Chapter III: The German Mind, Self-Depicted (3)

_A lie._--The _Corriere della Sera_ is a neutral journal (in the sense that the Belgian _Le Soir_ is neutral), and the Germans wished to produce the impression that the Cardinal had been interviewed by a correspondent of this newspaper. Now he was interviewed by the editor of the Catholic journal, the _Corriere d'Italia_. This is merely one of the "errors" of Cardinal von Hartmann's rectification. The whole is in keeping with this; but it is too long to consider in detail.

3. Baron von der Goltz, at the moment of leaving Belgium, of which he had been Governor-General, thought fit to assert that he had come to an agreement with Mgr. Mercier as to the reopening of the courses in the University of Louvain (_Le Réveil_, 1st December, 1914).

_A lie._--There was never any question of resuming these courses.

4. The Cardinal published his famous Pastoral Letter, which was sent to all the churches of his diocese, to be read from the pulpit. It recalled the present sufferings of the country, and adjured Belgians to "remain faithful to their king and their laws."

Directly the Germans, informed by their spies, knew of the existence of this pastoral letter they withdrew Cardinal Mercier's authorization to visit the other bishops in his motor-car. At the same time they forbade the curés to make the letter known to their parishioners; they even proceeded to seize the pamphlet in the presbyteries. Naturally the priests refused to obey the German injunctions, and the beginning of the _mandamus_ was read from the pulpit on Sunday, the 3rd January, 1915. The Germans were furious, and forbade the curés to continue the reading of the letter; and, the more readily to obtain their submission, showed them a German declaration, signed by von Bissing, of which this is the translation:--

BRUSSELS, _7th January, 1915_.

TO THE CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF MALINES.

As a result of my remarks, Cardinal Mercier of Malines has declared
to me verbally and in writing that he had no intention of exciting
or alarming the population by his pastoral letter, and he had not
expected any such effect. That he had particularly insisted on the
necessity of obedience on the part of the population towards the
occupier, even if a patriot should inwardly feel in a state of
opposition.

In case I should nevertheless fear an exciting effect, the Cardinal
did not insist on requiring of his clergy the repeated reading of
the pastoral letter on the succeeding Sundays, provided for in the
conclusion of the letter, nor the distribution of the letter.

My hypothesis has proved correct.

I therefore repeat my prohibition of the 2nd January of this year,
concerning the reading and the diffusion of the pastoral letter.
I draw the attention of the clergy to this point--that they will
be acting in contradiction to the written declaration of their
Cardinal in disobeying his prohibition.

BARON VON BISSING,
_Colonel-General_.
_Governor-General in Belgium._

_A lie._--This declaration is false. Mgr. Evrard, Dean of St. Gudule in Brussels, went to see Mgr. Mercier at Malines, and obtained proof of the falsehood. He at once warned all the curés of Brussels and the district of the manoeuvre, and on Sunday, the 10th January, the reading of the letter was resumed.

BRUSSELS, _9th January, 1915_.

MONSIEUR LE CURÉ,--

I have returned from Malines.

Despite the written prohibition received yesterday, His Eminence
the Cardinal wishes his letter to be read. This written prohibition
is cunning and spurious.

"Neither verbally, nor in writing, have I withdrawn anything,
nor do I now withdraw anything of my previous instructions, and
I protest against the violence done against the liberty of my
pastoral ministry."

That is what the Cardinal dictated to me.

He added: "They have done everything to make me sign mitigations
of my letter; I have not signed them. Now they seek to separate my
clergy from me, by forbidding them to read it.

"I have done my duty; my clergy know if they will do theirs."

Accept, M. le Curé, the homage of all my respect.

(_Signed_) E. EVRARD, _Dean_.

5. Baron von Bissing published in the newspapers a _communiqué_ stating "that no hindrance of any kind had been put in the way of the exercise of the pastoral duties of the Cardinal-Archbishop."

_A lie._--The Cardinal contradicted this assertion in a Latin letter addressed to his clergy.

MECHLINIAE,
_Dominica infra Octavam Epiphaniae_.

REVERENDI ADMODUM DOMINI ET COOPERATORES DILECTISSIMI,--

Habuistis, ut puto, prae oculis nuntium a Gubernio Generali
Bruxellensi publicis ephemeridibus propalatum, quo declarabatur
"Cardinalem Archiepiscopum Mechliniensem a munere suo ecclesiastico
libere adimplendo nullatenus fuisse impeditum." Quod quam a
veritate alienum sit, e factis elucet.

