Evening star., 1915-02-07
Kissing DESCRIBES
BELGIAN PEOPLE
German Military Governor
Calls Them Politically Un-
disciplined Children.
CIVIL COURTS HELPING
GOVERNMENT OF ARMY
General Defends Invasion as War
Measure Necessary to Check
the French.

BRUSSELS. Belgium, February s. via
London, ? pm.-"The Belgians," said
Gen. Won Kissing, the new German gov
ernor general of Belgium. in an inter-
view today with a representative OF the
Associated press, ARE politically undis-
ciplined children. They believe their
liberation from German rule may come at
any moment. and they are strengthened
in this belief by the French newspapers
as well as by some neutral newspapers
which continually are smuggied in.
when, as frequently happens" con-
tinued the governor general, "a favor
able wind brings the sound of cannon
to the city the Belgians believe the
longed-for day has come On several oc-
casions the very date for the return of
King Albert has been set. and no num-
Der of disappointments seem to crush the
hopes of the people,
Gen. Won BisSing is seventy-one years
of age. He is somewhat above the mid
die height, spare and wiry. and with
features and demeanor Of one who IS
very just but very severe He strength
cned this impression by his answer to the
question whether the Belgians had at
tempted to throw obstacles in his way.
only in petty ways" he replied. by
pin pricks here and there. Undoubtedly
they would like to, but they know if they
did I should Immediately adopt very
drastic measures"
Belgian Official Attitude.
What has been the attitude of the
German government? ?" the governor gen.
eral was asked
The municipal officials" Gen. Won
jad ra n.On
with US from the beginning. The hign-
er officials took a divided standpoint.
while some absolutely refused to have
anything to do with us. Officials OF
the department of justice, on the other
hand, realizing the Importance of a
proper functioning of the judicial
branch of the government, worked
Loyalty with the military government
from the first.
I'VE have had much trouble with the
postal and railway officials. The for
mer are being gradually won over to
cooperate with US, but the latter. feel
ing that the railways are an important
adjunct of warfare-a conception which
is quite true and justifiable-have gen.
orally refused to do anything to help
US. They feel it would be unpatriotic
and disp1oyal to assist us, even in
directly. in carrying war against their
The Belgian civil courts" the gen.
eral said. still exist and they try or
binary cases of breaches of the law
of the land. All crimes against SOL
tried by so-called field courts, which
are military courts presided over by
German Judges
Undisciplined Politically. -
ut has been asserted" said the in
terviewer, that the Belgians were mis-
led and betrayed by their own govern
ment and even that they have, without
their .lnowledge, come under the com
plete control of the British and French
financial world. Does your excellency
believe this to be true?"
Gen. Won Bissing's answer to this
was the paragraph quoted in the fore
going to the effect that the Belgians
are politically undisciplined children"
What inference was to be drawn from
his answer the general did not indf-
cate. He also left unanswered the
question whether he believed that if
Belgium OF a part of that country
eventually became a part of Germany
it would ever be possible completely
to Germanize the country, making it
harmonious portion of the German
empire.
II don't think that is a Question l can
piled.
Gen. Won Bissing added that condi
tionS in Belgium on the whole were as
good as could be expected in the cir
cumstances. We are bettering them
as rapidly as possible. In some direc-
tions we have not yet accomplished
what we hoped, but in others we have
succeeded better than we expected"
Gen, Won Bissing at first made only
emphatic gestures when asked whether
in view of all that had happened it
was not a political and military error
to have invaded Belgium.
Defends Invasion.
Not to have marched into Belgium
would have been a very grave mis-
take" he replied. IF we had not done
so France and England would. Events
long before the war made it apparent
that some sort of an alliance existed
between Belgium and France and Great
Britain. The last named two would
perhaps have 70, nd some pretext to
make it appear tEat they were COM
ing as allies and that they were not
violating Belgiums neutrality, but
they would have come. Germany then
would have found herself in a position
of ereat danger. A strong state simply
could not suffer itself to be brought
into a position so highly disadvantage
sible for Germany"
Speaking of American relief in Bel
gium. in reply to a query whether such
help really Were needed, Gen. Won Bliss
ing said:
1t was and still is necessary in the
highest degree"
There have been suggestions" said
the representative of the Associated
Press, that the German army has
been using some foodstuffs sent to
Belgium by Americans. What has your
excellency to say to that?