The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-03

with the Mcclure Newspaper Syndi-
cate. Copyright, 1918. by Brand Whit
lock, under the title Memories Of Bel
gum Under the German Occupation.
Great Britain, Canada and Australia.
All rights reserved for France. Bel
gum, Holland. Italy, Spain, Russia and
the scandinavian countries
There was but one argument that
could impress the military power. and
that was a knock on the head mad
come a long way, and reluctantly, to n
conclusion so utterly al variance with
all | had thought and dreamed for
years. | had learned that there was
hut one hope, one salvation, one hope
and one salvation for the German peo-
PIE themselves, twice enSlaVed, once by
bismarck and once by Karl Marx. and
mat was that the military caste Of
Germany be defeated and passed UNI
der the yoke-literally; it was the only
thing that they could understand.
The result Of this formal protest, like
the effect Of information We had re-
ceived in several private discussions,
was the conviction that ii any repre-
sensations could avail they would have
to be made at Berlin. The governor
general, whose policy in Belgium, while
aiming no less han H~indenburg's at
the destruction of the Belgian nation.
would have been pursued on subtler
'-HN't uN ~ NNNbA " WIN NAlFN a.
the power slipping from him Remark
ing to me once on the difficulties Of
his position. he said that he was eX-
pected to unite the subtlety Of a diplO-
matist with the firmness Of a soldier.
II he did anything that the Belgians
approved, which was seldom, he was
blamed at Berlin, when he did some
thing that pleased Berlin, he was eX-
ecrated by the Belgiaus. And now,
since Hindenburg had been appointed
70 tha imam, ,,r,,,aAl .I.,. tI,.
hero had become the dictator, Won
Kissing no longer in fact was in com
mand.
All was tending then. inevitably and
fatally, toward a rupture with America,
and a rupture could only mean war in
the end. My own desire was to save
the relief work if possible, and above
all to compromise it by no iuCOuSider-
ate act of my own.
In these circumstances, and since
Won Hindenburg had OVerridden Won
Kissing, | reported the facts to Wash
lngton, n VcntuTed to suggest that
some action be taken at Berlin, where
the power, if there was any power in
Germany higher than the general staff,
alone resided. My course was approved
by the government and the suggestion
adopted. Mr.. Gerard had gone home
and Mr.. Grew was in charge at Berlin.
and | sent him all the facts upon which
to base a representation and kept in
communication with MN.
November came, cold and gloomy,
with the bells tolling ON All Saints
day for the dead; the bells in the
ancient little chapel of Stale, behind
the Orangerie, changed dismallv all day
lonG. There We're long, woe-hegone
professions in black to the cemeteries
and thoughts of the dead in those new
graves all over Belgium and down
along the User; thoughts, too, of all
those who were being hcrded by the
slavers to living tombs in German
mines and quarrics.
The theory that it was only ChOmpurs
who were to be seized had been aban-
doned ealy in November, at the mo-
ment when the German administra-
ton was moralizing on the evil eff
fects Of idleness. The slave-gangs
were seizing men everywhere, whether
they were idle or not, amid sad and
tragic scenes, over all Brahant II the
Hainault. | suggested to Mr.. Grew
that in case protests, appeals or rep
reservations should fail to stop the
hideOuS thing, some policy at least be
adopted, that If the pretense Of sCi8ing
only Chomours were observed it would
be something, and hat if certain
classes of exemptions could be created
such as would include married men
or heads of families, or only men for
military service, or some such thing
it might ameliorate the situation. |
suggested also that the camps in Ger
many be open to inspection by repre-
Sentatlves OF our embassy there, or
since Spain was in charge OF Belgian
interests at Berlin, to the representa-
yves OF the Spanish embassy.
Lancken had gone to Berlin again to
discuss the business. He was gone two
days, and Immediately OF his return
NOV. ~ had a long conversation
with him, IN which he said that he
a heard that II had Deen suggested
n a the Belgian, camps IN Germany
ne open TO american or 0Iher neuIral
VISITATION and Inspection. ne SAID that
ne was nearby IN laVQr OF me suB,
eeStlolI ana WlSneu 70 Know II II hau
elnaIated from me american govern
ment' or from Mr.. Hoover or from
me. ! toid MN that since we were
living IN a Woriu Where every one
seemed 20 pc much more concerned
ABOUT the cfedit OF a ming man ahoul
me ming ltselI, WlShe9 no one 10 De
deprived OF what was ms me idea
was MI f1ooEer = uniesS II were ma,
iopar $. tor Mr., hoover hau mentlomed
II 70 me alter a conversation with VII
IaioDar'
~ Vas iaqeeu 'pe 'uei VI Mr; thooVer
VINO was sun IN brussels ana indignant
over ,the dep9rlatlohS ana LahcKen
said ne would telegraph at once to
urge " OF nus g"Ver!fheI' cInsluerao
aaEgliSa'iS@. a ssI.a ] ssid ,1 h'm we're St 'Hs Sei IL;