Milites enim, vespere diei primae Januarii
necnon per totam noctem insequentem, domus presbyterales
invaserunt, Litteras Pastorales e manibus parochorum vel
arripuerunt vel arripere conati sunt frustra, easque ne populo
fideli praelegeratis, etiam sub poenis gravissimis, vobis metipsis
aut parochiae vestrae infligendis, auctoritate episcopali despecta,
prohibuerunt.

Nec dignitati nostrae pepercere, Die namque secunda Januarii
orto nondum sole, hora scilicet sexta, jusserunt me, die eadem
matutina, coram Gubernatore Generali, epistolae meae ad clerum et
populum rationem reddere; die autem postero, Laudibus Vespertinis
in Ecclesia cathedrali Antverpiensi praeesse me vetuerunt; tandem,
ne alios Belgii episcopos libere adeam, prohibent.

Jura vestra, Cooperatores dilectissimi, et mea, violata fuisse,
civis, animarum pastor et Sacri Cardinalium Collegii sodalis,
protestor.

Quidquid praedixerint alii, experientia nunc compertum est nullum
ex epistola illa pastorali enatum esse seditionis periculum, sed
eam potius animarum paci et publicae tranquillitati haud parum
adjumento fuisse.

Vobis de officio fortiter et suaviter impleto gratulor, cui animo
virili et pacifico, fideles estote memores verborum illorum quibus
mentem meam plane et integre jam expressi: "Soyes à la fois et
les meilleurs gardiens du patriotisme, et les soutiens de l'ordre
public."

Caeterum, "Spiritu sitis ferventes, Domino servientes, spe
gaudentes, in tribulatione patientes, orationi instantes,
necessitatibus sanctorum communicantes."[38]

Ne mei, quaeso, obliviscamini in observationibus vestris, nec
vestrum obliviscar; arcto fraternitatis vinculo conjuncti,
unanimes Antistitem, clerum et populum fidelem commendemus Domino,
"ut et quae agenda sunt, videant, et ad implenda quae viderint,
convalescant."[39]

Vobis in Christo addictissimus,
D. J. CARD. MERCIER,
_Archiepisc. Mechl._

Expostulatur à R^{do} admodum D^o Decano relatio de iis quae in
parochiis decanatus evenerunt.

N.B.--Non desunt in dioecesi clerici qui vestibus laïcis ad tempus
usi sunt. Jam nunc habitum clericalem resumant omnes.

(_S._) D. J.

[_Translation._]

MALINES,
_The Sunday of the Octave of the Epiphany_.

VERY REVEREND GENTLEMEN AND WELL-BELOVED COLLEAGUES,--

You have, I think, had sight of the message from the General
Government of Brussels, published in the newspapers, in which it
is declared that "the Cardinal Archbishop of Malines has in no
manner been prevented in the free performance of his ecclesiastical
office."

The facts will show that this assertion is contrary to the truth.
As a matter of fact, on the evening of the 1st January, and during
the whole of the night, soldiers entered the presbyteries and took
from the priests, or vainly endeavoured to take, the pastoral
letter, and, in contempt of episcopal authority, forbade you to
read it to the assembled faithful, under the threat of extremely
severe punishment which would be inflicted on yourselves or on your
parish.

Even our dignity was not respected. For on the 2nd of January,
before sunrise even, that is, at six o'clock, I was ordered
to present myself on the morning of that same day before the
Governor-General, to justify my letter to the clergy and the
people; on the following day I was forbidden to preside at
Benediction in the Cathedral of Antwerp; lastly, I was forbidden to
visit the other Belgian bishops.

As a citizen, a pastor of souls, and a member of the Sacred College
of Cardinals I protest that your rights, well-beloved brothers, and
my own, have been infringed.

Whatever has been pretended, experience has proved that no danger
of sedition has resulted from this pastoral letter, but rather that
it contributed greatly to the peace and tranquillity of the public.

I congratulate you with having accomplished your duty firmly and
harmoniously. Remain devoted to it with a manly and peaceable
heart, recalling those words in which I have already fully and
entirely expressed my thought: "Be at once the best guardians of
patriotism and the supporters of public order."

Moreover: "Be fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing
in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
distributing to the necessities of the saints."[40]

Do not forget me, I beg you, in your supplications; neither
will I forget you. All together, closely united by the bond of
brotherhood, let us recommend the bishop, the clergy, and the
faithful "that they may behold their duty and be strong to fulfil
it."[41]

Yours very faithfully in Christ,
D. J. CARDINAL MERCIER,
_Archbishop of Malines_.

The Very Rev. the Deans are begged to report what has happened in
the parishes of their Deanery.

N.B.--Members of the clergy have for a time worn civil clothing.
Let all now resume their ecclesiastical clothing.

6. On Sunday, the 3rd January, 1915, the Cardinal did not go to Antwerp, as he had intended. The Germans announced in the newspapers--in _L'Avenir_ (Antwerp), for example--that the Cardinal's absence was voluntary.

