THE UNCONQUERED BELGIAN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2430, 8 April 1915, Page 6

THE UNCONQUERED BELGIAN

A GLIMPSE OF BRUSSELS

UNDER THE TEUTON INVADERS

In a recent article in "The Times" the Belgian wifo of an Englishman describes her adventure into Brussels and the passive but unyielding temper with which the citizens hear the arrogance of the German domination.

Mrs. went to Brussels to visit her father, a former Government official, who was ill. During the earlier part of her stay, she said, the arrogance of the German officers knew no bounds, but latterly their manner had changed, in consequence, she ascertained, of an order -from headquarters that efforts were to be made to placate and win the confidence of the Belgians. These efforts, however, have so far proved fruitless. The Brussels people hold themselves entirely aloof from the German soldiers. If they should enter a cafe and find any German soldier seated there, they leave immediately without uttering a word; if they should be seated in a cafe and German soldiers enter the same thing takes place. They seldom speak to a Gorman except to answer questions. A Hatch for a Boor. Mrs. —— was one day in a tramcar when a Belgian, lady got in with a. boy aged about 12. In passing the boy trod upon a German officer's foot, ana, apparently, not noticing that he had done so, passed to his seat and smiled up at his mother. The German officer, infuriated at what he considered a deliberata insult, ordered the conductor to stop the car, called in. some German soldiers, and had the boy conveycd to the Commandatur, where he charged him with striking him in the face. The boy was detained for six hours, and finally brought before General von Bissing, the Governor, who, after hearing the explanation of the mother and other witnesses, allowed him to go. Another tramcar incident is related by Mrs. . A German officer, addressing the conductor in German, demanded to know if the car were going to the Commandatur. The conductor did not understand, end the officer shook him and ordered him to answer. Incensed at the way the officer was behaving, Mrs. told him it would be nocessary to change and take car No. 42. The officer changed accordingly. Car No. 42, after a roundabout journey, would bring him to the abattoir, "which," said Mrs. , "I thought would be a- most suitable place for him." Every morning war bulletins, printed in German, French, and Flemish, are posted upon the walls. The Belgians as they read them cannot refrain from smiling at the German claims, for they know exactly what is occurring. Lettei's and newspapers are continually passed across the frontier by smugglers and other resourceful persons at great personal risk. Copies of "The Times" brought through in this way are sold secretly at prices varying from lOf. to 80f., and the paper is passed stealthily from house to house and hand to hand. Esoape to Freedom. Her father having recovered', Mrs. applied for a passport to leave, but it was refused, notwithstanding tho intervention of the American Minister, 'on tho ground that she had been denounced as mi English spy. Her first attempt to leavo Antwerp failed at the outset. The following is her description of her second and third attempts:— The second attempt was niado in the company of a Belgian professor who was also- trying to escape. We tramped many miles and succeeded in reaching the barbed wire at night-t : me without molestation. I had not learned then, what I discovered afterwards, that tho frontier is now railed by a doublo row of wire fences enclosing a track of 200 or 300 yads wide, and that the first row of fences when touched ring an electric bell and eo give the alarm. My friend was creeping under the wire and touched it. Instantly lights flashed, several shots rang out, and sentries came hurrying up. My friend, who was shot through the arm, was on the other side hurrying across to the Dutch frontier, and he got .away in safety. I was uninjured, but found mysel r a prisoner. The next day I made my final attempt to leave the country. A friend informed me that a Dutch carrier had convoyed several parties of fugitives to , near tho frontier, and that he would be passing on his way to that place later in the day. The carrier on arrival had packed in his little cart over 20 fugitives, all endeavouring, like myself, to reach the Dutch frontier. I was given a seat in the cart. At • the cart was surrounded by a party of German soldiers, who questioned each of the occupants. We were all ordered to leavo the cart, and as I stepped to the ground an officer demanded my passport. I handed it to him with a smile, and told him that I was on my way to Eschen. Leaving me in charge of two soldiers he went away and soon afterwards returned with the statement that the passport was in order, but that all the others., including the carrier, would have to return. They returned accordingly.

The old woman in charge of the neighbouring inn refused to allow me to remain there. She informed me, however, that if I chose I could hide in the cowshed. To the cowshed I went accordingly, and I remained thero lockod up with the cows until 6 o'clock. J a Belgian peasant, arrived at that hour in a tumbledoivn cart with his daughter, and I was able to strika a bargain with' him that he should take me to the village of and haud me over to some smugglers whom he knew and who would escort me in safety across the frontier. I turned up my skirts and put on peasant's boots and stockings, and, with a large white apron covering my clothes and certain small articles of value coiled up in my hair, which was done in the fashion common with peasant girls, I set forth with J , whose instructions were that if we were stopped and questioned I was to pretend to be his daughter. We got through safely and found the smugglers.' l-'W'g