Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-28


oy making victor S we dance lor
them. squirting her by tapping sig
nllcantly on their pistol holsters.
mere were no orders of course
against that, and the gardeners
! POOR over-awed wife could not
/ dance very well.
What orders there were indeed
seemed TO be for the Belgians. and
tnese with their numerous prohibi-
tlons conveyed in notices. came to
take up almost as much room on the
| walls of Brussels as the news of Ger
man victories conveyed in Les Non
yeles publiees par lie Government
Allemand. (The news published bv
the German government.
Brussels, with that good humor
which as some French writer saws. is
one or the best forms of courage. had
taken heart of grace from a rumor
tnat the German army was in retreat
In France; it took so little to en-
courage them and to send their
Spirits mounting. Up to that time,
even though the three DAYS that the
German troops we're to have been
passing through the city had length
! D.
mans were installing a government,
the townspeople had persistently
considered the conditions as temper
airy; they were convinced that Ant
werp was impregnable, and every
time the wind blew the sound of can
nonading nearer they were persuad-
ed that the English were coming to
the relief. But slowly the hand was
laid more heavily upon them. One
morning l went downstairs and found
a man with a very long, dark, serious
face.
Its the last straw! The people
won't endure it,"
''What?" 1 asked.
why, the order about the pig
cons" he said.
The Last Straw
There was new affiche that morn
ing stating that German soldiers had
orders to fire on any civilian riding a
bicycle, and that any one possessing
carrier pigeons would be tried by
court martial. The Introduction Of
pigeons was the last straw; the pop
ulation would be in revolt. We laugh
ed; IL seemed so ridiculous. OF what
importance were a few pigeons?
But it was important to the Bel
gians for, as de Leval explained, the
rearing and training of pigeons was
a national sport, almost as popular
as archery. Every Belgian who could
AFFORD it had a colombier, or If it
were not quite that popular. many
persons did so; they had their clubs
and on Sunday their contests; the
land was filed with COLON bophiles as
jealous OF their rights as the lords
of the olden times when the possess
sion of a colombier was one Of the
seignorial privileges.
The Germans, no doubt, feared
that pigeons might soar away with
information; a similar fear was the
motive for the harsh measures with
ragard to cyclists. The guards were
increased everywhere; sentinels were
placed at the Porte de Namur, at the
Porte Louise, at the entrance to the
Bois-everywhere
Each morning had its new prohi-
bition; it was forbidden to take
photographs in the street and public
places, or to distribute newspapers,
or to tamper with telegraph or tele-
phone wires; there were oft-repeated
menaces, embracing whole popula-
tions; Localities in the neighborhood.
of which telegraph or telephone lines
are destroyed will be punished by
war contribution, no matter whether
the inhabitants of the locality are
guilty or not"
The Flag Comes Down
And then one morning there was
an ahche that gave a last blow to
Belgian pride, an afiche that bore a
maj humllfation-the Belgian flag
was everywhere ordered down. Many
had taken in their flags and closed
their windows and shut their doors
the day the Germans arrived, but
there were houses where the flags of
black and yellow and red still floated.
And now these must come down.
They might be considered a provo
cation" announced the notice of
General Won Luttwitz, by the Ger
man troops sojourning in or pass
ing through Brussels" And he add
ed, THE military government has
no intention by this measure to
wound the sentiments and the digni-
~ of the inhabitants. 1t had no
other end in view than to preserve
the citizens from harm"
But the people read the affiche in
sorrow and in shame. The flags
came down-those on the Palace ho-
tel at the significant touch of a pis-
toll by its wearer.
But the following morning there
appeared another afiche, signed by
Burgomaster Max, a proclamation
that was like a cry of wounded pride,
that rang clear with patriotism; it
recalled the original proclamation
of Governor Generald Baron Won
der Goltz Pacha, which said that no
Belgian would be called upon to re-
nounce his patriotic sentiments, but
it begged the people to make this
additional sacrifice and patiently to
await the hour of reparation.
The answer CT the military COVER
nor of Brussels to this appeared the
next day. all over the town on all the
walls; the pToclamations Of the
burgomaster had been covered over
during the night by white paper
blank.
Continued Next Issue)
published by special arrangement
with the Mcclure Newspaper Syndi-
cate. Copyright, 1918, by Brand