_A lie._--They had forbidden Mgr. Mercier to leave Malines.

* * * * *

We have mentioned that while these things were happening the clergy continued to make the pastoral letter known in all the churches, except in those cases where the Germans had succeeded in subtracting the copies of the letter. But even there the reading of the letter was resumed after a brief interval, when fresh impressions of the letter had been printed and distributed all over the country. This propaganda was, of course, secret; an official _communiqué_ published at Namur, on the 12th January, 1915, leaves no doubt as to that. It threatens the infliction of severe punishment on those who should distribute this document. To give some idea of the activity with which the pastoral letter was distributed throughout Belgium, we may mention that we know of twelve different editions in French and two in Flemish; there are, moreover, at least two typewritten editions. Each impression numbered thousands of copies; of one single edition the Germans seized 35,000 copies! We may add that a German translation also has appeared, but this is _ad usum Germanorum_. The interesting passages are suppressed.

The pastoral letter was not without results in Rome. The Belgian colony there organized a mass for the priests put to death in Belgium, a list of whom was given by the Cardinal. The organ of the Vatican, the _Osservatore Romano_, translated "put to death" by _caduti_, "fallen." This vague term might allow it to be supposed that the priests had fallen on the field of battle, not that they were assassinated by the German troops. The German newspapers were jubilant. The _Kölnische Volkszeitung_, one of the leading Catholic organs in Germany, edited by Herr Julius Bachem, published an article to show that the Holy See had not been duped by the tricks of the Belgians, and refused to credit the tale of priests put to death by the Germans (see _Het Vaderland_, 31st March, 1915, 2nd sheet, evening). The _Düsseldorfer Anzeiger_ also contained a long and far-fetched article in its issue of the 29th January.

3. THE ORGANIZATION OF PROPAGANDA.

With the methodical spirit which they boast of possessing, the Germans have from the outset of the war created bureaux for the propagation of the "German idea" throughout the world. Some of these organizations of propaganda have for their province the neutral countries, among which, in the first rank, are the United States, the Scandinavian countries, Italy, Holland, and Switzerland. Others deal with the occupied countries, or enemy countries, through the intermediary of prisoners of war and civil prisoners. Finally, there are those that deal with Germany and her allies. If we add to the bureaux of propaganda situated in Germany, and operating thence, those established and operating in foreign countries, we shall begin to understand the power of expansion and penetration possessed by such instruments in the hands of unscrupulous people.

Again, we must reckon not only with the official or semi-official propaganda, devoid of the mercenary spirit, whose only object is the triumph of Germany. There are a number of publishing concerns which pursue the same objects.

Besides her printed propaganda, Germany makes use of other means, apparently accessory and occasional, but whose effects may become very appreciable; visits of German scholars and German politicians, especially socialist politicians; letters written by Germans to friends or relations abroad; inquiries addressed to the scholars of neutral countries; promises made to notable persons, in the hope of obtaining their co-operation.

One word before examining the working of these organizations. Should we really classify them under the heading of "falsehoods"? After what we have said of the methods of the German Press, and the mentality of the German rulers, no one will hesitate, we fancy, as to the place which falsehood must be accorded in this propaganda. But so that no doubt shall remain in the reader's mind, we will give a few quotations from the propagandist literature relating to Belgium.

(_a_) _Propagandist Bureaux operating in Germany._

The most important of the propagandist pamphlets appearing in Germany is a monthly publication. It is known, in French, as the _Journal de la Guerre_. We know it also in German and in Dutch; probably it is translated into yet other languages. Each number consists of 40 to 72 pages, and contains general information, a chronicle of the war, photographs and drawings, tales of the battles, etc. ... in short, everything that can influence the public opinion of neutral countries. In almost every number is an article tending to prove that Germany was forced, for reasons of self-defence, to invade Belgium; that Belgium, moreover, had violated her own neutrality in advance; that the Belgians amply deserve their fate, on account of their wicked treatment of wounded men (gouging out their eyes, etc.). We have already mentioned the _Journal de la Guerre_ with reference to a "faked" map of Louvain.

* * * * *

The _Journal de la Guerre_ published an article by Herr Helfferich on a journey through Belgium, undertaken in September 1914. It is teeming with inaccuracies, but it would be waste of time to refute them all. We will confine ourselves to the first sentence, which states that the burgomaster of Battice has been shot. Now, this is untrue: the burgomaster of Battice, M. Rosette, who has filled his office for many years, is in excellent health, and is still living in Battice.

Another publication--_La Guerre--Journal périodique paraissant durant la guerre de 1914-15_--is intended for prisoners of war.

