The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-28
GERMAN GOVERNOR
 OF BELGIUM TELLS
 0F HIS WORK THERE:
Regards Inhabitants as Bad ly Brought Up Children Whom It Is His Mis-
 sion to Train

Rotterdam, March 27--(Special IA correspondent of the Nordeutsche All gemeine Zeitung has had an inter view with General Von Bissing. gover- nor of Belgium. The BeIgians he seems to regard as children, to train whom in the right way is the appointed mes sion of the invaders
 Here are characteristic quotations from his remarks: From the very be- ginning that I was placed in this re- sponsible post I have realized that my task Is to see that German char acter, German force, and German work are respected I hoped to bring back order and calmness to Belgium. If one wants to rule people and to make them acknowledge the authority of an undesired government, one has to take into account their peculiarities.
 Tn my efforts to try and reach them l have found that the Belgians
 have both good and bad traits The good quality Is that they love their | country and have a very strong pa | triotfsm, and will gladly work for it, 1 even though not with the same energy | as we Germans work. They are light | hearted, which astonishes us. They so l often appear to us like badly brought | Up children, who become obstinate if |
 want to do, and if they are threat | ened with punishment for things they | have not done they become rebelious T have threatened as little as pos | sible, and only inflicted punishment
 when I thought it necessary. though I
 have had to take sharp measures | sonnet times, and here and there my hand has been felt heavily.
 ''I have tried with all my might to put
 the economic life on its legs again, and | have had successes, especially with agri- l culture. In my personal manner towards 1 the Belgians I have never allowed my l self to be led away by q feeling of re-
 venge for acts, from which our troops
 have had to suffer on the part of a badly
 governed people, although for a man who | at heart and soul, is a German soldier
 this has been very difficult. l have al | ways tried to keep Belgium in a state | of peace and calm which shall last dur ing the probably fairly long occupation | period.
 l We must try and work so that In flu.
 ture Belgium will not be so dependent | on imports. With this idea I have changed l the methods of agriculture, reducing tho
 amount of sugar beet grown in favor o1 | corn and potatoes.
 "In the neighborhood of Malines, par | ticularly, I have given them much hell l to get the crop of early potatoes neces l sary both here and in Germany Int | German government will be the last tC 1 prevent the export of Belgian products | so far as Germany has no need of them ! "Eyerything that undertake her, l would be very much easier If the Bel l gians knew what Is going to be the fat' | of their country. In this, also. they art 1 like children. On the days that we hearc l cannonading from the neighborhood O.
 Nieuport and Ypres they listened atten lively, and said that their release by th allies was close at hand.
 | Arising out of the measures of inoc ulation taken there is a story going abou that the Germans wanted to inject poi
 son into the Belgian children, and. a the bidding of their parents and teach
 ers the children all left the schools Someone commented on this, in fun, 'D' you think the Germans will be so stupid I as to poison their future recruits?'