A NOTABLE BELGIAN

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1928, Page 4

A NOTABLE BELGIAN

At. MAX COMES TO LONDON, LONDON, January 2-L The Burgomaster of Brussels, the muons Monsieur Adolphe .Max, arrived n London last night on a short private •isit. He is stopping at the Savoy Intel. He is to be the guest of honour at a (inner of the llorner.s’ Company to-day In the Grocers’ Hall. Princcs-street, K.U., mi the invitation of the Master jf the Company, Mr. G. W. Potts, an old' friend of his. The Lord Mayor will also igve a luncheon to the great Belgian this afternoon. To describe his as great is only justice: he was one of the very few who wrung that title from the war. and of surviving civilian figures he is certainly tlio most outstanding. The growing generation should not be allowed to lose sight of the deeds of the mayor who justified a thousand times all the wonderful civic traditions of his country by the way in which he laced the conquering Germans when they descended upon Brussels. Into that conquering host he had nothing to thrust, so to speak, but the point ol his beard, bis legendary sharp-clipped beard, but lie thrust it well. When the German Army was at the gates of the city lie turned the whole situation topsy-turvy by actually driving in a car clown to meet the invaders and ordering the astonished German officers to transmit a letter at once to tlie German Emperor, reminding him that he had been a guesi of Brussels not very long before and that it was expected from him in consequence that Ins forces would conduct themselves with propriety. PENCIL AGATNST REVOLVER. He rode at the head of the German victory march through Brussels as a. civic, official or policeman keeping order. The conquerors could not object, lull felt- that they were being stagemanaged by the daring burgomaster, and tlial he knew it too. Anecdotes of him are innumerable, the best being qf the conference where it Herman general put a revolver on the table. The Spanish Aiini-fer very tn-i!! ia nt ly produced another revolvc-r nnd did the same making the German look very shamefaced. Max. in bis turn drew a pencil from bis pocket and laid it down in the same manner. But his pencil was a redoubtable weapon. When the German coiiiimnuer lcof-e bis promise and (lema.nded G1.20!h("3 more indemnity ‘ban he had agred from the City of B ■ i-wels. the Louigoi: lei no! only refisv.l to pay it. bur. said that he had not got flic instalment he had been ready to pay “ But you just said you had.” said the Gorman. “Yes but I have’nt now” said the bold Max. The Germans arrested him following upon this incident and a ehaiacteristic placard he had posted, and he was deported and imprisoned in Germany for “unsorviceabilily.” He stayed till the, end of the war a prisoner in six successive places of detention. In one prison he spent six months in solitary confinement.