The best method of impressing the prisoners is assuredly to show them that in their own country people are already beginning to realize the indisputable superiority of Germany. So _La Guerre_ frequently publishes articles reprinted from _La Gazette des Ardennes_; only it forgets to mention that _La Gazette des Ardennes_ is a newspaper established, edited, and printed exclusively by Germans, since the occupation. Shall we take another example of duplicity? For the Belgians, naturally, what their priests tell them has great weight with them. No. 14 of _La Guerre_ reproduces a passage from an article (which is mentioned on p. 129) originally published by "the priest Domela Nieuwenhuis, of Gand." Here is a falsehood: M. Domela Nieuwenhuis is not a priest; he is a Protestant pastor in Gand. In the quotation M. Nieuwenhuis says: "If we Flemings had been properly informed...." (_La Guerre_, No. 14, p. 217).

"We Flemings," M. Nieuwenhuis is supposed to have said ... and he is a Dutchman. This is curious. Let us compare this with the original text in _De Tijdspiegel_, p. 316, 1st April, 1915. There we find: "_Indien wij hier in Vlaanderen ... zouden zign voorgelicht...._" ("If we, here in Flanders, had been informed....") The German forgers have been at work, and by a little tinkering at the text, they have made a Dutch pastor pass for a Flemish priest! To what are they not reduced!

* * * * *

The pamphlet _Die Wahrheit über den Krieg_ speaks on p. 93 of an international propagandist organisation established in Berlin: the _Commission for the publication of impartial news abroad_ (we translate from the Dutch version). This Commission publishes _Correspondence for Neutrals_, which aims solely at "distributing positive news concerning the working of social, juridicial, economic, and moral institutions and general culture in Germany." Its articles are especially intended for use by the Press. It appears two or three times a week, in ten different languages, and will continue to do so during the war. It asserts that its expenses are covered entirely by private subscriptions.

At the Superior Technical College of Stuttgart is established the _Süddeutsche Nachrichtenstelle für die Neutralen_ (South German News Bureau for the Neutrals). It publishes propagandist leaflets at irregular intervals and of various dimensions, which are intended to furnish "the verifiable truth as to the origin, course, and results of the war."

The professors of the University of Leipzig sent abroad a special number of the _Leipziger Neueste Nachrichte_ of the 25th August, 1914, which gave, in chronological order, "the truth about the causes of the war and the German successes." The truth! Its capital falsehoods are too numerous for examination here.

At Düsseldorf is the _Büro zur Verbreitung deutscher Nachrichten im Auslande_ (the German Bureau for distributing German news abroad). The French version of this title is _Bureau allemand pour la publication de nouvelles authentiques à l'Etranger_. Observe, in passing, that _Deutsche Nachrichten_ is translated as "authentic news," which will not fail to surprise the reader. This Bureau used to publish _Le Réveil_, a remarkable journal sold in Belgium and the occupied parts of France.

The _Deutscher Überseedienst_ (German Overseas Service) busies itself particularly with the falsification of public opinion abroad. Its publications are usually distributed gratis.

For Americans living in Europe, Germany provides _The Continental Times, Special War Edition and Journal for Americans in Europe_, edited at the Hôtel Adon in Berlin. To judge of the veracity of this journal, it is enough to read, in the issue for the 8th February, the article by Herr J. E. Noegerath, devoted to his journey through Belgium. In this we learn that "Malines was bombarded simultaneously by the Belgians and the Germans; the cathedral, somewhat seriously damaged, is about to be repaired by the Germans." St. Rombaut repaired by the Germans! This exceeds even the German limits! Well, the Americans in Europe have a chance of obtaining positive information.

_The League of German Scientists and Artists for the Defence of Civilization_ (in French they make it _La Ligue pour la défense de la civilisation_--for the _prevention_--which is just what it is!) is installed in the Palace of the Academy of Science in Berlin, Unter den Linden, 38. It publishes pamphlets; for example, that of Herr Riesser, on _The Success of the German War Loan_. As far as we know it has published nothing about Belgium.

* * * * *

A very interesting method of propaganda is that which consists in attaching to business letters leaflets printed on very thin paper, giving "authentic" news in the language of the recipient. _The Hamburger Fremdenblatt_ has published many of these, at 10 pfennigs for 10 copies. They include, notably, _Appeals to Christians_; _An Appeal to the Catholic Missions_, in German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian; _An Appeal to the Protestant Missions_, in German, English, and Portuguese.

Another series of leaflets to be inserted in letters is published by the _Bureau des Deutschen Handelstages, Berlin_ (Bureau of the German Commercial Conference of Berlin). Nine different leaflets appeared. No. 10 and the succeeding leaflets are of different origin; these leaflets are now published by the _Kriegs-Auschuss der Deutschen Industrie, Berlin_ (Military Commission of German Industry). No. 10 reproduces a proclamation by Dr. Schroedter, threatening to strip the Belgians of all their copper, "down to the last door-handle."

