Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-13
Continued from Last Issus)
Germans Take over More Au-
thority

Germans Take over More Au-
thority
The German administration had
no sooner taken over the Red Cross
than IL was intimateo that II was
about TO take over the department
or charity OF the ComiJe National.
Nt the time the y. ork was organ
lied II had been agreed by the Ger
man authorities JIat the . y
might receive and distribute certain
sums in the form OF direct aid, or
charity- The details had been dis
cuSsed by Representatives OF the two
sides. and an understanding reached.
ViiIaIobar and 7 having had moth
ing to do with thai arrangement.
There were in Belgium vast num-
hers Of employees of the Belgian
government. all the men who worked
for the state railways. telegTaphS
and postal services etc. and these.
refusing TO work for the Germans. 2
were paid their wages by the g. N
they were the -chOmeBrS. or unem-
pIoyed. The sums djspeUs Ed were
Of course enormous. and SC ali ex-
cited the suspicion. perhaps the Gu
pidity. OF the military influence
which was always paramount.
The fears OF interference were not
groundIess. One day the Comite Ma
tionzl received a letter from DR.. Won
Sandt. chief OF the 'Civilverwal-
tung" complaining OF two incidents
that had occurred in the department
OF Charities: that first. the section
of agriculture had sent out a circu-
lar in which there was some covert
criticism or. IL not criticism. a
phrase that might be construed as
criticism. Of the Germans The
other complaint was OF the depart
ment which furnished aid to the
wives and children of officers in the
Belgian army. DR.. Won Sandt said
that this aid could be given hence
forth in kind, not in money.
In an organization so thorough
and so complicated as that of the
Germans II was not surprising that
the "Civilverwaltung" should not
have known that the section of ag-
riculture had been organized by
General Won Kissing himself. and
that il had sent out the offending
circular itself in December, before
the section was taken over by the
Comite National. and that the Com
tie therefore could not be held re-
sponsible for its criticisms: and as
10 the wives of Belgian officers, We
can't see remarked one OF the
COmite National to the wife of A
Belgian general. Madame. if you
need chemise YOU need only TO
come and ask US"
We did not however. go into these
details heretofore all cOrnmunica-
tons had been addressed to the
committee through the intermedi-
airy Of NillalObsr and me and this
fact was called 10 the attention of
br- Won Sandt with the observation
mat evidently some mistake had
been made This had the effect of
limiting the discussion OF ali such
questions. thereafter TO the Baron
Won der Lanckeu on the one hand.
and the two patron ministers on the
other; that is. theoretically il had
its effect there vas always some
one somewhere in the amazing laby-
rinth Of the German orga nfzstion
who wished 10 have a finger in the
pie.
The work was a beautiful one and
the organization superb. as the
Germans indeed privately. though
l think never publicly, admitted.
The National Committee had taken
all the existing charitable orgaui-
Natlons in Belgium and united
them under its aegis and this SEEM
ed TO excite the suspicion of the
Germans. or OF some of them who
said that these charitable organi-
zztiOns were political organizations
in disguise Nothing OF course
could be further from the truth.
but there was no way OF arguing
with those who had this IDEA once
in their heads and no way OF dis
lodging IT. The Germans were al
ways haunted by a fear that the
COmite National might develop
into a rival, become a government.
welding a powerful influence all
over Belgium. They made no OBJ
lection whatever 10 the ''revitaille-
ment-" This they found satisfac-
tory and were prepared Loyalty
and honestly" 20 respect all sSsur-
anCes given in that regard. But
V-hat the governor general wished
TO do. apparently. was TO take over
this SecOUrs tcharityl as they had
taken over the Red Cross. and do
this VHlalobar ana / objected. re-
nlIndinZ them of the various as
surances they had given. There
was much discussion as 10 the eN-
tent Of the engagements the Ger