New Britain herald., 1926-01-23
CARDINAL DYING,
 GIVES BLESSING
(Conunued from Page l,)

the little kingdom with a iron han enc Io, | .lailed fist. was folc.4 la [ md 10 acknowledge that his master had been mAt this mid hammered disciple of g. cause wh ct made up in glory ard devotion what the fortunes ot war had deorecl il should lack in the power ot canno, and sword.
 The famous pastoral letter Of Dc. cember, 1914, prepared by Cardinal Mercier and read in every Catholic church in Belgium, has been called one of the most damning Indictments of the German invasion ever writ ten, The letter went forth 10 printer and priest despite every precaution the German authorities could take to suppress t, Spies by the score watched day and night over the prelate and his s;a1f, for the invad- CTS were aware that 6 letter con taining condcmnations of the most violent nature was to se read from every Catholic church in fhe land on New Years Day. 1915. They were determined 10 forestail t at all costs, but the letter was read de- spite their efforts and the wrath Of the powerful Won Bissing was heap ed upon Cardinal Mercier for his defiance.
 Was Held Prisoner
 Under orders from the generals office, he was kept q prisoner in his home for two weeks while yon Bis sing was bringing pressure 10 force his submission. A mere verbal ad- mission that the prelate had no in- ten,ion of exciting or alarming the population by the pastoral letter would have satisfied the gorprnur general, it was said. but To such a4- mission ever was secured from Car dinal Nercier,
 Another pastoral letter. sent out at the beginning of Lent in 1916, again brought persecution from von Bissing
 The conviction of our final vic tory is more deeply anchored in my soul than ever" the letter said in part We will win, do not ever doubt it, but We have not reached the end Of our sufferings, Prepare your plans, place your batteries, CO., ordinate your movements. Rcmcm- Der, man proposes but God disposos,'
 Non Bissing flew into a towering rage when he read the letter, which he avowed was "an invocation of the cardinal 10 God for the oXtermina- tion of the German armies"
 Purple with indignation and on the verge Of an apoplectiC attack, he threw his helmet OH the floor, tram pied and kicked it into an unrecog hizable mass, then sent every orderly in his headquarters for Baron von der Lancken and Count Harrach, his advisors Cardinal Mercler must re- tract, he told them. They must se- cure an apology to Germany. and all the resources of the German empire were at their disposal 10 get it.
 Never Did Apologize
 Still, no apology ever came from Malines.
 little village not far from Wat eriooBriane d'Alleud was the birthplace of Cardinal Nercier in 1851. The family was q distinguish ed religious one, several other mem- bers having received high honors from the Catholic church.
 Believing that he was destined for a career other than secular, the fu- ture cardinal prepared for the mcdi- cal profession. and upon his grad uation from college studied surgery under Professor Charcot at Paris. Inhorn love of the priesthood, how ever, soon caused him to abandon his medical studies and seek seclu- sion In seminary, where he pre- pared to take the colth.
 Before he was referred to as the Great Cardinal" the Abbe Mercier was known 10 Belgians as the tall priest" as he stood well over six feet in height. His mental endow- ments proved to be on a par with his physical appearance, hence it was not long before he attracted the attention of influential persons in the