world domination, that they think they will soon teach the Belgians to hate each other by means of this and other diversions.

camp

The Germans are constantly trying to set the Belgians at variance with each other-that is to separate the Flemings from the Walloons. This is very evident from what happened at Camp Soltau at the beginning of 1915. The authorities of this asked the Belgians to register either as Flemings or Walloons. They refused, saying that they were all Belgians. The Germans, however, were not to be thwarted in their designs. They therefore ordered cards to be given to the prisoners on which, amongst other things, each man was asked to give his birthplace. In this way the Germans obtained the desired information. The Flemings were then told that if they wished to go to the camp at Göttingen, they would receive special favors. Only 14 out of 14,000 men accepted. The Germans now decided to force their favors on the Flemings and ordered them to be sent to the camp at Göttingen. One day in 1915 a colonel came to the camp and proposed that they sign a request, asking to be separated from the Walloons. He added that the Germans had a special preference for the Flemings whom they considered their racial brothers. Naturally the Flemings refused. A few days later, however, they did sign a petition, saying that "Every Fleming is first and above all a Belgian, and nothing but a Belgian." They also stated that they were willing to share the fate of their countrymen, the Walloons, and wished to refuse absolutely all favors of the Germans.

A similarly transparent purpose underlay the attempt of the Germans to establish Ghent as a Flemish University, which resulted in the deportation and internment in Germany of the famous Belgian professors, Pirenne and Frédéricq. All of the details of this episode cannot be given in their final form until after the war, though the main facts are available in the very careful and scientific investigation, "The Imprisonment of the Ghent Professors," by K. Nyrop, one of the greatest living authorities on Romance philology and a professor at the University of Copenhagen. Were it not for the distressing consequences to Professors Pirenne and Frédéricq, it might be regarded as a grim jest. Both of these gentlemen are scholars of the very highest standing, whose works are known to most teachers of history in America. Indeed, to both of them lectureships were offered by well known American universities.

Henri Pirenne was regarded as the most famous Belgian historian, and as one of the greatest European historians by the Germans themselves. Nothing could illustrate this any more clearly than the fact that his picture was published in the 1913 number of "Minerva," the famous "Who's Who" of the aca

demic world. In the edition in which the place of honor was given to his portrait, we find the following note signed by the editors:

66

Professor Henri Pirenne, of Ghent, the famous historian of his country, has with great friendliness given us permission to adorn this periodical with his picture. We again tender him our most heartfelt thanks for this privilege."

His most celebrated work, "The History of Belgium," had been published in German before it appeared in French, and a short time before the war Professor Karl Lamprecht, of Leipsic, sent for a young Belgian doctor, a pupil of Pirenne, to teach history in the Seminar für Weltgeschichte according to the Belgian method-that is, the method of M. Pirenne.

Before the war the very important Flemish party in Belgium had desired to make the University of Ghent entirely Flemish. Frédéricq has been the leader of the Flemish party. In the existing difference in parties, General von Bissing thought he saw his opportunity to win over the flamingants by granting them what they so eagerly desired. But it was again a case of Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes, even to the bitterest of the Flemish party. Before the war a petition to make the University of Ghent Flemish had been signed by more than one hundred thousand voters in Belgium. Of these, and among the four and a half million Belgians still in Belgium, only one hundred and fifty could be found to sign a manifesto in favor of Bissing's "reform."

Even by offering professorships to a few individual Belgians, and to Belgians of German ancestry and training, he was unable to assemble a faculty and had to send a request to Holland. Those who accepted posts, whether Belgians or Dutch, were looked upon with contempt, and the Belgians were spat upon in the street. By his methods of recruiting, von Bissing succeeded in assembling a faculty of about fifteen and in opening the University. The inauguration was held on October 24, and the feature of the day was the address by the Governor-General himself, in which he emphasized the magnanimity of the Germans and the "co-operation and mutual confidence and complete understanding" of Germans and Flemings.