In Germany also are published leaflets bearing no indication of their origin. One of these, entitled _What is the Cause of the Severity of the War?_ is curious for more reasons than one.

(_b_) _Propagandist Matter issued by the Publishing Houses._

There are, to begin with, the numerous low-priced pamphlets which carry the gospel to the soldiers in the trenches, and enlighten the home population. The most voluminous and the most perfidious of these books is that of Major Viktor von Strantz: _Die Eroberung Belgiëns_.

Several publishing houses issue series of booklets, under some general title. We may mention:--

_Krieg und Sieg, 1914, nach Berichten der Zeitgenossen_ (War and
Victory, 1914, according to the Accounts of Eye-witnesses).

_Der Deutschen Volkes Kriegstagebuch_ (The German People's Diary of
the War).

_Der Weltkrieg, 1914_ (The World-war of 1914), at 20 pfennigs.

Besides these works, which are intended rather for the masses, we must mention others, intended for a more intellectual public.

Such are:--

_Reden aus der Kriegzeit_; _Deutsche Vortrage Hamburgischer
Professoren_; _Zwischen Krieg und Frieden_; _Der Deutsche Krieg_;
_Kriegsberichte aus den Grossen Hauptquartier._

To these we may add works appearing in small isolated volumes at a low price, containing more especially diplomatic documents:--

_Deutschland in der Notwehr_ (Carl Schüsemann, Bremen); _Das
Volkerringen, 1914_, F. M. Kireheisen (Universal Bibliothek,
Leipzig).

_Urkunden, Depeschen und Berichte der Frankfurter Zeitung. Der
Grosse Krieg. Eine Chronich von Tag zu Tag_ (Frankfurt, 1914-15).

We must not overlook the numerous illustrated publications, among which we may mention the _Album de la Grande Guerre_, published by the _Deutscher Überseedienst_, with explanations in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. This collection contains a number of illustrations relating to Belgium: for example, in No. 2 we have "A Zeppelin bombarding Liége," which never happened (p. 229): and No. 3 gives us a view of the Place des Bailles at Malines, "a quarter where the houses were destroyed by Belgian artillery" (whereas the Belgian artillery destroyed nothing in Malines, and the Place des Bailles was not bombarded but burned).

(_c_) _Propangandist Bureaux operating Abroad._

Not content with flooding neutrals with literature fabricated in Germany itself, to such an extent that the former complained of the German importunity, the Germans have also set up bureaux of propaganda in foreign countries. The most important of these, without doubt, is that which has been operating in the United States, under the direction of Herr Bernhard Dernburg, ex-Minister of the Empire. Herr Dernburg has neglected no means of action, and has not feared to mount into the breach himself in his efforts to ensure the triumph of his cause.

In Belgium the propaganda was of a multiple nature. In the first place, the Germans were careful to inform us, daily, by means of placards, as to the "actual" results of the military operations, and they distributed tens of thousands of copies of circulars relating to the "Anglo-Belgian Conventions" (p. 43), the Griendl report (p. 41), the retirement of Italy from the Triple Alliance, etc. As these might not have enlightened us sufficiently, the German authorities took the Press in hand, the result being such journals as _Le Réveil_ and the _Deutsche Soldatenpost_. They then censored the Belgian papers in various manners.

(1) The Germans wished to compel various papers to appear under their control. All those in the capital refused; but in the provinces certain newspapers, such as _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ (at Namur) and _Le Bien Public_ (at Gand), accepted the German conditions. _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ was really and truly forced to appear; as it admitted, in a covert fashion, in its issues of the 20th and 27th August, and explicitly in those of the 7th October and the 6th November.

(2) The German authorities forced these journals, and others which have since been established, to publish propagandist articles, imposing penalties in case of failure. Thus _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ (it was suggested that it might be called _L'Ami de par Ordre!_) was obliged to publish stories of "francs-tireurs" which it knew were inventions; and after the burning of the Grand' Place at Namur (concerning which it knew very well what to think) it published, in large letters, on the 28th August, 1914, a protest against francs-tireurs. On the 1st September followed an article describing the punishment of Louvain after an attack by civilians. On the following day was further mention of the "leaders" who brought such terrible reprisals on their fellow-citizens. In order to make these flagrant lies "go down," the journal is compelled from time to time to repeat that it prints nothing but the truth (for example, on the 7th September).

