The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-03-14
SECRET OF PAPER
THAT DEFIED HUNS
La lbre Belgique Published by
Victor Jourdain.
When the Germans Stopped PubIiea-
ton of the Patriot, Its Editor, Jour-
dain, Began Issuing WiIl-o'-the-Wisp
Sheet Which for Four Years Kept
the Teuton Officials in Constant
State of Irritation.


State of Irritation.
With the coming Of liberty to Bel
gium, La Libre Belgique has departed,
and the Patriot has reappeared.
1t is now possible to tell that the
most remarkable of wartime newspa'
pers. La Libre Belgique, which success
fully detied German efforts to suppress
it for four years. was the Patriot,
long-estabIished Catholic weekly, in dis
suise. Victor Jourdain, aged editor OF
the Patriot, likewise edited the will-o-
the-wisp sheet which kept German Of
ticials in a constant state of irritation
during their occupation Of his country
and helped to keep the spirit of the
Belgian people steadfast.
He died few weeks ago, just too
soon to see his city of Brussels iber-
ated.
Suppressed by Germans.
The Patriot was suppressed by Ger
man order at the outset Of the war. A
few weeks later copies of new pa
per began to fall into the hands OF the
German officials and army officers. 1t
did not prove popular with the latter.
General Won Kissing, military gov
ernor, offered $4,000 francs reward for
the name Of the Editor and promised
one years Imprisonment to any Belgian
found reading it. There We're arrests
in great number of persons suspected
of the editorship, but no convictions.
It seemed that almost everybody VINO
could possibly have been guilty was
arrested at one time or another-eV-
erybody except Jourdain. One man was
held by the Germans to have been
proved sufficiently guilty to warrant
one,year sentence, but Belgians in the
secret say he was innocent.
The bafied German police were kept
busy running down false clews. Given
the tip that the printing plant would
be found at such-and-such 4 street,
they would rush thither, only to find
vacant lot or an empty house. Told
that a man of a certain name was
the actual editor they would comb
Brussels for him, learning eventually
he was not in the city and never had
been.
While the police hunted, victor
Jourdain prepared copy. He pointed
out intentional errors in the German
official communique, he gave the Bel
gian people the latest news of the Bel
gian army and the allied armies, ne
ridiculed and lampooned the German Of
ficials, and generally kept alive the
peoples faith in better day to come
A few times obscure printing shops
the city set up and printed the lit
tie four-page paper. For the most part,
however, the work was done in shops
elsewhere. Jourdain would appear by
night at the home of some small town
or city printer, always selecting one
for the moment free Of German troops.
Next morning he would depart in his
automobile with the entire issue con-
cealed in the car. Distribution would
begin as far as possible from the place
where the printing was. done.
Compensation for Troubles.
Part compensation for his troubles
was found by the editor in such an
nouncements at these:
sNot submitted to any censor"
Telegraph address, Commandatur,
Brussels"
"Offices: Not being able to estab'
lish these in a fixed place, they are
installed in an automobile cellar"
Advertisements: Business being nil
under the German domination, we
have suppressed the page of advertis
ing, and advise our readers to keep
their money for brighter days"
"Price per copy: Elastic, from zero
to the infinite. Please do not exceed
this limit
A typical article from La Libre Bel
gique, printed on the third annlver'
sary of the war, follows:
"Aug. 4, 1914, Dame Germany start
ed off to war. The plan is simple:
Belgium does not count. Paris taken
in six weeks. Russia crushed before
winter. England remaining alone, too
small a thing not to understand that
nothing is left but to negotiate.