Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-18
BELGIAN PEOPLE
ASK FOR REFORM
Brussels Delegation Peti-
tions King Albert for
Constitution Changes
MOB FLEMISH ACTIVISTS
"Flamagand" Agents Of
Kaiser Declared to Be Worse
Than the Germans
MOB FLEMISH ACTIvISTS
BY PHILIP GIBBS
Srccidi Cable to EreniNg> Public Ledger

In Brussels and these, to some extent.
were confirmed by n deputation which
came from the capital with safe con-
duct through the enemy lines and with
athe sympathy, it seems. of German
troopsA to inform the King that the
Brussels people desired a more popular
form Of constitutiop under the mon
.archy. This deputation consisted Of
members OF the Socialist and Catholic
parties, and the King conferred. with
them on the situation.
What happened in prussels seems to
have been exaggerated, and from a re-
liable source In Ghent hear that the
rloting and demonstrations which oc-
CURED there have been due to the re-
volt OF German soldiers against their
officers. and not to any revolutionary
spirit among Belgian civilians. Ger
man soldiers threw all discipline to
one side as soon as the armistice cvas
signed, killed some of their officers
tore the badges off the uniforms of
others and seized the motorcars in
which they were getting away. They
then raised the red flag above the
royal palace and paraded through the
streets, singing thu, 'Marseillaise."
Attacks on Flemish Activists'
There was\ also, it seems, q certain
amount of ,free-for-all fighting be-
tween patriotic Belgians and Flemish
aotivists, who had followed the Ger
man lead, whose sole object was to
divide the French and Flemish speak
ing populations of Belgium. Many of
these "F1amagands," as they called
themselves, were purely pro-Germans,
acting as secret agents for the Ger
man police. in return for protection
and favors, and playing the bully among
their own people. Hatred against them
is Intense and many were wise enough
TO escape when the enemy began his
retreat, but some have stayed. hoping
to brazen things out. They are unwise
to stay, for they are marked men
and are recognized when they appear
In public places.
went to n soldiers ball in Client
night before last, and one of these men
was seen in the gallery. Down below
in the hall hundreds Of people were
dancing to the music Of two bands,
which took turns in keeping up a steady
blare of dance tunes, and everything
seemed very happy
* No Mercy for q "Flamasand"
Suddenly in the midst of it there
came an episode of passion in which
men saw red above the loud music.
There was shout OF 'Flamagand -
apl rlOGa tn whare II afnnd fhara
. wild scrimmagev and whirling of arms
The dancing stopped and thousands of
faces from the hall below looked up to
the gallery. and from hundreds of
voices came the shout of "Flamagand. :"
Z One man in the gallery was fighting
fiercely and defending himself against
many blows. 1t was one of the F1em-
ish activist swho had been recognized.
ish activists who had been recognized
He was big, broad -shouldered ruffian,
like tiger, but he was buffeted about
the body and face ana rung out Of the
hall. ....'.. . ....-.
Tragedy of British Prisoners
The tragedy Of the war does not quite
end with the armistice, and l have
/. seen other things which made me shud-
der a little. thrusting their ugliness'
through all the rejoicing Of these days.
] saw one scene on n road back from
Client today which is the worst thing
that men Of our blood may see, now
that the war is over. .
Y I noticed two gaunt -looking fellows,
IN German clothes, walking along with
some English soldiers in great friendli-
ness.
who are you7" I asked. and one
by one they told me they were men of
our Eleventh Corps. taken prisoners In
nmanaiya NJ mil x.yhap
the enemy drove through the Portuguese
at Neuve Chapelle and when our men,
tried to stem the tide at Merville and
Estaires.
II am one of the Fifty-arst Division" ;"
said ohe man. and another said. "I
belonged to the Thirty-fourth," and an
other said. 3" was with the Fiftieth,"
and another. MY division was the
First" and another, The Fifty-fifth
was mine"
They were heroes of those black
days when the British fought with their
backs to wall which slipped behind
them. fought against Overwhelming odds,
fought hungry and fought cold, and
fought until drunk with>sleep. They were
English. and Scottish, and Welsh, and
Irish and the Germans had made them
pay for their courage.
Ft "six Months of Starvation"
at was six months Of starvation .
said a young, Scot. who was a mere
wreck of yodth. They told me their
food was SO scarce they were tortured
with hunger. and so vile that many of
them had kind of dropsy and swelled
out horribly and died. They were COW
cred with vermin, had had only two
baths in eight month. and could not
even get their hair cut. They were
put to work on ammunition dumps, car
rying heavy shells and airplane bombs,
and were kept at work early and late,
without any solid food. 30 that many
fell. -
Three days ago their guards came to
them and said:
~ "You are free. There is no more
war, and you can 90 back"
" They could hardly believe in their
sudden liberty, but they set out from
their camp at ALLIE, sixteen kilometers
this side of Brussels and the people
fed them. but even then they were so
weak and III they could hardly hobble
on, and some of them died on the way
back, at the very threshold Of new
life on this side of the lines.
THE Germans treated us worst OF
all" said several of them, worse than
the French and even worse than the
Russians"
This confirmed only what had heard
from many civilians who saw them in
many villages.
When our prisoners come home. chiv-
airy TO the beaten enemy will be
strained, and charity will be hard, for
the very look of them is>awful, and they