The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-30
Doctor BeIand, Once Canada's
Postmaster General, Cannot
See Dying Wife.
EXCHANGED after DELAY
Says Kaiser Envies Hindenburg Pop
uIarity and Tries to Appropriate
His vlctories-saw Cap.
ture of Antwerp.

in German prison for three years DIR.
Henri SEVERN Beland, postmaster gen.
eral of Canada under Premier Wilfrid
Laurier, and who lives at Beauce in
the province of Quebec, arrived here,
accompanied by his daughter, Miss
Jeanette, who was held in Belgium by
the Germans while her father was in
Germany. Added to the sufferings of
his Imprisonment was the death of
his wife In Belgium after he had beeh
locked up for Is months.
His jailers refused to allow him to
go from Berlin TO see her when she
was dying. The news of his wife's
death was withheld from him for IL
days, and he was only given the date
after he had begged to be allowed to
go to her funeral, to show that 1t was
too late.
Doctor Beland was only postmaster
general for two months In 1911 when
the Laurier administration was de-
feated over the reciprocity question.
1t was because he had held this politi-
cal appointment that the Huns would
not permit him to leave Germany two
years ago when arrangements were
made between that country and Great
Britain for the exchange of civilian
prisoners more than forty-five years
old.
During the three years he lost 20
pounds In weight and his luxuriant
black hair became thin and turned
gray. The only occupations he had
were to attend the prisoners and
the officials of the prison when they
were iii and to learn to speak, read
and write German fiuently. He was
finally released in exchange for the
brother Of Prince Won Bulow, who was
the head of the Krupp Gun company in
London before the war.
The doctor was in nopthern France
in August, 1914 and his wife was stop
ping at their estate in Cappellen, near
Antwerp. He promptly offered his
services as surgeon to the Belgian
army and was with them In the fight
ing at Liege. From that city he went
to Antwerp and w. there when the
British expedition sent out by Winston
Churchill arrived In October Of that
year. He saw the city captured by
the Huns In October. Doctor Beland
continued to live with his wife at Cap.
pellen until she converted the house
into Red Cross hospital and trained
herself as nurse.
The doctor talked slowly and stop.
ped occasionally to think of his
words. He explained that, like the
majority of the prisoners he had met
he was suffering from loss Of memory
caused by his long Imprisonment
which had interfered with the recep
tiveness of the organs In the brain.
"Up to May IL, 1916" the doctor
said. 81 practiced medicine among the
poor In Antwerp and my wife carried
on the Red Cross hospital at Cappel
len. Then the German commandani
sent an officer to tell me that I was
to be interned. When pointed out
that physicians practicing as civilians
were immune from internment the Hur
officer replied that was not receiving
fees from my patients. / was arrest
ed and taken to the Grand hotel, which
was used as military headquarter.
and residence of the staff officers II
Antwerp. After three days was sem
to Berlin and locked up In the Stadt
vogel prison.
'The prison fare was rough, con
sistings chiefly of black bread, greasy
soup and potatoes. This did not trou
BILE me as received parcels Of foot
and supplies weekly from London. tn,
treatment was about as good as 1t gen
orally is In places Of that kind.
''When, after two years. confinement
was allowed to walk In the park op
| posite Garden strasse In Berlin, wal
not allowed to speak to any person
One afternoon I took my escort tt
luncheon at the. Hotel Bristol on tn,
Inter den Linden, which has no
changed its name. The Piccadilly res
taurant, noticed, had been converted
into the vaterland. Another time
saw crowd running and, looking II
their direction, / saw an automobil,
go by containing Hindenburg ant
his staff officer. He Is the lido
Of the German people and more popu
lar than the kaiser. Ludendorff II
regarded as strong man all ovel
Germany. but never takes the troubl,
to make himself popular. He does no
care what the people think about hin
Sd long as they do as they are told.
"The kaiser envies Hindenburg'l
popularity, and whenever the Huns
gain victory he hurries to thu
side Of the marshal and issues bulle
tins and sends kilograms to the kai
aorfn. m that fha manila h,llosxo q