The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1919-01-09
HUNS GET TASTE
OF own MEDICINE
Belgian Army, in Northern Rhine
Province, Strictly Enforce Rules
Formerly Used by Germans
None of the Crimes, However.

Munchen- Gladbach, Germany, Jan.
4.-Germans in this Northern Rhine
district occupied by the little Belgian
army, are getting taste-but only
taste-of how the Germans ruled
Belgium for fifty months, writes Har-
old Edwin Bechtol for the Southwest
American.
Let it be understood at once that
there is no cruelty and no vindictive-
ness about Belgian occupation.
No torturing of prisoners and
priests; no wholesale shooting of the
populace. No dissertation of churches.
No wholesale looting. No stripping
of factories.
But the Belgian command here in
Gladbach has posted over the entire
district list of IA rules-Belgium'
Ia points, the soldiers call them-and
many of these rules follow almost to
a letter the German rules posted in
Belgium for the conduct of the Bel
gians.
Somebody with an uncanny sense
of justice conceived that paraphras-
ing idea. No cruel or oppressive Ger
man rule has been used, only those
that govern the saluting. of officers
and of the flag and which prohibit
gun-toting and require the Germans
to remain in their homes after seven
o'clock.
The Belgians are strictly enforcing
these rules.
The attitude of most of the Ger
mans is sulky. They are poor losers.
Dozens of Germans have complained
to me of the seven o'clock rule. They
cannot go or do anything as usual,
they wall.
told one German storekeeper that
it was one of the German rules in
Belgium.
Zach, the war is over now" he re-
piled irritably.
The Belgians hold frequent pa
rades. They march proudly down the
streets of Gladbach and other towns
behind flying flags and banners and
with bands playing "BrabanconneD
and the "Marseillaise."
The residents are not permitted to
forget how grayely Germany erred
in believing she could crush and Ger
MAMIE and absorb her little neighbor
Belgium.
In Aix-la- Chappelle, black box
hangs over the statue of William T.
over horse and all 1t has been there
since the big military review of the
French and Belgians and Americans.
Allied banners and pictures of al
lied heroes are everywhere.
The little Belgian army is proudly
conscious of it's victory. After news
of the armistice was received, most of
the battle fronts quieted down. In
some places intermittent firing con-
tinued, in others there was not shot,
but on the Belgian front, when the
news came, the guns let loose and
fired continuously until exactly eleven
o'clock when the armistice became
effective. This was told me by an
Ohio officer who was fighting along
side the Belgians near Client
have taken notice of what the
Belgian soldiers talk about as they go
about their duties in the occupied re-
gion. 1t is not Of the days Of German
occupation, but of the days of 1914,
when they fired the first shots against
the outlaw invaders and bled and
were pushed back fighting, but de-
iayed the oncoming Germans until the
line behind was formed.
But, most of all, these Belgian sol
diers talk of the future, in which, if
the peace congress does it's work
well, Belgium's destinies will never
again be matter of European con-
venience.
They talk of a future in which they
can restore their country, with the IS
surance that the days of Belgium as
a cockpit are gone forever.
Colds Cause Grip and Influenza
LAXATIVE BRoM0 oUrMNE Tablets remove the
cause. There is only one 'Bromo ouinine."