BELGIUM'S MYSTERY PAPER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10284, 20 May 1919, Page 3

BELGIUM'S MYSTERY PAPER

The secret of "La. Libre Belgique," theruysterv paper of Belgium : tu«t gave incalculable uouble to clie Germans during the war. is revealed in rhe lcLowinsf article bv Faihcr Josef Moeus, on. w its former editors, now in London, J.'athor Aleeus. who was.a friend of >urso Cavell. Mi arrested, three times and condemned to death, and was finally obliged to leave Belgium. (By Father Josef Meeus in tho "Weekly Dispatch.) 'La Libre- Belgique" still flourishes It has now been established as a uaily paper in Brussels, and stands a relic ot tnoso days of chaos and oppression when it survived as the one remnant of freedom ip a shackled nation. To the Germans it proved one of tne most irritatisg mysteries of tho "war; but since liberty has returned to. Belgium the secret of ,-'La Libre Belgique" need bo kept no longer. . The paper was started in February, 1915. bv M. Jourdain. former editor or "Lo Patriot." a Brussels journal, which, with the rest of the newspapers of that country, was suppressed by tho uerX had no staff. The printer did not know whence camo the matter for him to set ud. The editors—for no one man held that post permanently-did not even know their contributors, nor where tne> lived. There was not even an editorial 0£ The one stable feature of the newspaper was the printing press, it remained from first to last at Brussels in a dismantled buildintr which, before the Germans had removed all machinery that was worth stealing, had been a flourish ing printing house. More than once, when the Germans were searching tho city for the secret areas spies explored this printing house. &?t thtv found only old machinery Yet a few bourse later parts of that wreckage might have been found in a impact whole, turning out copies.of tho paper containing an account ot tne 8 these searches proved unavailing tho German Governor ordered a census to be taken of the paper in tho Cl JVerv few days German agents would visit tho paper-owner* and take stock ot tho paper, so that if an account could not bo given of any that was missing tho delinciuent .was arrested. Hero was a serious obstacle to out work We were dependent on these paper-owners, for we had no paper of °Yef™La TJbre Belgique" .till lived. We surmounted the obstacle by collect-, in* on insignificant quantity of paper from each owner-a Pound here, .five ri°mds there-until we had sufficient; for fte nart edition. Ink was obtained in the same way. , , , Tho Church played an important part in producing tho paper. Many of tho articlea wero written bv priests, whale others reached us from unknown sources which have never been traced For financial support. I believe, thanks are due to Cardinal Mcrcicr Onco the, Germans believed that the paper was circulated by priests through tho confessional box. A penitent who one dav confessed to mo ended by saying- "La Libre Belgique." father. "T havo none." I replied. "I will give- twenty francs for La Libro Belgique/" ho replied. But I recognised a spy. and said that I knew not "La Libre B^gique On one occasion when he had ha,re von Bissing by yrintiiw a rn<*ograph shoaving him readinor our th» tile- "Von Bissmtr learning the truth." a band of 100 special spies were sent from Berlin to find and suppress "a Cday, later the ,„,'«. ™r- startled to seo in "T..i Libre Belgique' photographs of their ten chiefs under whirl, were printed the names of the remaining " Von'Biw'T* was furious: the spies returned to "Berlin: and all Belgium laughP< T should Ulco to infirm our late Governor ftnt <h" photo Traps were removed from the nocket or «i» chlnf "P«; wh*ii h-'s "Oft wc-s so nolitflv tnkei off and Vrrtsri"'' 'n Brussel" rn'Wpi- hnfpt by my fr-'end Br. . the ,"waiter."