Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-06
fcOu+innsd from Last IssusJ


manifestation in Americas
l. honor that New Years day for,
since asseusblages ware forbid
Ssn II rouId only result al embar-
rassusut for the officials of Brus-
sals and difficulties for the people;
tbe BsIcians had understood IN
stazsIy an6 the word had gone out
over the city that the demonstra-
ton before the legation was not
10 take place And then strange
thing happened In the morning
there before the door of the lega-
ton were two or three officers of
The Brussels police in their blue
uniforms. smart kepis. great blue
canes white gloves, their straight
swords. And there on a table IN
the hall was a blank book, bound
handsomely in morocco. lying open
at the first Of its white pages. with
the inscription. u janvier 1919
When I asked Gustave about II he
smiled and shook his head help-
IessIy. and when went out for
walk the agents de police merely
raised their white gloved hands in
salute.
And then. all day long. the peo-
pie came quietly down the rue de
Treves. in pairs or in little groups
a constant procession; those or the
O.1ar1ier Leopold VIE in formal
dress, frock coats and high hats;
the others were "endfmanche, Gin
Sunday clothes) wearing little
American flags as boutonnieres
some OF them buttons with portraits
Of the president or Of his minister
their names in the book. left their
cards, and went away. lifting their
hfSh hats without a word Those
that had not time 20 sign left their
cards. the little latch in the street
door was clicking all day long
There were all sorts of cards the
engraved cards OF princes and noble
men. names Of old families: there
were cards Of tradespeople and even
bits of cardboard on which laun-
dresses had traced their names. And
on the cards were written all sorts
OF sentiments. the formal p. F.
pour feIiciter (to wish you happi-
nessl-expressiOns Of gratitude in
all possible ways; now and then n
some honest woriunan's hand. in
Flemish. the simple, touching word
D1Lk N1ll-lkSg- All 10y AOl6
the silent procession strearned by.
all day long the latch in the street
door clicked. and by night the book
was filed with names and there
were whole baskets full of cards,
literally thousands Of them
There were letters too. and flow
ers. great bouquets and baskets that
filled the whole legation. turning IL
into q bower OF roses and Of those
lovely orchids of which Belgium is
so prodigiOus. Late in the night
they were still coming. the latch
was still clicking. the cards were
still falling through that slit in the
outer doOr-a beautiful expression
OF the gratitude of a whole city, a
whole nation. for what America had
tried to do for them in their dis
tresS.
There were many callers, too. All
afternoon the drawing rooms were
filed. all the Americans in town
and many English and many Bel
gians besides. with. of course. Villa
lobar and the secretaries of lega-
ton and the other ministers left in
Brussels.
In the midst of the reception a
footman brought up the card of a
German officer I went downstairs
and there was a pale little officer in
full uniform-sword and helmet He
came TO tell me that his wife
wished to help to re-establish the
lace industry in Belgium; that she
would open shop OF a depot, buy
the lace from the Belgians and send
the lace to America and he wished
me to have the tariff taken off the
lace 1 could tell him. as an old
though somewhat dtsillusioDed If
not discouraged free-trader. that the
American congress would hardly go
as far as he wished in aiding his
industry, however tender its infan-
c.. I went back upstairs and the
Belgians had all fed as from a pes
thence: not one was left, and Villa
lobar. standing there with that hu-
morous expression OF his. heaved a
heavy sigh and said:
Wezare saved
BeIgtumss Great Cardinal
That New Years day, so full OF
meaning for Us at the legation be
cause OF the outpouing of a ma
tfou'ShezTt IN gratitude. had the Gu
rio<s ameiioration everywhere that
high days and holidays bring to
men In those currents Of feeling
that so mySterfousfy make them
selves felt In whole populations.
there was something Ike a breath
Of new vital air. because IL was a
new year. there WIS a new hope. q
sensation Of relief chzt an old and
ev1 year was dead That amazing
phenomenon. which found its
springs IN the deep wells of the
Belgian nature. that everlasting and
never firing resilliency. lifted them
up and they felt that better times
were ahead: with the springs the
allies would advance, the Germans
would go. the war would end. The
feeling pervaded all classes. And
then an event occurred that sent a
thrill OF patriotism puIsing through