Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-16
:: The Truth About Belgium =:
BY BRAND W1TTLOCK


and papers. And they imported
from Germany troops Of German
Boy Scouts, who wore hats life for
esters, to run their errands for
them. And these were not enough;
they imported hundreds of women
and girls and took over entire ho-
tells TO house them. The salaries
OF all these functionaries were enor-
mous-and ell paid out Of the con-
yributions wrung from the Belgians!
Supreme Authority
The supreme authority and the
source of all power and privilege
was the Governor General, delegated
by the Emperor as his personal rep
resentative and responsible TO him
alone. He welded all political au-
thcrity (stattsgewalt), as chief OK
the government of occupation. me
extent of his powers depended en-
tirely ard exclusively upon the i'm
perial will. The kaiser, in his role
OF war lord, had. within the limits
of international law and interna-
tionaI convention, an absolute right,
emanating from military force, in
the conquered territories. This pow
power for occupied Belgium was
delegated to the governor general.
At Berlin neither reichstag, bund-
esrath or Foreign ONCE had any
power of him; his DEGREES requir-
ed no countersign or attestatiop; his
will was supreme In other words,
he was 4 dictator. AS to offenses
committed against the German state
and the German army (Which is
the German state). he had the power
of life and death; and yet, IL there
were no legal restrictions to his
powers save as the appreciation or
the kaiser was necessary to them,
he was nevertheless subject to the
ambient military influence; the pre-
JUDGES, the opinions, the whims of
the military caste. The aged Won
der Goltz, who was there so short
a time (the gossips say that he was
intended for the post of governor
general of France when the Ger
mans reached Paris, and that when
the battle of the Marine dissolved
that dream he was assigned to Brus-
sels) was not so ferocious a man as
the world has painted You Kissing.
and Won Kissing was not so feroci-
Gus as he is generally represented
His name bears the odium OF all
that was done In Belgium, and since
he was ultimately responsible no
formal injustice perhaps is thereby
done him; but he was not always
in favor Of what was done, and
much was done even by him that
was against his judgment. Like
all executives, he was the victim
of his environment, the slave of the
system that had produced him. Be
Ia 10 6ah
powerful military machine. from
whose occult influence he could
not escape. And as in the case of
all arbitrary and autocratic rulers.
while untrammeled by laws and
principles and courts, he was sur
rounded by cliques, constantly dis
putting the possession of him, and
pulled and hauled, swayed this way
and that by the jealous factions of
his staff, he revealed himself now
Just and merciful: now unjust, cruel
and inflexible There was always
in his staff that endless dispute that
goes on in Germany between the
military and the civil factions. Old
soldier even though he was by
no means, I often thought that,
since he was by no means a stupid
or unenlightened man, his feelings
inclined toward the clique OF civil
ians; but in any matter which the
military clique considered vital
they always had their way. as in
Germany they seem always to do.
Apportioning Power
BY DEGREES of the governor gen
eral it was announced that the pow
ers appertaining to the king of the
naro ha nv
military governor general; that the
powers appertaining to the provi-
sional governors in Belgium would
be exercised by the military COVER
nors of the provinces and that the
roles of commissioners of arron-
dissements would be filled by Kries-
chiefs. On February 5, 1915, Won
Kissing issued a decree defining the
powers of governors, of chefs of
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, etc, in Article 3, of
the decree stated that he reserved
TO himself the unlimited right to is
sue such DEGREES, ordonnanees and
orders and to take such repressive
or disciplinary measures as he chose.
On June IL, 1915, the governor gen.
eral indicated the Jurisdiction of
the German military tribunals.
These courts-martial were stated to
be competent, in conformity with
the military penal code of the Ger
man empire, to exercise criminal
Jurisdiction in cases of treason
in time of war for all cases pun
ishable by the law of the German
empire and directed against Ger
man troops or soldiers; for all in
Engagements Of DEGREES of military
authorities. including orders en-
anating from the local kommandant,
and for all infringements of edicts
issued by the governor general,
provincial governors, governors of
fortified places, the governor of
Brussels, and the kommandants of
Maubeuge and the camp Of Bever-
loo. In the case of the later de-
craas fhe authorifies were stated