. The explanation is that a
great city like Client, although unforti-
fed cannot be taken by assault without
a large force armed with artillery. The
Germans have therefore preferred to
make terms with the city, receiving the
supplies they demanded and refraining
from occupation.
As long ago as August 81, when they
arrived at NELLIE and there WAS a wild
civil stampede from Client the Ger
mans threatened to lombard Client if
there was any opposition from the civil
population or district civil guards, who
the Germans will not recognize as bel
ligerents. Since then the Germans
have shattered Termonde and NELLIE,
which latter village is only five miles
out. There is no doubt that unless they
are forced to retire from the siege at
Antwerp they will occupy Client soon,
which will be unlucky for the English
subjects there. They now are trying "
cut of Antwerp from Client and the
Belgian coast.
The heroic self-sacrifice of soldier
named Tresignies, of the I'd Regiment,
Chssseurs Pied, has Just been re-
lated. The Belgians were exceedingly
anxious to get across the Willebroeck
Canal at Pont Brule, but a bridge was
raised against them on the other side
and occupied by a strong force of Ger
mans. Tresignies volunteered to swim
across and try to lower the bridge.
1t meant certain death. Before he
plunged in he wrote with a pencil on
scrap of paper the name and address
Of his wife and the simple words:
God will help and comfort YOU" The
Germans were startled into admira-
ton as he leaped into the stream and
for few moments held their fire, but