Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-12-17

the streets in Belgium are raved with
little stone blocks. a dozen inches long.
rough n jagged. but hard as flint.
The regular thud. thud. thud Of those
iron heels on the pavement was one
OF h most awful. terrifying sounds of
all h war. IT seemed to typify the
forces that were ccntendinE-the iron
heel of Germany striking regularly.
indimertntly, mechanically. on the lit
re. motionless white cobble stones OF
Belgium, whose surface they never
dentcd, and whose occasional sparks
OF fire as steel struck flint, seemed TO
speak the pent-up anger of the nation.
All day long that dreadful sound
continued. and late into the night. I
do not know how late. for / fell asleep
still hearing Il. though 1 had shut my
windows tight, trying to deaden the
sound. In the morning I was awaken
cd by music. At first 1 thought / had
awakened from a horrid dream; that
there was music and happiness in the
air, and hat all hat nightmare about
war n invading armies was unreal.
But in an instant l realized that was
a German band that was playing.
leading soldiers who were singing Die
Wacht am Rheini"
1 stayed in the house nearly all
day. watching from my little roof
garden the gray line of German
troops that still kept marching along
the Avenue Louise. varied at times by
huge supply wagons and kitchens on
wheels, whose canvas coverings were
family suggestive of the prairie
schooners hat crossed American
plains In h days Of our grandfathers.
Late In the afternoon the chain of
troops seemed broken. Only occa-
sional groups of them were coming,
.laggards, l suppose. who had not kept
up with the main body.
1 could not stand any longer to re-
main in the house. with no news as
to what was happening. / ventured
out, having promised to come back IL
/ encountered riots. The Belgian peo-
pie knew themselves, and were con-
stantly afraid OF disorder due to an
outburst of their anger. which would
lead to the complete destruction OF
their city.
The streets were empty. I turned
corner after corner without seeing a
soul. Finally. as 1 approached the
Grande Place, the big open square in
the center of the city, I found a few
scattered Belgians. moved evidently
by the same desire TO know what vas
happening that had brought me out,
looking silently, sadly. into the big
Place. They could not go too near,
for German sentries. flourishing saw
toothed bayonets, motioned them back
from the narrow streets that led into
the Grande Place. 1. too, was pushed
back unceremoniously, without n
word.
I could see, however. that hundreds
OF German soldiers. with their bag
gage wagons and their rolling kitch-
ems. were filling the immense squar
many OF them sleeping on the hard
cobble stones of the pavement. The
German flag hung from the staff on
the Hotel de Vile. lifeless and droop-
ing as II II knew the ignominious fate
that was finally to overtake IL.
I walked farther. German soldiers
were everywhere in the center of the
city. They were in the royal palace;
their wagons and horses filled the
Pare Royal across the street from It;
they swarmed over the steps of the
wonderful Palace OF Justice, n of tho
loveliest buildings In Europe; the
were settling themselves In the offices
OF all the Belgian ministers.
Since that time poor Brussels has
been under the iron heel OF that
dreadful German army. But now her
day of deliverance has come. I can
picture the Joy. the relief and gladness
and fervent thanksgiving that will
sweep I've that long -saddened city.
as Belgium sees once more her own
dear flag flying from her public build
ings. and her brave and undaunted
soldiers coming back into their own.