Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-03

be July written IN all us
- details of individual suffer
ing until liberty comes to the earth
again; those who know it best are
still "insidc'--as the Belgians call
their prison. And people 'inslde'
do not lightly give testimony or
write their experiences and impress
siOns, even in private diaries. Father
DupierreuX learned that. But from
time to time a corner OF the dark
veil was lifted, and we had gkmpseS
of the vast and appalling tragedy
that was being enacted b.. those
sinister figures in lurid gray, with
torch and axe and gun, there amid
the rolling smoke and the Internal
glare.
The world already knows the
story in it's essentials; the truth,
with its divine persistence, is never
deferred by prisons, or bayOnets, or
even by electrified barbed wire at
a frontier. Strange that autocracy
never learns, So the story that
could construct out OF all those i'm
pressions, those glimpses and those
conversations with ali sorts OF peo-
pie, the rich and the poor, the high
and the lowly. the haute bourgeoisle,
men of note in the community, edu-
Gators, lawyers, priests, officials;
men of serious and orderly minds, ac-
customed to weighing evidence, will
not be new; it will resume what
already in the main has been told.
The Belgians were in retreat, fall
ing back on Antwerp but fighting as
they went, contesting, with Belgian
stubbOrnness, every step of the way.
The German army had entered Lou
vain in force on the afternoon OF
Wednesday, the 10Th Of August.
Hostages were seized among the
notables of the city, the burgomas-
ter, the rector of the university, the
provincial councillor, judges, alder
men, etc An affiche was at once
placarded announcing that Tin case
single arm be found, no matter
in what house, or any act of hostility
be committed on our troops, our
transports, our telegraph lines, our
railways, or if any one harbors franc
tireurs, the culpable and the hostages
who are arrested in each village
will be shot without pity. Besides.
all the inhabitants of the village in
question will be driven out; the viii
lagos and even cities will be de-
molished and burned. If this hap
pens on the route of communication
between two villages the same
methods will be applied to the in
habitants of both"
This sinister poster bore no date,
no signature, no writer's name; 1t
had evidently been printed in Ger
many in advance; forming part of
the equipment of the army, as
circus carries bills and bill posters.
It seemed like a gratuitOus menace
since all the revolvers and fowling
pieces mad been turned in at the
Hotel de Vile in response to the
burgomaster's appeal.
The troops, OF course, were quar7
tered on the inhabitants, with the
usual Incidents three soldiers raped
girl of fifteen, and-what happen
ed generally all over Belgium when
ever German soldiers we're quarter
ed in houses of delicacy or refine
-wardrobes we're broken, draw
ers emptied out on the floor. the
dainty lingerie soiled with filth in
an unspeakable manner. The cash
boxes of at least, two banks were
rifled, though it is said this money
was later restored by the German
authorities. Some stray shots seem
TO have been fired by German sol
diers, who went into shops and
"requisitioned" for their personal
needs, giving in returns bons de
requisition-''to be paid for by the
City of Louvain," or ito be paid for
by the Belgian government" or some,
with lugubrious humOr, good to be
shot in German, which the Lou
vainist shopkeepeT could not read.
All the felons of German national
ity had been released from the pris-
ons: there we're already bands Of
half savage Migrants following the
army. On Monday, the oath, the
German wounded had been evacuat-
ed from Louyain and that evening
there were a few desultory shots il
the Chaussee de Tirlemont and the
rue de la Station, the route along
which Won Kluck's army day after
day was pushing on toward the west.
However. things went we'll enough
for the time, and the Louvainist
could make a little moue, shrug his
shoulders. and observe "C'est la
guerre,' ('This is war;
Shots in the Rue De Tirlemont
Then came Tuesday, the 25th,
sinister date in the annals OF Lou
vain. An order was issued com
manding all the inhabitants to be in
doors at 8 o'clock in the evening,
and that all cafes and public places
be closed; doors were to be left I'M
locked and lights were to burn in the
windows. All that afternoon heavy
attachments of troops were arriving
at the railway station: They were
quartered on the inhabitants; the no
tells about the Place de la Station
were filled with officers. Late in the
afternoon the sound of cannonading
was heard from the west in the di-