The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-14

i; were determined to break up If pos
sioIe me system by which escapes over
TIE frontier into Holland were facIli-
lated. More than 1000 young men, it
was said, had gone out during the
months Of June, July and August.
lhese were for the most part Young
belgians Just come OF age and they
Went as ~Holunteers to join the Belgian
afhly.. Mothers In Belgium trembled
to see their boys grow up, for that
meald not only the danger OF war that
Mas cOlhhlOn to all, but the far greater
danger. OF crossing the frontier. There
Is not IN history any story more heroic
man tndl OF those lads, some OF them
only u, VINO bruved' tile many dangers
That lay between their comfortable
homes aud the taut, shining spread Of
electrified wires at the Dutch frontier.
Thousands Of boys were shot down with
liberty in sight, there among the brack-
en- ana the leather n that drear land
OF the Campiue. Others were those
English soldiers cut Off from the main
body Of their troops after the battle Of
Mons, hiding IN the woods and fields
and farms for months until they found
their Belgian friends. There were
French soldiers In this plight as WELL
and even Belgtans. There was n cap.
tain OF artillery. q Belgian. who had
been wounded and taken prisoner at
Ltege: he escaped from the hospital,
got 10 Brussels, hid for months in an
attic, and then, after wonderful ad-
ventures in Oriental Flanders a poacher
guided him by night across the frontier.
Miss Caveli indeed was ideally stu
ated to aid such patriotic work. Her
nursing home Offered an exceptional
basis. The Germans had apparently
convinced themselves at least that
among the 10 whom they had arrested
they had the riugleaders of a formid-
lhln nfUqntynFInn and that fhay- hlH
uildone the knot Of the conspiracy that
had been carrying on 50 extensively
the work of recruiting for the allied
armies. They determined TO break IL
up, and they employed their f~svorite
Observation-Disclosures" tfTightful-
uess.) What would make a deeper I'M
preston ON the mind or instil greater
fear In the hearts Of the people than
TO take a woman out and shoot her
this calm, courageous little woman with
the stern lips n the keen gray eyes
that were not afraid? And then she
was English-the objectionable offense.
II Is possible that the men at political
department did not know, that Monday
afternoon, that the judgment had been
pronounced. "Messieurs les M|ilitaires'
had an affair in hand and they had get
their hearts OH carrying it out; and
they may not have told them at. the
political department, may have kept
the truth from their colleagues, or,
with that contempt they always had
for the civil department of government,
have warned them to keep their
bands off. It mag be that the political
department did not care, or did not
dare, to interfere. If the military party
had deceived or ignored them they, OF
course, In the solidarity and discipline
that binds all Germans, would not have
given that fact as an excuse The ex-
cuse they did give was that Maitre de
Leval had led the American legation
into error and that, anyway, even II
Conrad had told Maitre de Leval what
he did, neither Conrad nor Maitre de
Leval had any diplomatic quality and
that therefore the German authorities
had not deceived the American lega-
ton. The first excuse Is not founded
on fact, the second rests upon a dis.
tinction too trivial to give 1t any moral
or legal value. Matte de Leval did not
lead us into error; Conrad did tell him,
and did tell Topping, either honestly be-
lieving that he said or having been in
structed to say--it must be one or the
other-that no judgment had been ren.
dered when, as a matter OF fact, that
Judgment had been rendered hours be-
fore. The deed of course was the work
OF the military. deliberately planned IN
hatred and d~eterntnodly executed In
cold blood.