BRUSSELS UNDER THE GERMANS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 8

BRUSSELS UNDER THE GERMANS

LETTER FROM A BUSINESS HOUSE Some idea of the havoc that has been made in German trade and industry by the war is conveyed by the following letter from a well-known Brussels lacemanufacturing hcuse to a .Wellington firm. The letter, to reach Now Zealand at all, had to be smuggled in secret through the German lines, and was eventually posted in London. The letter, which was dated September 6', runs as follows:— • "We are writing you these few lines in the hope that the/ will reach you. We are not certain, as they have to' bo taken'to-morrow in secret through the German linos. We are completely cut off from the world. For four weeks poor little Belgium has been, and Ms, going through a-terrible time, the whole country is in ruins as the result of all the battles taking place here; this is the theatre of war. The'i killing that-has been and is taking place is awful. It is running into hundreds of thousands.'You have no idea of the terrible situation we are all in here. Little Belgium, - with its small army, has made a most heroic stand against tho immense. German Army; and they haven't finished yet. Our great fortified town of Antwerp is still untouched', and they will never be able to take it. "We have not heard from jou for over a month. All'our workshops are used as Red Cross hospital, and, of course, all work is suspended. If it ends soon we will bo able to get on to your new range. Our property here has not been touched by the Germans, as we are Americans, and thoy dare not for the time being upset ufj. We hear New Zealand is sending troops over to help England—good luck to them! "P.S.: There in a, big battle-going on near here. We can hear the cannons—the English, French, and Belgians against the Germans." For protection against smallpox, diphtheria, and other infections, put three drops of SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT on loaf sugar, and allow it to dissolve in month. Sander's Extract is effective, .pleasant. 1 ' Puccini's "Madame- Butterfly" has been dropped from the repertoire of Germany's opera houses because of its Japanese settings. For obvious reasons the. Mikado's realm is not popular in the Kaiser's country at present. Fritz Kreislcr, the greatest living violinist, who is serving in the Austrian Army, was recently reported in American papers to have been killed. The report was, unconfirmed when the mail left. Mcssre. H. Wise and Co., N.Z., Ltd. (Wise's Directories), have a notice of removal in Their new offices are situate in the Norwich Union Fire Office Building, 153-155 Featherston St„ as from Monday-next.