Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-09

to my legation. 1t was about
o'clock and Messrs. Jacquemain and
Steen were still waiting. We asked
them TO get NJ. Lemonnier and meet
us again at the legation at halls
past ten.
Monsieur Lemonnier was a lawyer
in Brussels. and the ranking echeNln'
He had been indicated, by reason or
his length of service, as Bourg-
metre. but Max had been chosen IN
stead There were, therefore, GER
tain points of delicacy in the situa-
ton According to precedent, Mon
sieur Lemonnier, as ranking echeVln,
would become acting Burgomaster'
but when he arrived at the hour
fixed. with his colleagues. ne was
reluctant to assume the duties OF
acting Burgomaster precisely be-
cause of the old ambition to fill that
very post: he had delicacy that
did him honor. and IL reluctance 10
seem to profit by the misfortune OF
his ancient rival. he was large
man, and determined, and he seemed
uNea in his determination. 1t was
a position. under the circumstances,
doubly dificilt for him. and one
could sympathize with his reIuc-
lance. And vet. there were interests
at stake, larger than any one mans
delicacy. however creditable it might
be to him; if local self-goVernment
could be maintained, so much at
least might be saved.
Sitting there around that long Ia
BILE where so many problems were TO
be discussed during the troubled
months and years of the future that
was so kindly hidden from us, my
thoughts went suddenly TO another
city far across the sea, and to Its
problems, which in coming to Brus-
sells | had too fondly hoped to es-
cane. 1t was a lucky thought, for
all suddenly there flashed into my
mind the peculiar coincidence that
here was the same old problem that
would not down, the old ineluctable
struggle of the city to be free. The
free city. And Brussels was one of
the oldest free cities in the world!
leaned forward toward Monsieur
Lemonnier; in Belgium there is one
chord in every citizen that vibrates
instantly to the touch, and that IS
the chord of the old city spirit. 1t
seemed strange TO be stating the
argument in another tongue, but l
did the best / could, and l said to
Monsieur Lemonnier:
Brussels, a Free City
This is not the first time that
the city of Brussels has been occu-
pied by a foreign power. Today it
is the Germans, not SO long ago it
was the Dutch; before that it was
the French and the Austrians and
the Spaniards." The marquis smiled,
nn
Duke of Brabant with whom you
struggled. But during all those oc-
equations, during all those changes,
there was one thing that always
hoated over the Hotel de Willie down
there in the Grand Place. That was
the city of Brussels, that flag was
the red and green"
Monster Lemonnier did not wait for
me to finish. He leaned forward
out of the deep chair where he sat.
I'm do it, he said.
And so it was settled. There were
a few details to arrange. Would the
police obey him? Yes!
The echevins prepared an affiche
informing the people that the college
would continue in their functions,
marcher les affaires." C"Would keep
things going.0
Vilalobar and | wrote a note then
to Won Luttwitz asking him to post
the afiche; and he thanked US for
suggesting it. 1t was after midnight
was startled out of my sleep by
tn heavy booming of cannoning, and
then suddenly it was still, and the
church bells were ringing in an
other Sunday. For days we had
been waiting for the passes that
would permit Gibson to go to Ant
werp for the wheat, and our two
mothers to leave. Their trunks had
been packed and were waiting, and
now more than ever, since we did
not know what might follow the ar
rest of the popular burgomaster, we
were anxious to have them gone, and
to know them safely out of Belgium.
That morning the passierschein'
came, and at 10 o'clock they with
Gibson in the motor piled high with
luggage, drove away under the
American flag. little knot of peo-
pie gathered in the Rue de Treves
to see the Departure little knot
that quickly grew to the proportions \
of a crowd, n fact not without dis
quieting suggestion. They went
away bravely and as they went we
watched them, with hearts full, but
a great load lifted from our minds.
They expected to reach Maestricht
that night and The Hague on the
morrow.
The Crowd outside melted away
and the town was still. Nillalobar
came in and we chatted for a long
time. oddly enough about the Span
ish-American war, and the king of
Spain. who felt that the future of
America and the future of Spain
were mysteriously bound together.
and so tried to do away with every
trace of feeling and bitterness.
And then NJ. Van Villenhoven,
charge des affaires of the Dutch le-
cation, appeared to say that he had
just been down to the Grand place
and that a German lieutenant with
some want of tact had selected that
as a propitious moment to parade
tere some Belgian soldiers, prisoners
of war. But as the morning wore
away the atmosphere of the city be-
came surcharged with a nervous
quality that was not reassuring; the
news OF MAX : arrest was SpEeauIuS.
and then by noon there were callers
at the legation anxiously inquiring
if 1t were true that the American
minister had left. 1t was precisely
what l had expected; the crowd that
had gathered to watch the motor
laden with luggage drive away had
already done it's work. A number of
citizens suggested that some means
be devised TO counterfeit the effect
of the rumor and in the afternoon,
then. shortly after luncheon, l took
an open motor, and with my wife