New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07
German Governor General
Calls Them UndiS-
cipIined Children.
AMERICAN RELIEF
STILL NECESSARY
Won Kissing Says Germans
Crossed Belgium to Prevent
Allies Doing SO.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 6.-"The Belgians,"
said General Won Kissing, the new Ger
man Governor General OF Belgium, IN
an interview to-day with a representa-
tive Of the Associated Press, "are po-
litically undsciplined children. They
believe their liberation from German
rule may como at any moment ana
they are strengthened in this belief by
the French newspapers, as well as by
some neutral newspapers which con-
tinually are struggled in.
"When, as frequently happens, con-
tinued the Governor General, Ia
yorable wind brings the sound OF can
non to the city the Belgians believe
the ionCed-for day has come. On sew
oral occasions the very date for the
return of King Albert has been set,
and no number Of disappointment
seem to crush the hopes Of the peo-
pie"
General Won Kissing IS seventy-one
wears of age lie is somewhat above
the middle height. spare and .wlry ana
with features and demeanor OF one VINO
is very just but very severe. ne
strengthened this impression by his
answer to the question whether the
, Belgians had attempted to throw OBJ
! stacles in his way.
"Only in petty ways, he repneo'
"by pin pricks here and there. IN
doubleday they would like to, but they
know If they did | should Immediately
adopt very drastic measures.
"What has been the attitude Of the
Belgian government officials toward
the German government" the Gov
ernor General was asked.
Municipal officials Cooperate.
"The municipal officials" General Won
Kissing replied, generally co-operated
with US from the beginning. The
higher officials took a divided stand,
point. while some absolutely refused
to have anything TO do with us. Of
ficials of the Department of Justice, on
the other hand realizing the impor-
lance Of proper functioninS OF the
judicial branch Of the government,
worked Loyalty with the military gov
eminent from the first
ave have had much trouble with the
postal and railway officials. The for
mer are being gradually won over 10
cooperate with us, but the latter, feel
ing that the railways are an important
which is quite true and justitiable-
have generally refused to do anything
to helm us. They feel it would be un-
patriotic and disloyal TO assist us, even
though indirectly, in carrying on war
against their own land.
"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 soldiers
or the military government are tried
by so-called field courts, which are
military courts presided over by Ger
man judges"
at has been asserted" said the in
terviewer, chat the Belgians were mis-
led and betrayed by their own govern
ment and even that. they have, without
their knowledge, come under the COM
plete control of the British and French
financial world. Does your excellency
believe this to be true?"
General Won Bissing's answer to this
was the paragraph quoted in the fore
going to the effect that "the Belgans
are politically undisciplined children"
Question Left Unanswered.
What inference was to be drawn
from his answer the general did not in
dictate. He also left unanswered the
question whether he believed that if
Belgium or a part of that country
eventually became a part of Germany
it would ever be possible completely
to Germanize the country, making il a
harmonious portion of the German En-
pire.
al don't think that is a question
can answer at the present time" he
replied.
General Won Kissing added that con-
ditions in Belgium on the whole were
"as good as could be expected in the
circumstances. We are lettering them
as rapidly as possible. In some di.
rections we have not yet accomplished
what we hoped, but in others we have
succeeded better than we expected"
General Won Kissing at first made
only emphatic gestures when asked