Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-30
EXCHANGED AFTER DELAI
says Kaiser EnvIes Hlndenbufn Pop,
ularIty and Tries to Appropriate 4
His vIotorIes-saw Cap.
TT ture Of Antwerp. t

In a German prison for three years DID
Henri SEVERN Beland, postmaster gend
erai of Canada under Premier WIlfrio
Laurier, and who lives at Beauce, q
the province Of Quebec, arrived here
accompanied by his daughter, Mist
Jeanette, who was held In Belgium b
the Germans while her father was ID
Germany. Added to the sufferings q
his Imprisonment was the death d
his wife In Belgium after he had bee4
looked up FOR IS months. n
His jailers refused to allow him "a
60 from Berlin to see her when sh9
was dying. The news of his wife'k
death was withheld from him for II
days, and he was only given the dakf
after he had begged to be allowed "a
60 to her funeral, to show that It wa
too late.
Doctor Beland was only postmasted
general for two months In 1911 wheel
the Laurier administration was de-
feated over the reciprocity queMiou
1t was because he had held this polltfs
cal appointment that the Huns would
not permit him to leave Germany two
years ago when arrangements werf
made between that country and Great
Britain for the exchange of civiiiafI
prisoners nor than forty-ive year4
old.
During the three years he lost %
pounds In weight, and his luxuriant
black hair became thin and turned
gray. The only occupations he had
were to attend the prisoners and
the officials Of the prison when they
were Ill and to learn to speak, read
and write German fuently. he waf
finally released in exchange for th9
brother Of Prince Won Bulow, who WA
the head Of the Krupp Gun company ID
London before the war.
The doctor was In northern Franco
in August, 1914, and his wife was stop
ping at their estate In Cappellen, neal
Antwerp. He promptly offered hi1
services as surgeon to the Belgian
army and was with them in the fgnH
ing at Liege. From that city he went
to Antwerp and was there when thl
British expedition sent out by WinstoI
Churchill arrived In October Of that
year. He saw the city captured bl
the Huns In October. Doctor Beland
continued to live with his wife at Cap
pellen until she converted the house
into a Red Cross hospital and trained
herself as a nurse.
The doctor talked slowly and stop
ped occasionally to think of hii
words. he explained that, like thf
majority Of the prisoners he had met
he was suffering from loss Of memory
caused by his long imprisonment
which had interfered with the recep
tiveness OF the organs In the brain.
up to May u, 1915" the doctot
said, II practiced medicine among the
poor in Antwerp and my wife carried
ION the Red Cross hospital at Capped
len. Then the German commandanl
sent an officer TO tell me that ! wal
to be interned. When pointed out
that physicians practicing as civilians
were immune from internment the HUI
officer replied that I was not receiving
fees from my patients. / was arrest
ned and taken to the Grand hotel, which
was used as a military headquarterl
and residence Of the stan officers ID
Antwerp. After three days I was sent
to Berlin and locked up in the stadt
vogel prison.
1.-THE prison fare was rough. CON
sisting chiefly Of black bread, greasy
soup and potatoes. This did not trou
BILE me as I received parcels OF food
and supplies weekly from London. Thu
treatment was about as good as It gen
orally is in places Of that kind.
"When. after two years. confinement
i was allowed to walk in the park op
posite Garden strasse In Berlin, I wal
not allowed to speak to any person
One afternoon ] took my escort tt
luncheon at the Hotel Bristol on thu
Inter den Linden. which has moi
changed its name. The Piccadiliy res
taurant, / noticed, had been converted
into the Vaterland. Another time ]
saw a crowd running and, looking In
their direction, ] saw an automobile
go by containing Hindenburg and
AA5 sum VuACCks hc ~ Inc l0U
Of the German people and more popu,
lar than the Kaiser. Ludendorff ID
regarded as a strong man all ovei
Germany, but never takes the trouble
to make himself popular. He does not
care what the people think about him
SO long as they do as they are told.
"The kaiser envies Hindenburg'a
popularity. and whenever the Huns
gain a victory he hurries to the
side Of the marshal and issues bullel
tins and sends kilograms to the kai.
serin. 30 that the people believe Il
is the kaiser who has gained a victory.
Al this time my daughter Jeannetts
was In Belgium living with the family
OF my late wife at Cappelen, and
three times ! tried to reach her, first
through the United States minister at
Brussels and after America entered
the war through the Spanish minister.
II was no pse. She was not molested.
however. but was allowed to Join me
In Holland after / was freo.s