Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-02-06
SECRET OF PAPER
THAT DEF|ED HUNS
La Libre BeIgique Published by
Victor JOurdain.
FAIL TO SUPPRESS Sheet


When the Germans Stopped Publica.
ton of the Patriot, Its Editor, Jour.
dain, Began Issuing WiIl.o'.the-Wlsp
Sheet Which for Four Years Kept
the Teuton Officials in a Constant
State of Irritation.
With the coming of liberty to Bel
gium, La Libre Belgique has DEPARTED
and the Patriot has reappeared,
II is now possible to tell that the
most remarkable of wartime newspa-
pers, La Libre Belgique, which success
fully defied German efforts to suppress
it for four years, was the PATRIOT,
long-established Catholic weekly, In dis
guse. Victor Jourdain, aged editor or
The Patriot, likewise edited the wlll-o'-
the-wisp sheet which kept German Of
dcials in Il 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 liber-
ated.
Suppressed by Germans.
The Patriot was suppressed by Ger
man order at the outset of the war.
few weeks later copies of new pa
per began to fall into the hands of the
German officials and army officers. Ii
did not prove popular with the latter.
General Won Kissing, military gov
ernor. offered $4,000 francs reward for
the name of the editor ana promised
one years imprisonment to any BelSlan
found reading it. srhere were arrests
in great number of persons suspected
of the editorship, but no convictions.
1t seemed that almost everybody VINO
could possibly have been guilty was
arrested ut one time or hnolher-eV-
prybody except Jourdain. One man was
held by the Germans to have been
proved sufficiently guilty to warrant
onc.year sentence, but RelSians in the
secret say he was Innocent,
The banled German police were kept
busy running down false clews. Given
the tip that the printing plant would
be found ut such-and-such street,
they would rush thither, only to find
vacant lot or in empty house. Iold
that a man of Il 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
giua army and the allied armies, he
ridiculed and lampooned the German or
ficials, and generally kept alive the
peoples faith in better day 10 come
A few times obscure printing shops
the city set up and printed the 1T
tie four-page paper. For the most part,
however, the work was done In shops
elsewhere. Jourdain would appear by
night ut 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 plac
where the printing was done.
Compensation for Troubles.
Part compensation for his troubles
was found by the editor in such an
nouncements at these:
mot submitted to any censor
"relegraph address, Commandatur,
Brussels"
"Ofces: Not being able to estab-
liSh these in fixed place, they are
installed in an automobile cellar"
advertisements: Business being nil
under the German domination, we
have suppressed the page OF advertise
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
giaue, printed on the third anniver-
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 thing not to understand that
nothing is left but to negotiate.
1--WE made the house of cards crum-
BILE! We! After they decided to take
Calais, pass into England, etc, there
was the User! Still us!
"Zeppelins were to destroy London.
London suffered little, the reputation
of the Zeppelins suffered much. Mean
time they tried to finish Russia, by
military means first; the coup failed;
by diplomatic means then; the Rus
sian people put a stop to that. They
plotted in the Balkans, they bled
themselves white at Verdun. All was
useless. And all this time the people
of Germany were suffering enormous
ly. The new chancellor began to real
ize it, Then they made their last
throw; the submarines And even in
Germany itself they have dared to an
nounce publicly that this weapon Is in
effective. Then it is the end?
Yes, il certainly is the end.
"Since the coming of America into
the arena, the account of the central