Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-20
:: The Truth About Belgium =:
CcontsHusa erom Last IssusI
BY BRAND WHITLOCK

LVL
TNfE German military code is a
complex mystery that no Law
yer OF the western world no
lawyer OF Latin or of Anglo-Slxon
culture. would attempt 70 explain.
The military authorities. under the
vast powers conferred by the gov
ernor-CeueraIs decree. We're con
.stautIy adding 20 il 20 suit thc.-
convenience or their WhimS. Wheh-
ever parliament has nothing else %
do, said an English wit. IL makes a
new crime. and the untrammeled
autccratic power in Belgium made
new crimes daily. simply by post
ing q proclamation beginning II est
defends" announcing thus the lat
est thing verboten- There was
new one on the walls of Brussels
every morning; the Ions and tragic
and sometimes ridiculous series OF
them was unending-
II was verboten TO display the
Belgian flag; verboren TO take pho
tocraphs: verboten TO sell newspa-
pers not expressly approved by the
military governor: verboten TO ap-
proach in a suspicious manner
any railway. telegraph or telephone
line: verbotsn TO make distribute,
pIacard o. expose any pictures not
approved by the Censor. or 10 give
am theatrical representation, reel
.as4on concert or cinema not so
arDroxed- verboten 70 hold open-air
meetings or any assembly where
-,ri,f-sl ,uestiors were discussed;
xerboteu TO sell game; verbottn-
unless one were a German oincer-
TO hunt: verboten TO sing or TO
play la Brahanconne," La Mar
seillaise;" verboten 10 wear or TO
show IN public any Belgian insig-
mia or that Of any other country at
war with Germany or her allies;
vrboten ouse automobiles or BIZ
cycles without express permit;
verboten TO pass the frontier or tO
20 from one town TO another without
a permit These are but a few OF
the hundreds OF prohibitions de-
creed by the military authority
and visited. after a summary trial.
By such penalties as the whims Of
the ruling mind Of the court might
decide
Trials for treason were frequent
trials OF BelEians. that is Just
how a Belgian could be guilty OF
treason against Germany is difficult
% comprehend. but that was what
the Germans called it even though
they did qualify il in the phrase.
trahison de guerre, in the notices
that announced the judgment, often
70 death, OF those who were guilty
Of this crime For those whose
legal conceptions were all Anglo
Saxon or Latin, this did not throw
much light on the legal mystery. To
be sure. IL might make little diff
ference TO the victim whether he
were shot for spying or for treason
or for treason in time OF war" but
10 the student. who is apt to judge
the cultural development Of a peo-
pie by its code, the distinctions are
not wholly embarrassing. There was
also the practice OF deporing per-
sons as undesirable" This was
done by the secret police, without
preferring charges without trial.
without Judgment A man might be
going home at evening and at his
door be arrested; he might leave
his house. and not return, not to
be seen again: a few days at the
Kommandantur and he would be
sent to Germany. No one knew,
when the door-ben rang, that IL
was not the polizei come to ran
sack the house and bear OF some
OF its inmates
The trials were often mere farces-
They were conducted. in important
cases. in the old senate chamber
before a court Of high officers with
whom at times the governor general
himself would sit The prosecutor
would bring in his evidence, sum
IL up. and ask for a certain penalty,