DEFYING THE GERMANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1916, Page 5

DEFYING THE GERMANS.

■ . ■»' A PLUCKY BRUSSELS PAPER. From Brussels the news leaks out that in spite of the thousands of German spies in the city, the Libro Bclgiquc has succeeded in publishing a. new issue. The boldness and wonderful tenacity of the mysterious Belgian patriots who continue, in spite of everything, to pub-1 lish their daring paper, form an amusing and amazing side of the war. . The Germans, as soon as they had entered Brussels took possession of all the newspapers. Very soon afterwards the Libre Bclgiquc appeared. Who was the editor? Where was it printed? No ono has ever been able to find o,Ut, but it has had, and still has, the courage to print all the things which the Germans want to remain unknown. Until now it has appeared in about sixty issues, that is to say, almost weekly, and it has published documentary proofs of the German misdeeds, has criticised German bulletins of victories, and has prophesied from the start the inevitable downfall of Germany. In the most merciless manner it teases (he conquerors, stimulates the Belgians, gives publicity to the thousands of little tricks which the iriespressiblc street ifrchins of Brussels play on the German, and flays the Kaiser, the Military Governor, and the German Generals in ;'very issue. It is said that von Bissing himself still receives a special copy with exaspcrating regularity, and invariably the Governor finds it on top of all the otb.ol papers rm his desk. The Governor first promised a prize o? 23,000 francs (5000 dollars) to any person who would betray the names q/ (ie editors and publishers, and the prize was raised to 50,000 francs (lft.WO doj. lars), and then to 75,000 francs (15,njp dollars), but in vain. One of the recent issues of the papw copies of which even reach Paris, imprints the story told by the famous Enfj. lish war correspondent, Russell, of Tb.B Times, who followed the Prussian army in IS7O, about the destruction ol the chateau of Saint Cloud. Russell visited 1 the chateau with a German officer named Etrtutz. A few moments before the chateau was set afire, Strautz exclaua» ed:"Gcnllemen, I am the last comman* »nt of Saint Cloud. For the very lis* time we will visit the magnificent apartments. We will throw a last glance ai them, and in order that they may fol ever remain in our memory we will each take along a souvenir. Take whatever you want—wines, paintings, or haoks, whatever yoij like." RußseJl adds: "I went inside with liaA von Biasing and MajP l ' v °n Glaaa, and when they saw that I autriod away nothing tlioy insifiied that I must do so. I explained to them thnt my position was different, and that I could not take what had not been offered to me. "Then you ought to have seen what happened." From all sides gifts poured in on me, gifts so magnificent that it would take the author of the Arabrau Nights to describe them." The Libre Kelgique identifies this von Bissing as the present Governor of Belgium who was born in 1844, and who served us a lieutenant in the Prussian army in 1870.