A FOUR YEARS' SECRET

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 196, 14 May 1919, Page 7

A FOUR YEARS' SECRET

BELGIAN NEWSPAPER THAT DEFIED THE GERMANS London, March 20. s The proprietors of "La Libre Belgique announce that they are offering on sale to the highest bidders four completo hies of "La Libre Belgique," which was secretly published in Belgium during the German occupation. To each of the files is added a dedication and an autograph signature of Cardinal Mcrcier, Primate of Belgium, and a certificate from the heirs of M. Victor Jourdain, founder ard chief editor of "La Libre Belgique," testifying that each file is complete, secretly printed in Belgium during the German occupation. The entire proceeds of the sale will be devoted to the reconstruction of tho University of Louvain. "Lα Libre Belgique" was the patriotio Belgian newspaper which throughout the German occupation of Belgium defied all the efforts of the military authorities to suppress it. The identity of its publisher and its editorial staff remained unknown, despite the most drastic measures that the Germans took, and the newspaper never missed publication, but appeared regularly every week, now in this part of tho country and now in that. It was a thorn in the side of the German authorities, and General von Bissing in particular made the most strenuous efforts, even employing an army of spies, to discover the manner and place, or rather places, of jts printing and publication. At one time a reward of 75,000 marks was offered to anyone disclosing the identity of publisher and editors; on another occasion, September, 1916, seven principal printers of Ghent were arrested at random "until the responsible persons," ran the order, ' who publish and print 'Lα Libre Belgique' aro denounced or surrender themselves to , justice." At different ' times numerous persons wero arrested and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment for eupposed complicity in the publication of tho newspaper, and on the same ground two Belgian priests were arrested as recently as April, 1918, and one of them was condemned to death. Once the convent of St. Mihel in Brussels was suspected of harbouring the movable printing press, and the Germans in their vain search battered in the walls and dug 3ft. down under the floor of the cellars. But all efforts at discovery were fruitless and "La Libre Belgique" continued to.appear; and General von Bissing continued regularly to receive a complimentary copy every week; and on the occasion of the anniversary of Belgian independence tho editor was even able to issuo a special number. Sometimes the newspnper poked fun at tho authorities and pretended to give them clues and advico in their search: " 'La Libre Belgiquo' is ■written .and printed in a motor-car," it declared on one occasion. When the "Vlaainsche Leeuw," another secret newspaper, first appeared in 191G it contained tho announcement: "On sale nowhere and everywhere. Editorial Office: Kommandantur, Brussels, just alwve the printing office of *La Libre Belgique.'"