Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-01
:: The Truth About Belgium =:
- BY BRAND WFITTLOCK


stery of its Louis XVI furniture OF
white lacquer. all done in the gayest
l;gbteSt tones, where so many little
dramas were played. All three OF
thsm were deeply moved and very
- auNiou Inc eternal contrast as de
l.eNai slid between things and SEN
rimentS- Lauckvn entered at last,
very much surprised 10 ind them:
Iach and by ;he young Baron Won
le w9-S accompanied by Count HaT-
LalNeuhauSen.
what is II. gentlemen" he said.
Has something serious happened
They told him why they We're
there. and L3ncken. raising has
hands. said:
-'ImpOSSible."
lie mad vaguely heard that aft
ernoon OF condemnation for spy
ing, but he did not know that it had
anything TO do with the case OF
Miss Cavell. and that in any event
IL was impossible that, they would
put a woman to death that night.
Who has given you this informa-
zion. for to come and disturb me
at such an hour YOU must have
important information he said.
De Leval replied: Without doubt
I consider il very serious, but 1
must refuse TO tell YOU from whom
1 received the information. Besides
what difference does il maker II
ence at this hour IS justified, IL
IL is not trut l am ready to take
the consequences Of my mistake"
The baron grew irritated.
What" he said, ''it is because
they say that you come and dis
turb me at such an hour, me and
these gentlemen? No. no, gentle
men, this news cannot be true, or
ders are never executed with such
precipitation, especially when
woman is concerned. Come and see
me tomorrow. Besides, how 40 you
think that at this hour 1 can OBJ
tain any information. The COVER
nor general must certainly be sleep
Ing.
GIBSON. or one or them, suggested
10 him that a very simple way of
finding out would be to telephone to
the prison.
Quite right" he said. Il had
not thought Of that"
He went out, was gone a few
minutes and came back embarrass-
ed. SO they said, even a little bit
ashamed. for he said:
You are right, gentlemen; / have
heard by telephone that Miss Cavel
has been condemned and that she
will be shot tonight"
Then de LeVal drew out the let
ter that 1 had written to the baron
and gave il TO him, and he read II
IN an INDEPENDENTLY a little Sar-
castle smile, so de LeVal said-and
when he finished he handed ii back
10 de Leval and said:
But il is necessary to rave a
plea for mercy at the same time"
Here IL is" said de Leval, and
he gave him the document. Then
they all sat down.
Pleading
1 could see the scene-as IL ,-as
described 10 me by Niilalobar. by
Gibson. by de Leval-in that pretty
little salon Louis XVI that 1 knew
so well-Lancken giving way TO an
outburst of feeling against that
spy" as he called Miss Cavell. and
Gibson and de Leval by turns plead
ing with him, the marquis sitting
by. II was not a question of spying,
as they pointed out; Il was a Ques-
ton of the. life of a woman. a life
mat had oeen devoted TO charity. TO
helping others. She had nurSed
soldiers. she had even nursed Ger
man wounded at the beginning of
the war, and now she was accused
OF but one thing, TO have helped
English soldiers make their way
toward Holland. She may have been
imprudent she may nave acted
against the laws of the occupying
power, but she was not a spy, she
was not even accused of being a
spy, she had not been convicted of
spying, and she did not merit the
death of a spy. They sat there
pleading, Gibson and de Leval. bring
ing forth all the arguments that
would occur to men of sense and
sensibility. Gibson called Lancken's
attention to their failure to inform
the legation of the sentence, of their
failure TO keep the word that Con-
rad had given. He argued that the
offense charged against Miss Cavell
had long since been accomplished,
that as she had been accomplished,
in prison a slight delay in carry
ing out the sentence could not en-
danger the German cause; he even
pointed out the effect such deed
as the summary execution of the
death sentence against a woman
would have upon public opinion, not
only I'm Belgium but in America
and elsewhere; he even spoke of the
possibility of reprisals.
All in Vain
But il was all in vain. Baron Won
der Lancken explained to them that
the military governor, that is Cen
eral Won Sauberzweig. was the Su-
preme authority (Gerichtsherrl in
matters Of this sort, that an appeal
from his decision lay only 20 the
emperor, that the governor general
himself had no authority TO inter
vene in such cases, and that under
the provisions of German martial
law it lay. within the discretion of
the military governor whether he
would accept or refuse an appeal
for cIemency. And then Villalobar
suddenly cried out:
''Oh, come now! It's a woman;
you can't shoot a woman like that"
The baron paused, was evidently
moved.
Gentlemen, it is past IL o'clock;
what can be done?'
1t was only Won Sauberzweig
who could act. he had said, and they
urged the baron to go to see Won
10