Incontestably imposed, also, are the articles which basely flatter the Germans; notably its excuses after its suspension (7th and 8th December) and its thanks to the Military Government of Namur when the latter ceased to take hostages (on the 29th September). In this last issue is an equally characteristic article on the subject of the Cathedral of Reims; in this the German Government pretends that it did not allege the presence of an observation-post on the Cathedral. But one has only to read the official communiqués of the 23rd September in order to prove that _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ has been forced to lie to its readers.

Of course the Germans deny that they demand the insertion of these articles (see _Le Bien Public_, 1st November, 1914); otherwise their readers would cease to give any credence to these "Belgian" papers.

(3) The principal mission of the censorship consists in suppressing all that displeases it and all that it regards as compromising. Thus, for two months _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ did not publish a single communiqué from the armies of the Allies, although it pretended the contrary in its issue of the 7th October. It was only on the 26th that it began to publish them; but it then borrowed them from the German papers, which was not perhaps a guarantee of exactitude. At the same time _Le Bruxellois_ stated that there were scarcely any French communiqués. As for _Le Bien Public_, it was suspended during the whole of May 1915, because the censorship would no longer allow it to publish the communiqués of the Allies.

The censorship had promised the journals whose publication it permitted (or demanded) that it would not mutilate articles, but would suppress them entirely (_Le Bien Public_, 1st November, 1914). Of course, it did not keep its engagements; for what engagement did our enemies ever keep? To realize how the censorship mutilates, curtails, and falsifies one has only to compare the official telegrams contained in the French newspapers with those which are vouchsafed us by the expurgated journals. Here are a few examples; it will be seen that the censorship suppresses not only sentences and parts of sentences, but single words, and even parts of words. We will confess that this last procedure was totally unexpected, even on the part of Germany, although her scholars have certainly acquired a habit of splitting hairs.

The words in italics are those suppressed by the censorship:--

_La Belgique_, Tuesday, 26th January, 1913,--PETROGRAD, _23rd
January_. (Official telegram from the Great General Staff)....
German attempts to pass to the offensive in various places have
been _easily_ defeated _by our artillery_.... On the 21st January
enemy troops, in strength about a division of infantry, and
supported by artillery, attacked our front in the Kirlibaba region,
_but they were repulsed_. Up to the morning of the 21st January our
troops had maintained themselves in their positions. _We have made
200 prisoners._

_La Belgique_, Monday, 1st February, 1913.--PARIS, _29th January_.
(Official, 3 p.m.)--In Belgium, in the Nieuport sector, our
infantry has gained a footing on the great dune which was mentioned
on the 27th. _A German aeroplane was brought down by our guns._ In
the sectors of Ypres and Lens, as in the sector of Arras, there
have been, intermittently, artillery duels of some violence, and
some attacks of infantry were attempted but immediately _thrown
back by our fire_. Nothing fresh to report in the Soissons,
Craonne, or Reims districts. _It is confirmed that the attack
repulsed by us at Fontaine-Madame on the night of the 27th cost
the Germans dearly...._ PARIS, _the 29th January_ (_official, 11
p.m._).... _This morning, the 29th, a German aeroplane was forced
to the ground east of Gerbeviller. Its passengers, an officer and
an under-officer, are prisoners._

_La Belgique_, Thursday, 4th February, 1915.--PARIS, _1st
February_. (Official telegram, 3 p.m.).... To the south-east of
Ypres the Germans have attempted an attack upon our trenches to the
north of the canal, an attack which was _immediately_ checked by
our artillery fire.... In the Argonne, _where the Germans appear
to have suffered greatly in the recent fighting_, the day has been
comparatively quiet....

PARIS, _1st February_. (Official telegram, 11 p.m.).... On the
morning of the 1st February the enemy violently attacked our
trenches to the north, Béthune--La Bassée. He was thrown back
_and left numerous dead on the ground_. At Beaumont-Hamel, to the
north of Arras, the German infantry attempted to carry one of our
trenches by surprise, but was forced to retreat, _abandoning on the
spot the explosives with which it was provided_....

_La Belgique_, Friday, 12th February, 1915.--PARIS, _9th February_.
(Official telegram, 3 p.m.).... Along the road from Béthune to
La Bassée we have reoccupied a windmill in which the enemy had
succeeded in establishing himself. Soissons was bombarded _with
incendiary shells_.

_La Belgique_, Saturday, 13th February, 1915.--PARIS, _10th
February_. (Official, 11 p.m.).... In Lorraine our outposts
_easily_ repulsed a German attack on the eastern edge and to the
north of the Forest of Purvy.

_La Patrie_ (Brussels).--COPENHAGEN, _2nd March_.--According to a
communication from London in the _Berlingske Tidende_ the Swedish
painter, Johnson, who was arrested as a spy, because he was making
pretended luminous signals to German ships of war, is _said to have
been_ acquitted for lack of evidence.

