Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-12-31
Condition of Civilians in Belgium
Described as Heartrending by One of
Them Who Made Escape to England
Many Who Make Desperate Bid
for Liberty Across Border
Shot by Germans or De-
ported to Prisons.
BY AN ESCAPED CIVILIAN.
In London Times, December II.

Some pacifists abroad, following
the lead of Mr.. Morel having recent
ly exploited the suffering of the Bel
gian population as all argument for
an early and premature peace. the
German newspapers fastened to re-
produce the news.
1t did more harm to the popular
ity of the allies than the bombs drop
ped by British airmen on the army's
communication lines, which necessar-
lily cause certain number of casual
ties among the civilians.
While realizing that air raids are
unavoidable, we have often wondered
why they were limited to Belgian ter
ritory. The raids carried recently
into Germany will no doubt relieve
the feelings of many.
I should mention here the case OF a
young friend of mine, a boy OF Is,
who crossed the wire quite recently. A
British bomb had fallen OH his house
at Bruges. His father had been killed
His mother and sister, both seriously
wounded, were lying in hospital.
The only thing left for me was to
join the army" he said to me when
we met in England
He is now in an instruction camp in
France.
Can't Cross Frontier.
1t is easy to speak of crossing the
frontier; it is less easy to do it now
that it is barred by double fence of
electrified wire and guarded by sem
try every 50 yards and patrols during
the whole night.
Many have failed and tried over
and over again, 10 times, IS
times even, before succeeding. A large
number of those who make the des-
perate bid for liberty are killed by
the sentries or captured and deported
to prison camps,
There is perhaps some cxaggeration
in the statement current in Belgium
that the enemy needs. =. whole. army
corps to keep us fronl slipping
through the prison gates, but ii we
consider that the Dutch German
frontier must be guarded as we'll as
the Dutch Belgian, and that thou
sands of spies and secret agents are
kept busy in the occupied territory.
this estimate does not seem very far
from the truth.
Persecution and Hunger.
Nothing can give a better idea of
the obstinate resistance opposed by
the Belgians to German edicts and
regulations than the statement of a
German rlewspapcr-thc Deutsche
Juristenzeitung estimates at
no fewer than 100000 the number OF
sentences inflicted on the people dur
ing one year only O9l5-l9l6). Most
of them, of course, are fines or short
terms of imprisonment,
Formerly we used to have the
choice and many rich people prefer
red to go to the St. Giles prison rath-
er than help the enemy by paying
their fine. But the prisons have be-
come so crowded and the financial
situation of the empire has become
so bad that only the destitutes pre-
serve the privilege of sacrificing their
liberty.
The others, If they refuse to pay,
have their watch taken from them or
are obliged to give up piece Of val
liable furnitur:. In Brussels these
things are sold by auction in shop
in the Rue de Ia Limite.
Now that winter has set in | should
like to say a word about the food
question. 1t is impossible to realize
the spirit which inspires the Belgian
people if one does not take into ac-
count their economic situation.
To Break Belgium's Spirit.
In their attempt to break Belgian
nationalism the enemy has found a
forceful ally-hungery-and the moral
power necessary to resist the former
is nothing beside that which is re-
quired to resist the second. Mainly
| on account of the submarine menace
and of the torpcdoing Of number
of relief ships the imports of the com
mission for relief have fallen this
year far below the averaCe.
The workman must live on ration
Of 800 grammes Of bread day and
the platter OF soup provided by the
communal authorities. This is about
l.alf the food necessary to keep alive
in ordinary times a man who is not
doing any physical work. If the shop