The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-01-03

Belgian people the latest news of the
Belgian army and the allied armies,
he ridiculed and lampooned the Ger
man officials, and generally kept alive
the peoples faith in a better. day to
come.
A few times obscure printing shops
in this city set up and printed the
little four page paper. For the most
part, however, the work was done in
shops elsewhere. Jourdain would ap-
pear 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 eEtire issue concealed in the car.
Distribution would begin as far as
possible from the place where the
printing was done.
Printed i'm National Colors.
In spite of the difficulties of pub
lication La Libre Belgique nearly al
ways was neat ard attractive typo
graphically. Sometimes, when the
services of a complete printing plant
was obtainable, the first page would
be bordered in the national colors,
red, yellow, and black. Editions, of
course were not regular-"regularly
irregular" was the papers own state
ment of its publication dates, but
Jourdain managed usually to issue
one each month.
Part compensation for his troubles
was found by the editor in such an
nouncements as these:
mot submitted TO any censor"
Telegraph address, Commandatur,
Brussels
offices: Not being able to es-
tablish these in a fixed place, they
are installed in an automobile cell
lar"
Advertisements: Business being
nil under the German domination, we
have suppressed the page of adver-
Using, ard advise our readers to
keep their money for brighter days"
"Prive per copy: Elastic, from
zero to the infinite. Please do not
exceed this limit.
A typical article from La Libre
Belgique, printed on the third ami
versary of the war, follows:
August 4, 1914, Dame Germany
started off to war. The plan is sim
pie: Belgium, does rot count Paris
taken in six weeks. Russia crushed
before winter. England remaining
alone, too small thing not to under
stand that nothing is left but to ne
gotiate
we made the house of cards crum-
blel We! After they decided to take
Calais, spass into England, etc., there
was the User! Still us!
Failed to Destroy London.
Zeppelins were to destroy Lon
don, LONDON suffered little, the repu-
tation of the Zeppelins suffered
much, Meantime they tried to finish
Russia, by military means first; the
coup failed: by diplomatic means
then; the Russian people put a stop
to that. They plotted in the Balkans,
they bled themselves white at YER
dun. All was useless. And all this
time the people of Germany were
suffering enormously The new chan
cellor began to realize it. Then they
made their last throw: the submar
ines! And even in Germany itself
they have dared to announce public
ly that this weapon is ineffective
Then it is the end? Yes, il
certainly is the end.
"Since the coming of America into
the arena, the account of the Central
Powers has been definitely settled.
In a little while they will have to beg
for mercy. No doubt another winter
will messr great hardship TO us. But
seeing the Importance of our goal we.
wish. we Bclgians, to suffer still if
necessary IT. order that Right and
Justice shall triumph more COM
pletely, more gloriously.
What the allies know: That we
do not ash that consideration OF on"
sufferings should hasten the end of
the war one single day."