The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-16
2-HOUR RCONFERENCE HELD ON WATERWORKS MATTER Progress Made Toward Amcabe Settlement-C Commission Meeting Today Will Recess Instead of Adjourn so That Agreement May Be Signed Later in Week.
 Another Conference Tomorrow

At the close of a two hour confer
 ence between the water company off
 cials and the city commission yester- but what the two parties had made more progress toward a final amicabi. settlement,
 The conference was adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, when 1,
 seems probable the final settlement will be agreed upon and the contract signed. President Lynn of the water
 company had intended to leave town
 today but he readily granted tho wish
 ter to go over until tomorrow
 The commission meeting at o'clock
 today will be recessed instead of ad-
 journed so that the commissioners will
 be able to sign officially the agree
 ment when it Is reached in the week.
 The conference yesterday afternoon
 had to do almost entirely with tine mu- nicipal ownership phase of the prop osition. The matter of the qualifica- tions of the members of the board of appraisers to fix the price of the lant came in for considerable discussion as did also the matters to be taken into consideration by this board after it's appointment There really appears to
 be no great difference between the views of the waterworks officials and the city commission, however.
 The matter of the city being protect 
 tie. Our troops were fired upon from am bush. Physicians were shot at while fol- lowing their profession. Cruelties were practiced by the population on wounded soldiers. If a guerilla warfare upon our troops should prove true then our op- ponents will have themselves to thank if this war be carried on with unrelenting severity even against the guilty popu- lation. The German troops, who are ac- customed to observe discipline and to wage war only against the armed forces of the hostile state, cannot be blamed if in just self-defense they give no quar- ter. The hope of influencing the results of war by turning loose the passions of the popuace will be frustrated by the un- shaken energy of our leaders and our troops" These words are clear enough The civilians of Louvain and other cities knew it, but they did not care: they Killed, they murdered our soldiers from ambush. Still fin the whole world these criminals are excused and our troops are spoken of as "hordes of vandals, as bar barlans." MT. Emmerson, from New York. who Is here in Europe as corre- spondent, said "As an officer of the American army I wish to say that If was in war and the population should shoot from ambush, I would act just the same way as the Germans in Louyain." A lady born in Brussels and good Bel gian, wrote to friend in Germany: "The lies about German atrocities are terri ble. We know they are lies. Hip. hip, hur- rah for the German soldiers. 1 am proud of such soldiers. They are altogether diff ferent from ours. l am more German than Belgian by this time; I woud like the best to live always In Germany"
 Engaged to Belgian Girl
 A relative of mine, who Is engineer, was engaged to Belgian girl living in Ostend. The girl writes that she always will be true to him and that she will be happy when she can live in Germany. It's wonderful, she writes, what the Ger man troops to for our country. our pop ula tion. And the brothers of the young lady. who were students at the univer- sity, writes: We rather would be Ger man soldiers than serving in the Belgian or French army" Dutch paper, Hol-
 land is neutral, as we know, wrote after the taking of Antwerp: "There was great celebration in the cathedral this As we entered the church 1t was filled with German soldiers. There were many generals and officers kneeling near the altar; they were praying. So were all the soldiers in this vast cathedral It was impressive to see how these soldiers q few days ago standing before the city as heroes. were now kneeling down and humbly praying We never shall forget it. All lips moved in silent prayer. A German priest said the mass. At the end of soldiers sang the beauti- We Praise Thy Name" The citizens of Antwerp could not help but admire Ger man heroism and German catholicism.
 Some Signs of Barbarity
 It would take too long to tell all the "barbarious" actions of our soldiers in France and Russia. It is a sign of "barbarism' when we hear that Ger man soldiers fed little children: 1t is a sign of vandalism when we hear that German soldiers. who had found Bel gian mother with 0 baby only few days old, go and bring her a COW so she can get milk; then cook her good meal; German soldiers are good cooks also, and after having taken good care of the woman they continue thelr marcn. US only sign of German barbarism" when we hear that our soldiers in little French village call together on Christmas day all the children. show them a beauti- full Christmas tree and divide with them the presents and gifts-so dear to them because they came from the dear ones at home in the fatherland. It's only sign of German barbarian" when soldiers passing a grave where many enemies were now sleeping. where they read on the cross, La Gloire L'honnieur du 149 regiment" take off their helmets and pass in silence. Barbarians honoring fallen It is only a sign of German when our soldiers find in 8 deserted village a wounded Frenchman laying in front of house, run 10 at the time, to give the wounded enemy the last drink they have.
 Yes. I often sit near the beds of our heroes in the hospitals and hear fhaun tall vuhat they did in the fvnnt In