The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-26

49, 'AN AfAA' AtNAAA' A'e ~ DNAnhNAA ~
der the German OCCupation,' All rights
reserved, copyrighted in Great Britain,
Canada and Australia. All rights re-
served for France, Belgium, Holland,
Italy, Spain, Russia and the S~candtna-
Wan countries)
The cards OF exemption that, under
our express and formal arrangement
with the German authorities had been
delivered to the employees VI the G, n
and {, X, h. signed by the American
delegate, Mr.. Osborn, were in most
cases Of no avail. The officer would
take one of these cards, show 1t to m
other officer standing by, and this Of
flcer, evidently in authority, would
shake his head and his companion would
put the card in his pocket and order the
men dcported,
When the operation had ceased the
men were at once marched off to the
railway station, embarked on a train
waiting and, 1t was said, sent 10 Alien
GTabOw.
Then It was the turn Of Nivelles, the
charming old town OF about II 1000 in
habitants a few miles south Of Water
loo On the fourth Of November "A no
tiCe was posted on the walls Of Ntvclles
ordering all men over II years old to
report on the eighth OF November at Q
o'clock In the morning IS o'clock Bel
gian time) in the Place st, Paul. They
must have their Identification cards and
| llt tHEu lSSutu ny lle ItklhlTNllbU bu~
reau, and, sinister portent, they might
bring small baggage. similar notices
had been posted in all the Communes
nearby. Tho town, the whole region,
was p~reoccupied by a graf trouble,
stricken by terror.
Two days later German troops APP
peHTed, filling the streets; scntinels
were posted on all the highways, roads
and footpaths; none could leave the
town without written permission from
the kommandantur; there was Il Nert-
table state of siege, to which fear added
It's anguish. On the morning of the Sth
a cold dismal rain was falling and from
dawn on to s o'clock miserable pro-
Ccssions from all the nCighboring VII
lagos came tramping into town, old
hobbling mon, some Ill, drenched to the
skin, carrying their poor, pathetic little
bundles, until thousands were crowded
In the Place st, Pau, There were OLD
men Of 70 and so standing there In the
cold, driving rain they stood for
hours.
Finally, as their cards were examined,
first those between 70 and so, then
those between 60 and 20, were allowed
to go, and they plodded off homeward.
This took a long time. The others who
remained were then marched In colu-
umns Of skies between lines of soldiers,
behind whose hedge of bayonets the
women were pressed closely, shawls
over lnelf neHuN, huDDlhk Nhoh uSe1
: wide, their faces drawn with terror, des-
olation and despair, to the pelacrolS
factories a mile away ~
They were marching thus until noon
in the pitiless rain, Then the examtna-
ton was begun and continued untll b
!, o'clock in the evening. The Delacrolx
factories were connected by IA spur with
the railway station at Baulers, and on
this spur freight cars stood. Each mar
MS he was chosen was hustled into one
Of these cars, and when 1t was full the
car was at once hauled out and another
t empty car brought to take lts pace
The men were selected, as seemed
/, now to be the rule everywhere, accord
=, ing to physical appearance, the strong
r taken, the weak left. once taken, a
man was not allowed to communicate
with his family; he was hauled away
In that crowded little goods wagon IN
R the rain and darkness and cold OF the
! night, wife and children waiting in the
E little cottage.
Night came down on Nivelles; thu
rain was still falling, and those walt
ing in those homes only knew thai TIT
= seizures were over when the German
1 soldiers, their work done, came march
ing back from Baulers and into nj
velles, singing through the dark streets
Of the little own where there wer'
only tears, .,
1t was on the morning Of the 1ttl
Of November that the decree whiCl
Convoked the male population OF q
villages was posted at Wavre, the chic
place Of the canton.
The notice had been posted at
O'Clock in the morning, 1t had beel
expected, feared, and yet there ha'
aomehow II would not happen, but nov
there 1t was, on the walls. Twenty
four hours notice given TO leave home
family, friends, and to go of In tn
ainister Germany, The women had T.
warn those who we're working and di
not vet lnow. They had to warn then
On that they might have time to pre-
mare SO that they might pass wit
mem that dpy. the last perhaps, an
take such poor. pitiful measures o
for6sight as we're possible. The won
on want to search and bring ther
name and then there were the poig
mani scenes OF parting, not alone tn
sorrow there is in all parting, but tn
anpuish Of such A parting as this.
Tbev vere moor homes. Two Years a
war Of hirh prices and rationlng, ha
stri nnod them almost bare, In thei
c,,nbnorda there was little food. oul
NAT which was strictly necessary fo
zach mo md on the morrow, If tn
father or the son were taken, Their
youId no mo other resource left. The
made nm their bundles, putting in the,
all thoy Mad. the last bit Of clothinl
The Iasi niece Of covering, the piece q
tha lar If hread Tint remained every
thinr mo matter" said one TO
morrow we shall not care TO eat"
They had TO be AT Wavre al
g o,olnrE and from All these commune,
o in order to reach the Mace in Tim,
thev must start early and be an hon
q NJ Two on the road There we're n
o vcbfcles. HOY had 10 walk carrvin
thair Iuprare At 6 o'clock the In
n tnrninahle and amentahle nroressio
haean on ali those roads. nm Tho hjea
ID morninr of Noyember In the bite
IL roId in tho biting wind. for Nature. n,
most nc cruel as man was fuIl Of mon
acc Most Of Inc men would not il
tbe,r antilles 90 with them. tho WIN
" w v long md tbeir nresence Won
Ie onIv make Tho parting harder And s
IS tbeSv trudp cd along alone or I'm groun
n walking in heavy silence over tho.
&c IhH town OF MHNTf-A pretty mac