Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1918-05-17
BELGIANS EASILY
OUTWIT GERMANS
Hugh Gibson Says Governor Gen.
eraI Gets Suppressed News
paper Regularly.
SPIRIT REMAINS UNBROKEN
Stupid ProcIamations Of German Com
manuers cause Mucn Amusement
Among 6eleIans-Says Stories
Of Atrocities Are All True.

New York.-Up to the entrance of
the United States In the war against
Germany, approximately $4,000 Bel
gian civilians had been shot, taken
into Germany as prisoners, or fined for
offending the German authorities In
Belgium in various ways, according to
Hugh Gibson, former secretary of the
American legation at Brussels and at
present chief of the division of foreign
intelligence of the state department,
described with many poignant details
The sulferings of the Belgians and the
Irrepressible and buOyant spirit of the.
people, which. he said. has not been
quenched by the TeutOn invaders.
The stupid proclamatiOns Of the Ger
man commandments posted daily and
oftener on the buildings and bOardings
If the streets of Belgian cities caused
he population considerable amuse-
ment at first, Mr.. Gibson said, until
II was announced from German head
quarters that any one seen laughing
around an official bulletin would be Sc
verely punished. Thereafter persons
reading the bulletins would muffle
themselves up in neckcloths that con-
cealed half their faces and laugh to
themselves.
All the Belgian newspapers were
suppressed. and the population re-
ceived its news from publications is
sued by the Germans, which told of
their military victories, Mr.. Gibson de-
clared.
Papers Published Secretly.
i'In spite of this fact, the BeIgians,
under the very nose Of the governor
general, published clandestine newspa-
pers," he continued. 'The governor
general would get his copy regularly.
Sometimes he found 1t under his plate,
sometimes II came into his home with
the vegetables, sometimes 1t was
mailed to him In an official envelope
of the German military headquarters
Itself but, In spite of the fact that he
offered 100000 marks for information
leading to the arrest of those con-
cerned In publishing the paper, 1t
availed him nothing, and when | left
1t was reported that every time he
saw a copy of one of the Belgian Sc
cret newspapers he fell into a tan
trum."
English and Dutch newspapers were
smuggled into Belgium, Mr.. Gibson
continued, though a copy of London
paper sold as high as $50 at a time
when the German authorities were do
Ing their utmost to stop the Snug
Cling. The papers struggled In were
rented by the hour and the owner
would sit on a mans doorstep until
he had finished 1t, when he would pass
it. on to receive another fee from the
next customer Mr.. Gibson referred
to Cardinal MERCER as 1.-THE splendid
old figure whose work has undone the
labors of many German army corps"
The stories Of arson, plllage, murder,
torture, and mutilatiOn committed by
the German invaders are all too true,
according to Mr.. Gibson. The true
story, he said. will not be told until
the Germans have been driven out of
Belgium and northern France, when
the population of the invaded districts
will show the world the proofs of the
German atrocities.
German Spies Poorly Paid.
The hordes of spies hired by the
Germans are for the most part poor
and Ill paid, according to Mr.. Gibson,
who said that he had the honor of
having one assigned to follow him con-
stantly. The man would stand In front
IF Gibson's house In all sorts of wealth
err and would scan the visitors. Ere
quently Mr.. Gibson would inform the
spy that he might leave, as he was
not expecting any more visitors.
Members of the secretary's staff would
use the spy as a messenger, and would
bestow liberal tips on him in return
for fetching cigarettes and other ar
ticles.