To appreciate at its full value the mutilation of the official communiqués by the German censorship, it must be recalled (1) that it had undertaken to leave the official communiqués untouched, and (2) that the subservient portion of the press continued to call them "official telegrams."

_Sincerity of the Censored Newspapers._

At the outset the censorship used to allow newspapers to leave a blank space in the place of an article, phrase, or words deleted. But this procedure was too frank for the Germans, and the readers were aware of it; so the German authorities forced the newspapers to fill up the blanks; and in order to facilitate their task they published a special typewritten journal, appearing in French and in Flemish, _Le Courrier Belge_, in which "all the articles had passed the censorship." Editors, therefore, had only to select an article of the desired length in order to fill the gaps left by the official scissors.

We may add that by the terms of a decision given in the Court of First Instance in Brussels, the journals at present appearing in Germany under the German censorship may not claim the title of Belgian newspapers.

It may readily be imagined what the censored journals have become under this delightful system. But a story which is told in Belgium will perhaps give the reader a better idea of their vicissitudes. The soul of a soldier presents itself at the gate of Paradise. "Who are you?" says St. Peter. After a long hesitating pause (for no one cares to make such a painful confession) the soul replies: "I am the soul of a German soldier." "You are an impudent liar!" cries St. Peter. "I read the Belgian newspapers with the greatest care, and they have not yet announced the death of a single German soldier!"

On the 7th June, 1915, the Germans had a unique opportunity of proving that the German journals in Belgian clothes, such as _L'Ami de l'Ordre_, _La Belgique_, _Le Bien Public_, etc., were still capable on occasion of speaking the truth. But they allowed the opportunity to slip. However, here are the facts:--

On the night of Sunday, the 6th June, 1915, towards 2.30 a.m., we were awakened by a furious cannonade and the explosion of bombs: Allied aviators were bombarding the shed of the dirigible at Evere, to which they set fire, destroying both shed and balloon. On the same day we learned that a second German dirigible had just been destroyed at Mont St.-Amand, near Gand, by a British aviator. We awaited the next day's papers with curiosity. Would they report the two incidents, making as little of them as possible, or would they keep silence? They merely stated that the German air-fleet had raided the English coast on the night of the 7th. Of what happened on its return, not a word. In the _Kölnische Zeitung_, again, there was nothing said as to the disasters at Evere and Mont St.-Amand. So the muzzled Press of Belgium and Germany may speak of German successes (we are supposing, of course, that the bombardment of open towns _is_ a success), but as to the failures they are dumb. These are two facts which are known to hundreds of thousands of persons, and are therefore impossible of concealment. To keep silence, therefore, could have only one result, namely, to prove that the German communiqués are "faked," and that the Belgian journals are muzzled: in short, that all news which comes from Germany is adulterated. If our oppressors had published a short paragraph dealing with these two "accidents," then a few Belgians, more credulous than their fellows, might have continued to believe that the word "German" can still on occasion be spoken in the same breath as the word "sincerity." But in their incomparable stupidity the censors (who are doubtless diplomatists out of a job) failed to realize that by preserving silence as to the raids of the British aviators they were for ever destroying the value of their newspapers. They rendered us a similar service, on this occasion, to that which they rendered when they forbade M. Max to publish the statement that they were liars (p. 233). We were well aware that the German was a shocking psychologist, but we hardly realized how shocking!... The incident is, as will be seen, the pendant of the story of the Liége Zeppelin. This dirigible raided Liége on the night of the 6th August, and the raid was described in the German newspapers and even illustrated. Unfortunately the raid never took place!

A few days later the Germans plunged even deeper into the mire. On the night of the 16th June the people of Brussels once again heard the sound of guns, this time from Berchem; but no one saw an aeroplane. Next day the papers contained a paragraph stating that an attack by enemy aviators had been repulsed. Did the raid really take place? It is doubtful; and in any case it does not matter. The essential point is that on this occasion the newspapers were allowed to speak.

The Governor-General, who has a keen sense of the fitting opportunity, chose this moment to inform us that a mischievous Press was circulating in Belgium (see _La Belgique_, 14th January, 1915). Nothing could be truer, as the reader has just seen.

_Persecution of Uncensored Newspapers._

Naturally, the desire to obtain foreign newspapers became keener than ever in Belgium as the untruthfulness of the censored journals became more apparent. To the notices published by the Germans forbidding the distribution of "false news" (p. 187) we may add an official communiqué which was reproduced in _L'ami de l'Ordre_ on the 17th October:--

"Any person who shall spread similar false reports, or cause them
to be distributed, will be shot without mercy."

