Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-20
:: The Truth About Belgium =:
Ccontinusa from last 1ssusJ
BY BRAND WHTTLOCK

Ii was no surprise then TO Brus-
sels when one morning early in May
we heard that the ministry OF JUS
tice was surrounded by soldiers. and
that Madam Carton de Wharf was
detained at the kommandantur. She
had been at our house only the even
ing before-May S-and / had es-
corted her home TO the rue de Ia
Loi. on the fourth of May a per-
QUESTION was made at the ministry
Of justice, ali her papers seized and
translated and studied The same
day she was subjected in the SEN
ate chamber 10 an interrogation
lasting four hours; the next day she
was subjected 10 another interro-
cation lasting four hours. She was
allowed 10 return then TO her home,
but forbidden to leave Brussels. and
when she went for a promenade in
the Bots she was followed by the
police. 4 few days later she was
again Intercepted. this time in her
own salon, and on May is she was
formally arrested and confined in
the Kommandantur and during nine
mortal hours again subjected 10 an
Interrogation. The next day there
was another Interrogation in the
senate chamber. lasting five hours.
The day following she was taken to
the ministry of foreign affairs TO
hear the reading Of the formal
charges: the next day there was an
other interrogatory lasting three
hours. this time in another place,
and at 6 O'Clock in the evening OF
the eighteenth she was condemned
To deportation. The day following
she was taken TO Berlin and con-
fined in a common prison for fe-
male criminals.
We saw Madam Carton de Wharf
only once after the proceedings be-
gan and that was one afternoon at
the Palais de Glaze, in the rue du
Marche aux Herbes Potageres, where
there was an exposition, and the
burgomaster presented TO Villalobar,
to van Vollenhausen and to me-
medals of St Michael: a little girl
recited a poem written by George
Garner for the occasion, in present
ing to my wife, on the part of the
school children of Brussels, a SOU
venir that recalled the Christmas
gifts sent by the American school
children to the Belgians. Madame
Carton de Wharf was very calm and
smiling, but her eyes showed the
excitement of her dangerous adven-
ture, and she did not converse long
with any one, fearing, in her knowl-
edge Of the presence of spies, that
she might compromise her friends.
We did not indeed know of her de-
parture until a few days after she
had been deported, and 1 did not
know the details or the reason of 1t
uRtil long afterward. She had never
20 US, referred in any way to her
patriotic activities. 1t was n bit
OF the charming humor characters
tic of Madam Carton de Wharf that
she had somehow arranged to have
p. p. c." cards left on US at the
legation.
Among the published arrests"
(orders) OF the German authorities
the day following was one announc-
ing the condemnation and deporta-
ton: IL took pains to refer to
Madame Carton de Wharf as the
wife of the former Belgian minister
of justice. She was condemned to
three months and two weeks i'm
prisonment. The pope himself made
a personal request of the German
emperor to liberate Madame Carton
de Wharf, and IL was intimated TO
her that she might be set free if
she would ask for pardon.
ASK pardon for what demand
ed the spirited woman. She would
not, and she remained in a common
prison at Berlin until the expiration
OF her sentence. She was allowed 10
take little with her. though she did
have a little box containing a bit Of
the soil Of Belgium. and one of my
books. which. during her innprison-
ment. she did me the honor TO trans
late into French; At the end of the
time she was released and sent to
the neutral soil OF Switzerland,
whence she rcjoined her husband
at Hsvre. whe-c re was stu Belgian
minister o. justice.
-