Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-30

DARON Won DER LANCKEN, in replying to the
foregoing letter. endeavors, in accordance with the
Governor Generals instructions, to refute the accusa
tons brought against the occupying by the Car
dna in his letter of December 10 to Baron Won Faken
hausen.
Political Department of the Government General,
Brussels, December 10, 1917.
To His En,iuence Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop Of
MaIines
The Governor General has handed me your
En,inences esteemed letter dated the 10th INST and
has ask me to reply to it, His Ercellency declares
that he is nabe to recognize the right by aUhlch as
Belqan citizen, your Ena,ence claims to the IN
fence 1oW derive from the position go" occupy an the
Church. For yo,r Em,inence, INFESTED, as yom are,
tcitb very high ecclesiastical authority holds prtu-
ieged position and enjoys protection of uchtch the
Governor General and his predecessors out of regard
for the Holy See haze alaUays held count From the
very beginning of the occupation your Enainence has
made use of the privileges attached to your eccesdS
teal position to fomett political agitation achich IN
the case of simple citizen a1oud bring upon HIM
prosecution By the courts. 1t is for this reason that
the Governor General erpressly adheres to has
point of vie1v viz, not to enter into correspondence
Nth your Eminence ercept IN questions Of q pureW
religious nature. IN his quality Of representative OF
His Majesty the Emperor, the Governor General e1-
acts the full recognition Of has authority m the te-
tory under occupation.
1o1v come to the particular points PIT fo,1cdrd
by your E1,inence. IN the first place, should like
to remark that an regard to the erquistonS MADE IN
churches IN the provinces of HninGH an explanation
has aready been giUen by the inspector Of military
areas to his Lordship the Bishop of Tou17,ov and
the affair can therefore be considered at an end. Nev
ertheless should like to point ont that these per-
quisitio,s haze shocn the misuse to Chich churches
haze been put by concealg objects IN eUey anoy pro-
tone in places reserved for divine acorship only.
IN regard to the complaints made by youT En't-
uenoe against Doctor Borms, the Governor General
thinks that the latter had coed reasons for offering re-
si8ance your Ennece achen, IN using your ecctest-
Gstical influence you initiate conflict actth the 9't'-
mate aspirations of the Flemish people,
To sanction the sending of Belgian priests into
prison camps in Germdny-o question 0h'ch tor the
second time your Enlinenoe rased-restS erctug'Uety
Wth the military authorities in Gernanv ont feel
bound to remark that the Snne authorities, IN retus-
ing the candidates recommended by Yor Emnence,
yield to msgiving. achich from their po'"t OF Vew
is ful justified for the political attitude achtch Hou
haze assumed from, the gerry beginning Of the a0Gr has
not been such to inspire them NTH sufficient con-
fdence IN your choice
In your letter of December II pou again bring
to70nrd your objections to the "Centrdtes RetcTm9
10 the statements haze aLrecdy made, should Ike to
call yo,tr attention to this fact thdt the
difficulties of qohich you complain in regard to supply
ing the people in Belgium Oith food are to De tou6
in every beRgerent country, eOen IN those where no
organization of the kind epists. 1t appears to me
that it is not fair to make the Belgian "Ce@tralea
responsible for all the difficulties
So far as the Cure Jules Herman Is concerned,
neaO arrangements haze been made qoiH 'ohich
recently made your Enlinence acquainted. with re-
gard to the closing of the schools at Mathes, con-
dncted by the Ursutnes, can OntD state TO yoHr
Eminence that am not competent to ded' 0'th the
matter, but all the 1V procure fuller informa-
ton and If needtuI aVW be ready to rerert to this
affair later on, II, 1t is ever reopened.
present to your Eminence the expression Of my
sincere esteem.
(Signed) LANCKEN.