Nothing illustrates the grim irony of his procedure any better than the following passage from Professor Nyrop:

"On the same day as the Governor-General inaugurated his magnanimous gift to the Flemish population and spoke high-flown words about mutual confidence and understanding between the Germans and the Flemings, he caused five thousand of the working population of Ghent to be deported to Germany. Five thousand honest Flemings were taken away against their will from house and home; they were taken under military escort to the railway station, from whence they were transmitted further.

"It is difficult to imagine a better illustration of the real conditions. Not even Germany's worst enemies could have devised a more effective background

for the inauguration of the Flemish University than the mass deportation of Flemings carried out by the Governor-General himself.

"Baron von Bissing was right in reminding his hearers of the two heroic sisters, thought and the sword, ruling the world. But it was hardly wise of him on October 24 to so vigorously accentuate the fact that it was the sword which had the supreme command, and that he had put thought out of action." Whether or not the rectorship of this university of Ghent had been offered to Pirenne or Frédéricq by von Bissing, we are not able to affirm. Rumor has it

prisoners. "It was," says Nyrop, "only after a long time had elapsed that they were treated with the consideration which was due to their fame, their social standing, and their age." standing, and their age." In the illustrations Professor Pirenne appears first in the place of honor in "Minerva," then among a group of prisoners in a German camp.

The effect of these attempts to create dissension has been exactly the opposite of what the Germans expected. Never have the Begians been as closely united as they are to-day. If, then, we discuss at the close of this article the story of "La Libre Belgique

Es gehen Gerüchte um, wodurch behauptet wird, dass die jungen Belgier za ihren Fahnen einberufen werden

sollen.

Daher wird allen jungen Leuten. welche sich unter der Ueberwachung der deutschen Meldeäter befinden, in Erinnerung gebracht, dass

1., nur das deutsche Generalgouvernement das Recht hat, Gesetze zu erlassen,

2., alle von der ehemaligen belgischen Regierung getroffenen Massnahmen daher null und nichtig sind, 3., kein Belgier durch seine ehemalige Regierung weder als fahnenflüchtig angeselien, noch bestraft werden kanu,

4., dagegen die jungen Leute, welche die Grenze zu überschreiten versuchen, die rechtsgültigen Verordnungen des General - Gouvernements verletzen. Sie würden nebst ihren Familien strengstens bestraft werden.

Deutsches Meldeamt Verviers.

En raison des bruits, qui circulent concernant l'appel sous les drapeaux de certains sujets belges, il est rappelé à tous les jeunes gens qui se trouvent sous le contrôle, de l'autorité militaire que:

1., le Gouvernement-Général Allemand a seul le droit de promulguer des. lois.

2., toutes les dispositions prises par l'ancien gouvernement belge sont -de ce fait considérées comme nulles et non avenues,

3., pas un belge ne pourra être considéré ou puni comme déserteur par son ancien gouvernement,

4. par contre, les jeunes gens qui essayeraient de franchir la frontière enfreindraient les ordres du Gouvernement-Général et seraient punis ainsi que leur famille avec toute la sévérité, des lois en vi

queur.

Bureau de Contrcia allemand.

1. 2. 19102

2. 1910.

that it was. It is certain in any case that both of them, with the overwhelming majority of their colleagues, refused to support the German plan for exploiting party differences in their country. Both of them were men of the highest personal character, and we have already seen how Germany itself had honored Pirenne. But the war has changed all that. They now call M. Pirenne a romancer" in the pay of Belgian politicians. These two European celebrities were first interned in an officers' camp in Germany. Later they were transferred to the prison camps at Holzminden and Gutersloh, where they were lodged in barracks and had numbers and badges like ordinary

at length, it must not be forgotten that a large portion of the Belgian clandestine press is printed in Flemish. Among the more important of the Flemish leaflets are "The Flemish Lion” (“ De Vlaamsche Leeuw ") and "The Free Voice" ("De Vrije Stem "), which are reported as still appearing, as one of them puts it, with regular irregularity. Their difficulties of publication are in many ways similar to those to be detailed in the more extended account of "La Libre Belgique." The frequency and the spirit of such publications were sufficient indication to the Germans that the Belgians refused to admit that they were a conquered people. They admitted only that their country had

been unjustly invaded and that the invader in due time would be turned back whence he came, having acquired nothing but an increased reputation for injustice and a lasting legacy of hatred and scorn.

