Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-09

suit of the advice that Villa:obar
and | had venture@ 20 give Burgo-
master Max, after all not TO offer
any resistance. The gardes civiques
had accordingly been withdrawn
and disbanded, and the German
army was to enter the city during
that day.
The news was a relief, of course,
for which we could thank the king,
who has a very level head on those
broad shoulders.
Bottaro-Costa, however, was un-
certain of our diplomatic status,
thought that we were merely dis
tinguished residents of the capital.
was not so much concerned about
that technical point and advised him
to go over and take counsel OF VII
lalobar, who is expert in all such
delicate matters, but BOttaro-Costa
would not. Villalobar's legation
was in the rue d'Archimede and
Bottaro-Costa said that If he went
there he might never get back to
his own legation on the Boulevard
Bischoffsheim.
When he had gone / went up
stairs, and when Colette brought up
my tea 1 told her not to be fright
ened, that the entry of the Germans
would be peaceful. The poor soul
was relieved but shook her head
and said, in the French she trans
lated out of her Flemish mentality:
"Mais c'est tout de meme triste. "
("But all the same it is sad
They Expected Help
| told the honest Gustave, too,
and he shook another hard Flemish
head and summed up, l think, in a
phrase the common thought of all
Brussels that morning, when he said
ruefully:
''Je pensais que les Anglais ct
les Francois allaient venir nous
alder" CT thought that the Eng
Iish and the French were coming
to help U.S.
All morning in ever increasing
crowds the poor peasants tramped
into the city, bearing their pitiable
possessions, in bags, bundles, some
of them in Belgian carts drawn by
dogs. And from my window / saw
one lone, dispirited, footsore Bel
gian soldier trudging in the hot sun
that beat down into the rue Bel
lizard, sweltering in his heavy over
coat, his kuapsack on his back, tin
cup and an extra pair of boots
dangling from it, trailing his gun
and powdered grey with dust,
trudging YEARLY along, the symbol
of defeat and despair.
NJ. Max, wearing te red echarpe,
(scarf) of the BOurgmestre, with H.
Jacuuemain the echevin (alderman)
his faithful friend, had gone out
side the city toward Tervueren the
night before, and there, with the
German general, had arranged the
details of the entry of the troops,
and for their unmolested passage
through the city. And now they
were to enter at IL o'clock. All
morning long we waited. Villalo-
bar was restlessly in and out with
such news as he had
We had been told that the troops
would come in under the arch of
the Cinquantenaire-f the win
dow of my chamber | could just see
the quadriga that old Leopold had
placed there-and come down the
rue de la Loi, the long avenue that
stretched away from the triumphal
arch, in the crude glare of the sun,
stark, empty, unreal.
At luncheon we discussed the pro-
priety of my going out to see the
army pass through; l did not like
to miss the spectacle, but, on the
other hand, / had feeling that it
might be indelicate in me to go out
and witness the humiliation of the
proud city. I asked the ladies not
TO leave the legation: one could
never know what might happen.
After luncheon we went out on the
balcony; one by one the bright Bel
gian flags we're coming down from
the white facades along the rue Bel
lizard, where they had famed in the
sun for the last fortnight, and only
on the Brazilian, the Gillian and
the American legations were the
flags left flying. The persiennes
were drawn at all the windows; the
old quarter Leopold looked like a
city of the dead.
Our First Glimpse of Germany
Then of a sudden l saw VillalO-
bars car coming down the rue de
Treves, his chauffeur in his red and
green livery, his red and yellow
flag flying, and l ran down to meet
hiri, Selling my hat and stick as l
went The Marquis was as excited
as boy.
Come on" he cried, and I went.
NJ Gibson and NJ de Leval followed
in our car. We drove over to the
Italian legation, in the Boulevard
BischOffSheim. The boulevard was
lined with crowds, waiting under
the elm trees, out of the sun. The
patrol bourgeois. the citizens who
had been sworn in TO aid in keeping
order, were sauntering about, wear
ing their white brassards.
Bottaro-Costa, a day or so be-
fore, much to our regret, had been
superseded at that post by another
minister who had not yet arrived,
and was about to leave Brussels.
The legation was dismantled and
the halls filled with packing cases,
but the countess had retained one
salon, and she received us there.
There then in the bow windows
overlooking the boulevard, chatting
the while, we waited until Villalo-
bar and BottaTO-COsta grew weary
and impatient and went out with NJ.
- 4 s-l,