Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-10
WITHOUT FEAR OF DAl FL
THE SCENE OF FOREIGN VAR
AS OBSERVED
American Students Writes Relatives
IN This Counry-Commend
German Attitude

! David Nelson, nephew of Nels D.
/ Nelson of Folsom, who is studying
abroad, writes home of some of his ex-
perlences and what he has seen and
learned in the foreign war Mr.. Mel
son writes from Liege, Belgium:
arrived safely in Llege, and the
peculiar part about it was that [ was
stopped by no naughty German of
ticers in fact by no one all the way.
| was quickly passed by the customs
officials at the frontier. Thence |
walked to Wise, made a short tour of
the ruined portions, went down to the
railroad station and arranged for the
train, thence by auto to the Grand
Hotel, Liege, twas given a ride by a
German merehant) and not in all that
time was | aceostcd by the ever-vigi-
liant German. IL was a distinct sur
prise to me Otter the picture had
formed of being stopped and obliged to
show my papers at every cross-road.
AT Wise, | had a cry interesting
talk with the two alton men--both
from Saxony. The Immediately, upon
learning who = ives, brought forth
cigars ana a b, tile &c German beer,
and we talked, with slight INTERRUPT
tons, for two hours or more. | speak
wretched German and worse French,
l might add. When | entered Liege
was surprised to find that the city had
not suffered at all from the lombard.
ment. 1t may be that in the outskirts
some traces may be found; have not
yet been about the city to any extent.
But the main portion of the city IS alb
solutely intact with the exception of a
few buildings opposite the University
which were destroyed because of q riot,
and of course the bridges, several of
which we're torn down by the Belgians,
The Germans, however, are repairing
them rapidly. Naturally, with trade at
standstill, life in Liege is very dull
The poorer classes, the day-laborers,
are in great need and it is they who at
present are receiving American help.
However, compared with some dis
tricts, Liege is very well off, for no
fighting has devastated the open coun-
try
So far as Liege is concerned the
''hauteur" of the German officers and
soldiers is a minus quantity. | have
| found them uniformly courteous. They
mind their own business strictly and
give the Belgians great freedom when
one considers the tenseness of the sit
alton. Although the hour for indoors
| is 700 D. m, one need have no fear
until half pact seven or even eight; in
fact have not been stopped by the
patrol until this evening, although
have been late every evening. Be
sides, passes are given to those who
need them so that it is not impossible
for cafes, etc, TO do business in the
early evening. The Germans, when
ever | have observed them in cafes or
elsewhere, pay for all they get Really,
considering the difficulties that must
be COPIED with, / think the German
administration marvellous. AS young
officer at the stadthaus said to me:
you see in wartime the military
must always come first, and so we
have a thousand things to contend
with here. | would rather be back at
the front than worried to death here
| | didn't blame him for he is on ths joh
twelve hours day and sixty minutes
an hour, dealing most of the time with
excitable Belgians.
| suppose you will say that my pro-
German sympathies have not vanished
yet, but frankly, after seeing what
has so far come under my observation,
| can honestly say that | now feel JUS
titled in rot believing the atrocious
stories that reached America from
London, and | am satisfied that the
statements sent out by the five Aneri-
can journalists with the German army
is far nearer the truth.