Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-01
BATTLE IN BEL LGLAN STREET
THRILLED PHILA. WOMAN
Mrs. Charles Macloskie Writes
Cousin, Mrs. PoiUeH Erans,
After Four Years
Writer OF Books and articles.
Rejoices at Freedom From Ger
mans Cruel Yoke

| N Eik more tnan TWO years OIL
4 I1silence, while relatives auxlously
wondered and tried TO discover what had
become OF her Mrs. Charles Maclosliie.
formerly Miss Julia Helen Twels. OF
Philadelphia, has written from Belgium,
rejoicing over the freedom that followed
the signing of the armistice.
Mrs. Macloskie's letter came 10 her
cousin, Mrs. Powell Evans. OF the We'll
llngton. Nineteenth and walnut streets.
1t is the first letter TO come 10 the anx-
ious relatives since the beginning Of the
war. more than four years ago, though
meager news came directly from Mrs,
Macloskie through a friend who re
turned from Brussels nearly three years
ago.
The five years in the heart Of the war
zone brought stinted food rations aSd
gallant tyranny of rule when MIR.
and Mrs. Macloskie could get no news
| to or from their American friends, but
she writes that the on-y real excitement
came after the armistice was signed in
conflicts between German officers and
revolutionists.
/ The most serious of these was wit
messed By Mrs MaCloskie. In contrast
TO years OF suppression, she said she
found the taste Of battle rather eNhlI-
arating.
She and an American woman. ftiend
went downtown a few days atter tle
signing of the armistice to see what
was going on.
Troops Crowded streets
"Tbe streets we're crowded with troops
coming and going, she wrote, also
with a great many natives, though lhese
confined themselves mostly TO side sreets'
I Cannon drawn by teams of four ana SIX
horses, mounted cavalry, held klcHehS'
great war motor wagons filled WIN hltu
and all the paraphernalia OF war "tIe
laundering to and fro through the Wlde
boulevards leading TO the Care du No'u:
Before the station a large NUMBER oi
troops We're massed, and at certain
point civilians were not allowed TO pass
We. not knowing this. attempted 70 eo
on but were checked by an armed sol
dler. who appeared either drunk or lhau' @
When we very politely asked why we
could not proceed, merely seeking III
formation. he became purple with rage
and beloved, Zuruck! Zuruch OF
shoot = and leveled his gun on us. AS
| his looks were even more terrifying
we obeyed. but returned to the boule
ward still further up. This, II pfoNeu'
was a reckless thing 10 90. for We sooi,
understood why the man had sloppeu
/ US.
oIn the railway station number OF
officers with certain loyal tIoops nae l'
tal,sr nossession of the building ana
we're holding it against the revolutions
| ists whom they wished to prevent usl's
tho railway. We had scarcely returned
! 70 the avenue leading to it, when a grea'
Icoumotion occurred just ahead OF US
| A sbot was fred, followed by others
and then suddenly a terrific vo!ley OF
ouiell-fring guns from the station WIN
dovs replied TO by the soldiers Oh 'ne
.treets 1t WAS a veritaole battle, the
noise deafening. the confusion Illsl'
ful Those who like us hau Nehtui eu
too far. CAME rushing back Ike t'u",
uava was separated from my triehu
nv a team of plunging cannon norseS
terrired bv the racket. All the maddeiieo
horses in the vicinity seemed 10 gather
about me in the middle of the bouIe-
yard preventing my going forward OF
hack 10 gain the sidewalk ana shelleF'
Taste OF Real Battle
.,r1,a axcitement was dazing, but as a
piratinp Bullets few on every SIDE
shing windows and taking bits from
tba houses. A number of civilians were
killed and many soldiers. When the
canron passed l was able to rejoin o.,
who stood at the door of shop waving
Practically for me. In the end the sol
diers took the station and made the
officers surrender.
'This and an airplane conflict, which
tooI, place +ust over our house, were the
most exciting things ] have experienced
in the Ave years in the very heart oil
tho war The rest was all duh monot-
ony. only set off by the horrors OF deatl
penalties and arrests of people we knew
Now it is all over, thank God, and ]
hone by spring may be able TO see you
all again. II seems almost as though
no world existed outside this place, oI
that there were no ocean, New York OF
London"
Mrs. Macloskie is a native Philadel
milan. and is widely known in America
for her books and magazine articles
written under her maiden name of julia
Helen Twells. She is a daughter of Johi
Twells, for many years American consu
AT Naples, and the late Julia Heller
Watts Twells, also an author. She mar
ried Charles Macloshie, an engineer
e.
belgium. Several years before the wal
they established their home in suburb
To-day for the first time" her letter
da+ed November IA told, I'VE had white
bread and lighted our fires in the morn
ing we dared not do this before be
ceuse of the dearth of coal.
"Iron Hand From Throats"
ITO think the censurs is dead; th'
Great Terror passing away; the iroI
hand has been taken from our throats
and I can write without fear OF having
armed men force their way into tn,
house and drag me to the commandan
mlitaire
III seems mpossible--abnormal. Prob
ablv YOU. over there, who have been able
IN follow events step by step without
being deceived, gagged, choked will
false reports and lies that prevented thu
last ray OF light breaking through dark
ness such as we have existed in here
cannot understand what sudden astound
ing effect this abrupt melting away o
the war clouds has made upon us. w
know only what the occupying govern
nent thought At we should know ant
almost up to the last moment were mad
10 believe the scales weighed in thei
favor. Then suddenly from the QUITE
stillness-the dead corresponding still
ness which seemed to surround Brussel
like a void wherein nothing existed
more humanity articulate than the con
slant, but ever distant thud OF cannon
suddenly from that void came the rCa
of nearby guns, shuttering. thrilling an
awful. but 10 us like triumphant music
I N-ot stpca 1914 had u hAAn az near no