The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-28

published by special arrangement
with the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
Copyright. 1918, by Brand Whitiock,
under the title, S"Memories Of Belgium
Under the German Occupation. All
rights reserved. Copyrighted in Great
Britain, Canada and Australia. All
rights reserved for France, Belgium,
Holland, Italy, Spain, Russia and the
Scandinavian countries.)
The delegates Of the g. r. b. were
reporting Wholesale purchases, requisl-
ton and expectation OF native products,
Our agreement Of April was being vio-
lated more and more. We had SUI
ncisnt evidence on which to base the
statement that there was a systematic
attempt to help supply the needs Of
the military authorities IN the occupied
territory and the needs of the civil
population in Germany. German troops
In the OF Nechin had ordered
the b"urgOmRster TO furnish before eve
ming of a certain day so, 600 kilos Of
potatoes and TO load them onto the rail
way wagons, and II required the lahOrs
Of the whole population TO comply with
the order. II seemed as though the
whole work was about TO break down
under the difficulties that had acoumu
lated. We had made new and vigorous
protests, asking for a more rigorous
control and for representation on the
zentrale. In order to give additions
force to these representations, We had
asked an interview with the governor
general. .
When he received US in the ministry
OF arts n sciences that VIC might
present u protest to him In person,
VlllalOhar, Van Vollenhoven and |, Won
Blessing was looking depressed and H.
! wondered II the quarrel with linden
burg had had anything to do with this
unaccustoined air, less vigorous than
we we're used 10 in him. prussian sol.
der though he was, he was not al
ways for PrussiRn methods, he had
some conception of milder means, and
he had often resisted the military ele-
ment. But Hindenhurg had risen to the
position almost OF n dictator; the mill
tRry were IN the saddle and were rid
Ing roughshOd over all civilian scruples
and Blssing's power was waning.
When / asked him II he were in good
health, he put his wrinkled hand wear
lily to his head, and said:
Non. fe climat d'iC1 no me oonvient
pas (No, the climate here does not
agree with mel.
Villalobar rave me the glance the
remark must infalIibiy provoke, The
old soldier had been shooting in the
Ardennes. and bagged three deer and
some wild boar. Game was plentiful
Just then In those old forests, where
the animals had taken refuge from tho
dangers Of those fields where men were
hunting each other In the north OF
France. He wore M decorations that
day; he had on a well-worn uniform
portrait of King Albert on the wall be-
hind him. He looked older and showed
the haggard marks of care.
Won Kissing was even then maturing
a plan over which he had long been
brooding, q plan more audacious, more
a preaching, more imaginative, and
vastly more fatal In its effect on the
life OF the Belgian nation than the
slave drive Of Won H~indenburg. Tho Won
Kissing. plan was more deeply and cum
ninEly laid, II showed r. certain finesse
It was no mere recrudesoence Of medic
valism, no reVersion to the ancient
type, Both men wished to carry out
the imperial German scheme Of con
quertnE and anneXing Belgium In order
to- have n foothold whence Germany
might strike England and America. But
H~indenburg, heavy, ponderous. with
the tactics OF the Infatuated ram, could
think OF nothing more original than to
drag conquered Belgians Off into slav-
cry, after the OF conquerors In
ancient times; II was impossible to &c
farther In reviVinE the Customs OF the
dark ages without actually eating the
victims. But Kissing, old, willy, subtle
had a deeper scheme. He, by an adroi
appeal to the old racial feeling between
the Flemings and the Walloons, woulC
divide the Belgian nation. He woulC
give his policy the appearance Of 6
spontaneous and generous act In tn,
name OF the very principle for which
the allies were ~fighting-the right o
small nations to govern themselves. HI
would stand by henevolently, holdinl
out a %patronizing and protecting hand
while the Flemings set up for them.
selves the Flemish state under a Ger.
man protectorate. and In this way Ger.
many would gain Antwerp and the Bel
gian ~littorRl, the foothold on the sea
menacing the virile democracies OF tn,
British isles and the American cont,