Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-09
=: The Truth About Belgium ::
- BY BRAND WHTTLoCK

fore the Episcopal palace at Ma
lines. The cardinal was saying mass
in his chapel when a priest came to
him saying that a German officer
was waiting to see him.
Tell him that I am saying
mass said the cardinal.
The priest went out and returned
70 report that the officer said the
cardinal must come at once. The
cardinal took off his vestments and
went out, and the officer handed
him 4 letter from General Won Bis
sing. covering eight pages and de-
mandiEg an immediate answer. The
cardinal explained that since the
letter was in German he would have
to have time to reflect: he would
send 4 reply. But the officer said
that he would have to insist that
the order be carried out.
But I give you my word of honor
not 10 leave my palace"
This would not satisfy the Off
Ger; he said he would have to re-
main with him.
You mean in the room with
me-" asked the astonished cardinal.
The officer, abaShed by the glance
in the fearless eyes, said that he
would wait in the courtyard of the
palace. 1t was raining and the Off
ccr waited all day while his emf
hence, in no hurry, prepared his re-
ply. General Won Kissing in his
letter put six questions to the car
dinal, had presumed too far upon
what Kissing was pleased to call
their personal relations, and the
cardinal, replying to this PROPOSE
tion, said that his eXcellency had
evidently misunderstood, or had
not sufficiently understood. their re-
lations, which were not at all per-
sonal, but wholly official; aside
from this he added-no doubt a
touch of the walloon sense of
humor-their relations were simply
those of Christians. The cardinal
said that he was a Belgian, with
Belgian sentiments. prejudices, feel
ings. and loyalty; that he had writ
ten mis- letter out of those feelings
and that he could not retract it, and
he concluded:
This answer will suffice as an
answer equally to all the other five
questions"
Freiherr Won Kissing was not a
patient nor always a diplomatic
man. and when he read the letter
which the officer, after waiting
there all day in the rain, brought
back to Brussels in the evening,
he might have gone to forcible eX-
tremes had not the counsels of
Baron Won der Lancken prevailed.
The baron motored up to Malines
the next morning and waited on the
cardinal The conversation was
long and courteous. The cardinal
insisted that il was unjust to punish
his priests for reading a letter that
he had prepared-and he refused to
retract or TO modify the statement
in his pastoral. and the incident was
assumed to be closed.
The next day, however. the gov
ernor general sent an order to the
priests of the diocese of Malines,
in which he said that the cardinal
ION my representation as to
the trouble and irritation caused by
his pastoral letter among the pop
ulatfon has declared to me at Ma
lines. verbally and in writing. that
he had no intention whatever to
provoke such an action and had eX-
pected no such result. He had
merely tried to convince the popu-
lation of the necessity of obeying
the occupying powers, even In the
case Of the Belgian patriots VINO
felt internally in opposition with
the German administration. In
the event of my fearing any such
irritating effect the cardinal WouIu
not persist in desiring on the part
of his clergy, and in accordance
with the provisions OF the conclu-
sion Of his pastoral letter, a repel.-
ton o. its public reading on lol-
lowing sundays, or that il be any
further spread.
Now this hypothesis has arisen
and therefore 1 repeat my prohibi-
ton of January ., concerning the
public reading and propagation OF
the patsoral letter. 1 remind the
clergy that they will palce them
selves in opposition to the desire
which their cardinal has expressed
TO me if they act in opposition to
my prohibition"
The clergy were, for a moment,
uncertain. but not ror long. Mon
seigneur Evrard, Doyen of Brus-
sells. went to Malines, and on his
return sent each cure a note, which
1 translate:
Monsieur lie Cure:-I have just re-
turned from Malines.
Despite the prohibition received
yesterday II. Z. the cardinal, wishes
his letter read.
The written prohibition is clever
and false.
Neither verbally nor in writing
have / withdrawn any, and / do not
now withdraw any, OF my former
instructions, and I protest against
the violence done to the liberty of
my pastoral ,ninistry."
Tnat is what the cardinal dictat-
ed to me.
He added: They have tried
everything to make me sign some
attenuations to my letter; l have
not signed. Now they seek to sep
arate my clergy from me in pre-
venting them from reading it.
u have done my duty; my clergy
must know whether they are going
20 do theirs.
I beg you to accept. Monsieur lie