Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-06

ghosts or hTdeous appariticns, vague
spectral emet gehcics beyond the
common experience 81 man.
II WAS NOT mat natural and hu-
man snrinkinE from danger lhdt
courage ONeTCuIncSs II WAS no mere
so.aruIce. AZ was deeper, more SUP
tie and terrible. the instructive dread
that ANIMALS ANA SaNaEeS KNOW,
tnIuC- OF human instinct mat lay De
vouu the JurIsdIc. lion OF tic reason,
from wniCn there was no escape, II
Was not TO be conjured or dismissed.
che invasion or the German holuSs
the lou- reign of terror, the perse-
cuJious and plotungs, the spies anu
sc, ret 1ggrtS. the summary trials
IN, drumheaL courtS-mar IIal, the
firing sq,Igds-au the cngInery OF a
soulIess military despotlsm, scorn-
Ing ali tine restraints that men OF
honor have devised, had never been
able TO produce that sensation. Bul
now the gangs Of slaNers stealllis
through the land. appearing suddenly
~ Night. tearing men from their
beds. from thcir wives and chlldfeh'
10 send them of into that Unknown
and shameful slavery, oenumoed me
very currents o. lie destroy ca Itle
last OF the few OF life satlsI3clLo,SS
that were left. SO that men coIlu
NOT az: they dreaded the coming OF
tbs might. and the dawn brouShl
them no surceGse or nope
sDo ven think they VIII take men
OF our class young hoplsil iSL
question a dozen times, and put X TO
me for DAYS every time l met hini.
When a man left his home he never
knevr his family did not know, that
in was not for the last time mere
ever before all eyes, was the vision
tine slave-pen, the long ride IN open
freight wagons, in that bitter coiu: 20
Germany, the mines, the quarrlcs,
a. uerhaps TO the front and the
trenches. For IL was known that the
men taken from Tournal had peeh
sent TO dig trenches; IL was known
bv the German proclamation COM
rr1sndiue The men of Journal to re-
mort. They will not he exposed 10
= continuous ire" the order cOnciud-
ed. / saw il: e. Z. 3. man brought
il up TO Brussels"
Written appeals had poured INTO
the legation; they came from every
where the most pathetic notes anu
letters in French, in Flemish, LOOKING
To America in this last hour OF agony
Women came in person, otten tramp
ing from distant villages, 10 tell OF
husbands and sons torn from their
homes. boxed like cattle in freight
trains. and sent of they knew NOT
where.
Brussels had not as yet witnessed
any of the pathetic scenes, but the
great roundup, the man-hunt, was
closing in. One day II was announced
that the chomeurs OF Teryueren had
been summoned; $40 of them, to re-
port at 4 given hour. The day came
but not one reported. And nothing
was done, nothing happened. Had the
Germans abandoned their intention,
receded before the flood of moral in
dignation 50 overwhelming that IL
could daunt and change the purpose
sa.-.-Fa Of German nilltrr IEnlp
But. no: that was insensible to
moral influence. The burgOmaster OF
Brussels had been summoned to give
up the lists Of chomeurs. The stout
LemOnnier had refused pointblank-
let the consequences be what they
might. And a little handful was cir
Culating through the city, saying:
I'VE VIII Not Col"
The order for the men OF Antwerp
20 report had been posted early in
November: IL was expected TO appear
on the walls OF Brussels at any mo-
menL The most narrowing tales were
brought 10 town and told and retold;
every one had the story of some
friend. some acquaintance, in some
village he knew. Il made the terror
personal. brought il within the limits
o. the ina ginatiOn. l received hum
dreds OF letters, pleading, imploring
protection; men wished 10 be attach
"a ~ elAN AN-rAAAN-A ~ AiAtA AAANN AAAA6h III
have diplomatic immunity; women
came 10 ask that-I take their sons
into my homo and give them asylum:
there were iunumerable requests for
the cards issued by the c. r. b.. tes-
tifyinC that the bearer was employed
in the relief work and therefore i'm
mUnc. I even had anonymous letters
threatening me il ! did not, or il
america did not, intervene and stop
the press gangs. Men were quite be-
side themselves with this fear.
The net indeed seemed closing in.
One DAY, in the middle OF November,
* had been said that the impress
day IN the suburbs Of Brussels--in
the corlmunes OF Audergnen, Uccls
and Forest Nothing else. was talked
Of, and when men spoke of the Ger
mans il was with deeper hatred in
their tone. The story of the seizures
herded into rooms, under-Officers told
them of. prOnOuncing two words that
came 10 have sinister and fatal
meaning:
Links. rechts' Cleft, right!
Those 10 whom the word links"
was spoken passed out one door;
those to whom ''rechts" was spoken
slavery. the second liberty-at least
FOR the time being. Sometimes the
Slave-ganE came 4 second time to the
village. Then wives, wailing and
screaming. dragging themselves Oh
their knees TO the feet of the Uhlans,
who with their crops whipped them
OF like dogs. Men and women Shud-.
dered at the mere words "envOye en-
Allemagne' (senC to Germany. To
complete the horror the weather
grew more bitterly cold. Every day
trainlOads OF men swept by. the men
crowded like cattle in open cars.
without OvercOatS, = without food,
seized and taken of before they had
time 10 provide themselves for the
,IWIul journey. And Yet invariably
! hey were singing La BrabancOnne"
, or La Marseillaise," and shouting
Nous ne signeroHs pas eve will
not sign-l
Living in this constant fear, this
iTlplaCable terror OF the morrow.
men went heavily clothed, for those
ta1en had to leave with what they
had on their backs. Many carried
large sums on their persons, to be
used IN Dribing the soldiers so that
they would pronounce the word
''rechts" or to cOnnive ~ their es-
cape after they had been taken.
. Sometimes there were rumors,
born no doubt o. the implacable need
Of hope: one that the Germans had
abandoned their purpose; another
that President Wilson had sent an
ulJimatum 10 Germany saying that II
not abandoned and the men return
I'd 10 their home within twenty-fOur
hours America would break off dip
iOmatic relations with Germany. that
there was nothing TO be gained by
eqUiyocation. that Jhe president had
q &c.