The Germans, as was to have been expected, redoubled their brutalities as time passed, and they became more settled in their occupation. They increased their efforts to establish an iron-bound censorship. On the Dutch frontier they built an electrified wire barrier, which it meant death to touch; then two such barriers protected by a zone which it was death to enter, and defended by sentries and patrols of horse and foot, day and night. All movements in the interior were hampered by the very complicated system of passports. In addition they attempted to cut off absolutely the correspondence still continuing between parents in Belgium and their sons at the front. By thus making the lot of the isolated parents more difficult, they tried to prevent the continual exodus of young Belgians, who, at great risk, still succeeded in filtering through the lines to the Belgian army. Persons caught assisting in forwarding letters. were sometimes shot, or condemned to long terms of imprisonment. How dangerous it was to attempt to communicate with one's friends or relatives we may see from the following:

Whenever a messenger was captured his letters were taken from him and delivered by German spies to the addressee. The spy would then offer to carry back the answer. If the receiver of the letter acquiesced and wrote a reply, he was immediately arrested for communicating with the enemy.

The general inhumanity of the German procedure will be evident also from the following:

Dr. Canon at Chièvres had a funeral service said for his son, a priest, who had been killed at Lizerne while ministering to the wounded. At the moment of his deep grief Dr. Canon was summoned to the Kommandantur. The Prussian officer declared: "You had a service said for your son, a soldier in the Allied army. How did you know he was dead? You must be in communication with the enemy! If on Thursday (it was then Monday) you have not told us your means of information you will be condemned to ten thousand marks fine." Dr. Canon paid the fine.

Also in order to prevent the escape of the young Belgians, who wish to join their army, the Germans in this case, as in so many others, invoke the doctrine of family responsibility, forbidden by the Hague Con

vention and all considerations of law. One of their posters is reproduced in this number, and it will be noticed that article 4 states: "The families will be punished with extreme severity in the attempt of any of the young people to cross the frontier with a view to fulfilling their military obligations in the Belgian army." Nor were the Germans content with threats, they carried out this brutal measure with all the inhumanity that might be imagined, and among the better known victims was Mr. Maurice Vauthier, who was professor of Roman Law at Brussels and Communal Secretary.

"I am sure that you have been told of my fate. I will tell you that it is now 37 days since I left my parents and that I am treated as a prisoner of war. You must understand the rest, you will already have heard news of me. I was 21 days in the camp at Cassel; they on the 13th, they sent us to Rastenberg to force us to work threatening us with arms, with prison and with starvation; we remained four days without eating, it is by our mouths that they forced us most (sic). But they never got a signature. Hoping that the war will soon be finished, dear . . . and ..., I send you my best wishes and New Year greetings and wish you perfect health. I wish above all, dear... that you may never have to suffer my present fate. May God keep you from it."

To the threat of deportation the Belgians replied with many colored placards and handbills, which were passed from hand to hand by the people. A characteristic one of these is the one beginning "Tenez Bon!" which we reproduce.

One

Measures like these may well have been expected to take all the heart and spirit out of the population. Such, however, was not the case. The Belgians have always been recognized as lovers of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." As the circulation of uncensored newspapers became more and more difficult, the Belgians, though they never ceased to circulate them, had recourse to yet other means of communication. Broad humor is indigenous in Flanders. of the methods employed by the people to maintain their morale and cheer each other up was the circulation, lation, "under the mantle," as they say, of typewritten jokes and quips on their aggressors. Some of these deserve quotation. Here is a fair sample, translated from a typewritten sheet. (It should be remembered that the manifesto of the ninety-three German professors, with its answers, had been widely circulated in Belgium.)

