THE BELLS OF BELGIUM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 243, 2 July 1918, Page 6

THE BELLS OF BELGIUM

FOR GUNS.AND .AMMUNITION,

Tho love of the sound of their Lolls is deeply-rooted in Belgian hearts. Tho clear, sparkling notes showered like a rain oil silver ovc-r their ancient cities are Ihe natural coinplement to their Architectural beauty as a pearl necklaco sets oft' the heanty of a woman. Many of the smaller villages possess priceless bolls of purest tone, some dating as far as the fifteenth ccntury; and some of the carillons (chimes are justly reputed all over Europe. On these people a new thunderbolt has fallen. Von Paulkenhausen, the actnal Governor-General of Belgium, reputed— in Germany—as tho kindest of rulers, has decreet! that a census of all bells and organ pipes is to be taken in Belgium, and the imprisoned nation knows lull well what il; means. A. census of all copper and brass house implements was taken not; so long ago, and it is needless to. say that they followed the copper factory fittings to Germany with but little delay. And now the precious bells and organs are to be "requisitioned," i.e., .stolen, to bo turned into guns and iimniuuition. A new wave of desolation has spread over the land.

Tho Bishops have again courageously risen, under tho leadership of Cardinal Morcier, and are doing their utmost to stay the hand of :hc barbarians. In a daring pastoral letter to his flock, the Cardinal strongly protested against tho seizure of Church property, declared its removal, by whomsoever did it, sacrilegious, challenged; tho Catholic Bishops of Germany and .Austria to deny it, and forlwde au.y priest or layman to give 11 helping hand in the profanation of the churches. It is said that tho Pope protested, also, but in vain, and Cardinal Mercior has 110 illusions: ncthing will stop tho ruthless Hun. The- chimcs 01 his cathedral at Malines, reputed the sweetest in the whole world—.a bevy of 45 bells perched at a height of evor 300 ieet in the tower of St. Bombaut, and led by the deep voiccs of Sn Ira tor and Eomuldus—may be the first to be sacrificed to the malevolent rancour of the war lords he lias been contemptuously fighting for nearly four years.—S.E.