Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-15
:: The Truth About Belgium ::
- - By Brand Whitlock - -

I the motors rolling up into the
paved court before the parliament
| buildings, and the colleagues lifting
then rolling away in the crowded,
agitated, brilliant streets.
Takes Over French Interests
When 1 got back to the legation
l found a telegram from Washing
ton authorizing me to take over the
| French interests, providing such &C
ton would not prevent my taking
over any other legations the chiefs
! of which might ask me to do so.
And on the heels of this word came
from Mr.. Won Below that he was
leaving in the afternoon and would
ask me to accept the representation
of German interests.
| At 2 o'clock then, Mr.. Won Strum,
the secretary of the German lega-
| formally delivered Mr. Won Be-
| lows request.
But I've agreed to act for the
| French interests" | said.
Mr.. Won Strum looked at me an
instant. as though he could not be-
| lieve me. / asked him to tell Mr..
| Won Below of that fact, supposing
| that in such a case Mr.. Won Below
would not wish me to act for Ger
man interests. Mr.. Won Strum was
nervous, agitated and unstrung. l
suppose that he, too, had been with
out sleep for nights on end. Tears
were continually yelling into his
eyes, and suddenly he covered his
face with his hands, leaned over his
elbows on his knees, an attitude of
despair. Presently he looked up.
ooh, these poor stupid Belgians!"
he said. why don't they get out
of the way, why don't they get out
of the way! l know what it will
be. l know the German army. 1t
will be like laying a baby on the
track before a locomotive!"
He bent over, stretching his hands
toward the floor as though to illus
trate the cruel deed.
A Steam Roller
Il know the German army" he re-
peated. ''It will go across Belgium
like a steam. roller; like a steam
roller"
He liked the phrase, which he must
have picked up in America-he had an
an American wife-and kept on re-
peating it.
He went away, and late in the aft
ernoon came back, saying that Mr. Won
Below asked me as special favor to
him to take over his legation, and l
consented. l sent word that | should
70
and asked Maitre de Leval, mean
while, to draw very carefully pro-
ces-verbal. The German legation
is across the street from the Ameri-
can, in the rue Beillard, and at the
hour appointed we went over there,
Mr.. Gibson, Maitre de Leval and l.
We found poor Mr. Won Below alone
in his chancery, stretched out in a low
chair, cup of tea on the little tab
ouret at his side. He was smoking a
cigarette-his short mission at BruS-
sells ended. When last | saw him, the
night of his formal dinner, it was in
that very room that he had been so
happily looking forward to a peaceful
idle summer. At sigt of me he flung
up his hands, shrugged his shoulders
and made little moue, as though he
too, remembered, as though words
were unnecessary-or inadequate. Mr.
Won Below had had a proces-verbal
prepared, but l preferred mine and we
signed and sealed that. Then in that
room of gloomy oak, the two white
haired, German functionairies, the old
Grabousky, conseiller aulique, and an
other, bureaucratic and formal, bear
ing a tall white candle and a long
stick of red sealing wax, proceeded
slowly and solemnly around the room.
sealing the oaken cupboards where
the archives are. We stood about in
silence while this was being done.
Then the strained farewells; Mr.. Won
Below was leaving at o'clock for
Berlin, via Holland.
Half an hour later Maitre de Leval
and | drove over to the foreign office +
In the rue de la Roi we met line Of
automobiles, half a dozen of themE
spinning at high speed toward the
Cinquantenaire. They were filed
with officers, in the bonnets de pol
lice that the Belgian soldiers wear in /
memory of the Revolution of 1880
and they gave a gala air to the scene.
Eugene lifted his cap when they
whirled by.
"Le Roll" said de Leval.
1t was he and his staff going to the