An old peasant came to town every day with his cart hitched to an ass. The old Landsturm (80 per cent. coarse)* who was on duty at the entrance to the town examines his papers and asks for the name of the ass.

A group of Land

sturmers sat down at the table in an inn. A soldier seeing a scale wishes. to weigh himself. "Useless," says the innkeeper, "you weigh 92 kilos." This was verified and found to be his weight. To the second soldier who I wished to know if he had profited by his stay in Belgium, the owner also told his weight in advance ("98 kilos "). General astonishment! It was absolutely exact. In short, all the soldiers had

before getting on the

scale, 105 kilos, 89 kilos,

96 kilos, 110 kilos.

"But," they

said,

Bruxelles. ...Belgfiope

پیرے

a

read, and passed from hand to hand. In the early period it was dropped into your letter box in a plain envelope. Now it is usually, we believe, mysteriously left in the house on the table. It will be readily seen that such a patriotic enterprise could only be based on absolute confidence among all those concerned. Large bundles were distributed to friends, who divided and repacked smaller bundles until the individual copies were finally turned over à qui de droit. It was a matter of pride to have the first copy of each issue left on the desk of Governor-General von Bissing. We may easily imagine his sentiments on reading No. 49, for instance, of October, 1915, which contained a letter to his Excellence von Bissing, German Governor, from which we quote the following:

"You overwhelm us with attentions. Your secret and public agents multiply their searches for 'La Libre Belgique.' You have even mobilized, they tell us, a special brigade of detectives to come from Berlin to discover the editors, publishers, distributors, etc. You are losing your time and spending your money uselessly. It is true that you have more than once laid hands on a bundle of copies of the paper, which is your nightmare, and you have inflicted severe fines upon those who have had it in their possession. But 'La Libre Belgique' still continues to appear as . . . irregularly as in the past, and its editions have not ceased to increase regularly, after each one of your expeditions.

abandon the hope of having some Sherlock Holmes of contraband discover us. We know that nothing stops a German when he has once started on the wrong road, the sentiment of ridicule no more than any other scruple, nor the certitude of final defeat. That is why we present, Excellence, on the occasion of your past, present, and future disappointments this expression of our very sincere and most disrespectful condolences. "Signed

"LA LIBRE Belgique."

To lay such a copy on his desk demanded an act of heroism such as is called for from him who crosses the German lines, and yet the courageous patriot knew that he would meet an ignominious fate if caught. Nothing speaks louder for the morale of the occupied country. The trail of humor which we have already noted, and of grim practical joking runs through its history. Some of its difficulties as well as its love of fun will be evident from the following address to its readers entitled, "A Little Indulgence Please."

Some readers have complained of the disagreeable odor of certain of our issues; let them kindly excuse us, but they must understand that in war times one cannot always choose his traveling companions, so 'La Libre Belgique' found itself forced to travel with pickled herring, Herve cheese, and carbide of calcium. We ask our readers to have for 'La Libre Belgique' the same indulgence which they find themselves forced to show at times for certain of their neighbors in the tramway, but the spring is coming,

HOLD ON!

Citizens of Brussels, Hold on!

Neutral Governments are protesting!
The Pope is intervening in our favour!
Dutch papers only reach us at very rare inter-
vals!

The American Trade Unions are rising against
the slavery that the Germans would impose
upon us!

Citizens of Brussels, Hold on!

It depends on your tenacity to save Belgium from slavery and dishonour!

If they want to take us let them fetch us from
our homes, from our garrets, from our dwellings!
Neither master nor workman, priest nor em-
ployed, workers nor unemployed, let none answer
their call!

Let them arrest us all!
Rather all than a few!
We are all of one mind!

UNION IS STRENGTH!