The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-11-08

the hands Of the town authorities. II
Is unlikely that any organized attack
by civilians could have been made.
However, II In individual cases shots
were fired at the German soldiers, this
may always be condoned In q country
suffering invasion. During an occupn.
ton II would be different, naturally.
No excuse can he offered for such an
action in occupied territory.
"Varlous Belgian officers have told
me Of seeing crowds Of men. ONE
and children driven ahead Of the Ger
man army TO protect the troops. This
is so Incredible that ! must ask
whether II has any foundation OF
truth?'
at Is quite true. II IL n harbarous
and inhuman system Of protecting the
German advance. when the Belgian
soldiers fired on the enemy they killed
their own people. Again and again
innocent civilians of both sexes were
sacrificed 10 protect the invading army
during attacks. A terrible slaughter Z"
There was much more TO the inter
view, but this part IL the part that
concerns us now.
There Is no surmise in the kings
statement. II Is quiet, dlgnined, as
restrained ms possible. n bare recital OF
fact. On the right OF Germany to In
wade Belgium there may he differing
opinions. On the right Of any army
pretending to civilization to so protect
It's advance there can be but n YER
dict.
The king Of the Belgians had
spoken as n ruler and n soldier. He
had himself fought with his army
those terrible rcar-guard engagements
which could have hut one end. He
himself had seen this thing. so hook
ing that II Is small wonder that
America heard It with in~credulous
ears.
A kings statement and n mans.
How about n woman who herself had
been among the last to leave BRUSSELS.
md before whom. In the intimacy of
that small villa ut In Pnnne. came
soldiers and refugee mobiles with their
stories Of murder and debauch by the
invadcrs2
I have never before broken the ST.
lence of my interview with Elizabeth.
queen Of the Bclglans. that small.
frail and heroic woman who has lived
for three years under the ronr Of the
artillery ut DlXmude and Newport.
But the time has come TO break that
silence. Not nlt can he told, but be-
cause nm infamous report has been
spread broadcast that Elizabeth OF
belgium sympathlzes with Germany. ]
shall tell some of the things she said.
QUEEN TELLS OF HORRORS.
Again | quote from my notes Of
that interview:
at Is the women and children :"
she said. at Is terrible. There must
he killing. That Is war. But not
this other thing"
She could not understand American
skeptlclsm on this point. She had
but just returned from England.
where In one convent 20 Belgian nuns
had visited them.
That to her was the most terrible
thing Of war. That these quiet women,
living their devout and simple lives,
should have suffered so grossly bewil-
dered and dnzed her. Was there moth
Ing, then, sacred to these invaders, not
even the church?
IL am n Bavarian." she said. 81
have always from my childhood heard
this tnlk that Germany must grow.
must get to the sen. I thought II was
Just talk-a pleasantly. And the lies
they have told about us! The EN-
pcror has always pretended to be 80
friendly, and all the time"
She held out her hands expressively.
"Anyone who knows the king knows
that he cannot do a wrong thing. II
Is not possible for him. He cannot go
any way but straight"
Then she required to the invasion
and the terrible cruelties of the Ger
man army.
"They were terrible" she said.
ESPECIALLY what they have done to
women and children. Blu more than
any men in the world the Germans are
| cruel 10 women. I have seen them my
| self when they did not know who /
| was--on trains sometimes-not since
| the war, OF course. But the very way
| they stare ut women Ia odious."
She thought that this attitude OF
| the Germans explained many things.
And she told me In detail revolving
| stories Of the proclamation OF churches
under the pretext, totally unfounded,
that the Belgian churches were store
| houses for arms. She told me, too, or
the especial cruelty they had shown 10
priests and nuns; OF locking the priests
in churches and. after insulting the
altar, of killing them.
said II was difficult TO say what
any army would be In nm occupied
country. But she protested.
OWN DIARIES CONVICT.
'Do you think the Bclgians would
have lone such things? Never. Never.
Isolotab Instances might bp posslbIp.