Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-03

opportunity to enquire of him why
that the passes given them were
often disregarded. The old general
pooh-poohed tn idea, said it could
not be possible; his "passierscheins"
must be and were respected.
Very we'll" said the American,
IT am going to Bergen-op-Zoom to-
morrow; if our cxcellency would
send a man with me to see"
HIS excellency said of course,
and the learned Herr Doktor P
vas detailed to go in civilian
clothes. The American and the
Herr Doktor were furnished with
the latest thing in passports, and
near the frontier they were prompt
ly halted by soldiers, who ordered
them out of the car, while they be-
gan TO search it. The Herr Doktor
protested, showed the "passier-
schein," but the officer only said:
Halt dem Mund"
The Herr Doktor protested more
strongly, and told the officer in more
explicit detail who he was, but the
only effect of this was to cause the
officer to strike the Herr Doktor in
the face with his fist. Then the
Herr Doktor was arrested, and
gan once more those explanations,
the officer III charge there shouted:
"Herausv'
he Herr Doktor was sent into
Antwerp, where after more explana-
tons al d more insults he was final
~ forwarded TO Brussels, where at
las ne was not compelled to hold
his mouth. The authorities we're
turlous and threatened al! kinds of
court-martial and punishments. L
never heard whether the courts
martial were held or not, or Whit
was done to the ,truculent officers,
but things did go better after this
Illuminating If trying experience of
the poor Herr Doktor. Everyone IN
the c. R. .. was ultimately prcvid-
ed with great passes of the COVER
nor general himself-"G C. So, thew
were called and much sought after
Tor the sedative effect they exercis-
&c on sentinels.
Hungry French
Ere long we learned that il was
not enough to feed the Belgians.
the French in the invaded portions
OF their own land were in a condi-
tlon. worse than that of the Bel
glans one day gentleman, dressed
IN black. with white hair and a
squarely trimmed gray beard, came
TO the legation; he told me of their
pitiable condition. The gentleman
was Monsieur Louis Guerin, the
"Depute" for Lille in the French
chamber. He sat there at my table
with a dignified sadness in his face.
speaking with sympathy of the sor-
rows Of his people. and now and
then leaning forward in his eager
ness to help them; they were near
starvation in his circumscription.
Could we help them to obtain food?
II seemed impossible; the task of
feeding Belgium was almost beyond
human power. and that work seemed
to be hanging by very slender
threads, with almost insuperable
difficulties surrounding it. Even the
c. r. b. could not follow in the
wake. of the German army as it
passed over the land, and victual
the citizens left behind it! And
yet-there was this dignified. sad
dened 'Depute," pleading for his
people! could promise no more
just then than to discuss the ques-
tion with the others and I advised
Francuui and Mr.. Connect, of the
c. r. B.. spoke to them all my
self and they all, of course, were
most sympathetic, but the problem
seemed at first insuperable.
When went, on second thought,
to have the assurances lately given
by the governor general made pre-
else and reduced to writing, it was
to learn that there was some diff
ference of opinion as to just what
those assurances were. The governor
general had been offended because
Mr.. Hoover had himself gone to
Berlin, and hence was not disposed
TO give official recognition to the
commission for relief; he recognized
only the comite national deS Sc
cours and the patronage of Villa
lobar and myself. Furthermore. he
wished me to know that a ship call
ed the "Aymeric." flying the Ameri-
can flag. loaded with provisions
for the "ravitaillement." bound from
New York to Rotterdam with the
flag Of the commission for relief
in Belgiums had put into British
port and there discharged arHls
and ammunitions. And, if this were
not enough. the wife and daughter
of our consul general at Brussels,
Mr.. Watts. had made statements
against the Germans. in consequence
of which Mr.. Watts, just then in
Holland. would not be allowed to re-
enter Belgium; that the commission
for relief in Belgium cars were fly
ing too many American flags in the
faces of German soldiers.
Then it was that the steamship
Doria, of the Commission for Re-
lief en- route from Halifax to Rot
terdam. had debarked arms and am
munitIon in England. Also the
steamship Calcutta, likewise from
Halifax to Rotterdam. had stopped
at an English port and there dis
chaged arms and ammunition.
These were a few of the obstacles
in the way of precision of the new
guarantees. had the conviction
even then that these reports were
all erroneous, but l could assure
them that my government would
make an investigation, and observe
that it would be easier to feed
lamb confined in a cage with lion
and a tiger, than to try to feed the
Belgians with the Germans and the
English supervising the task 1 told
him also that 1 should not be sur
prised at any moment to hear that
the English had stopped the "revi-
taillement" altogether; why, 1 was
asked.
Because" / said. and / put it
bluntly. because there are those
who say that ii is your duty, under
The Hague conventions, to feed the
Belgians, and that if you allow