(_d_) _Various Propaganda._

Lastly, let us mention--without insistence, as they are already sufficiently familiar--various methods of propaganda which are individual, and apparently spontaneous, but from which the Germans expect very happy results.

All those Belgians who have friends or relations in Germany, and all those who are themselves of German origin, have incessantly been receiving, since correspondence between the two countries has been permitted, letters in which they are told that Germany is sure of victory, that the Belgians have been deceived by England and by their king, that the Germans do no harm to any one, etc. These assertions are repeated with such regularity and monotony that they produce the impression of a lesson that has been learned; so, to avoid this unfortunate impression, the correspondents are careful to declare that they are only expressing their personal opinion.

Next, we may mention the foreign visits of German scholars; for example, that of Herr Ostwald (one of the Ninety-three) to Sweden, and that of Herr Lamprecht (another of the Ninety-three) to Belgium. Herr Ostwald's lectures have evoked a great sensation, but it was perhaps hardly the sensation Germany had hoped for; moreover, the University of Leipzig declared that it did not subscribe to the ideas of its sometime professor. The effort of Herr Lamprecht was more discreet; it was preceded by a written effort, but letter and visit had the same negative result.

More insidious are the visits made to Belgium by prominent German socialists: Wendel, Liebknecht, Noske, Koester, etc. They, too, hoped easily to convince us of the rights and, above all, of the superiority of Germany. They went back with an empty bag; one may even venture to assert that they were rather shaken, since Herr Liebknecht complains, in a conversation with an editor of the _Social-Demokraten_, a Norwegian organ, of the part which the Socialist missionaries were made to play (_N.R.C._, 28th December, 1914, evening).

The _Vossische Zeitung_ has discovered another means of propaganda. This journal sent a paper of questions to Dutch and Scandinavian scholars, asking them what their science owes to Germany. A shallow trick, this; every nation has naturally produced men of mark, to whom science has cause for gratitude.

4. THE VIOLATION OF ENGAGEMENTS.

The war began by the violation of a solemn treaty, to which Germany subscribed in 1839. The entire conduct of the war has been, as far as Germany is concerned, a long series of violations of the Hague Convention of 1907. Germany alleges, in her own defence, that circumstances have altered since the period when these pacts were signed; that she was obliged to forestall France; that in case of absolute necessity, such as that in which she stood, she has the right to use all means of injuring the enemy, permitted or not (p. 83); and moreover, that the torpedoing of the _Lusitania_ (p. 194), the employment of living shields (p. 117), the use of toxic gases (p. 198), and terrorization by fire and assassination (p. 164), having proved efficacious, it is in her interests not to neglect them out of mere humanity, or a simple and childish respect for her own signature.

It is hopeless to discuss the matter; it would be wasted pains, Germany having decided to let her conduct be shaped by the impulse of the moment, without hampering herself with any anterior promises. She is fighting for her life, her publicists and statesmen never cease repeating, and she is free to throw all her engagements to the wind. "_Not kennt kein Gebot_," declared the Chancellor, on the 9th August, and this convenient maxim has lost nothing of its popularity.

But there are other engagements, engagements which Germany has entered into with Belgium since the beginning of the war, and which she has broken with the same ease: a promise to restore Belgium's independence; a promise to respect our patriotism, a promise to pay cash for all requisitions once the tribute of 480 millions frs. was paid, etc. Our enemies can invoke no extenuating circumstances to mitigate these breaches of faith, for no change had occurred between the dates of making these engagements and their violation.

_The Independence of Belgium._

On the 4th August, 1914, the very day on which our country was invaded, the Imperial Government made one last effort to extort from England a promise of neutrality. It gave an assurance that even in the case of an armed conflict with Belgium, Germany would not on any pretext annex her territory (_Livre Bleu_, No. 74). On that very day the Kaiser and the Chancellor made similar declarations: "We shall repair the injustice which we are committing towards Belgium," said the Chancellor. Directly they had a newspaper at their disposal in Belgium our invaders published an article assuring the Belgians of their respect for whatever engagements they had entered into (see _L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 29th and 30th August, 1914).

Words, idle words!

Hardly were the Germans, in boasting mood, able to style themselves conquerors, than they hastened to trample their promises underfoot. Are the engagements of the Berlin Government anything more than so many scraps of paper, which may with impunity be declared null and void? Such men as Erzberger, Losch, Dernburg, Maximilian Harden, etc., all partaking in the public life of their country, found nothing was more urgent than to disregard whatever the Emperor and the Chancellor might have said, no matter how solemn the circumstances, and to make plans for the future in which Belgium would remain wholly or in part annexed.

_The Promise to respect the Patriotism of the Belgians._

"I ask no one to renounce his patriotic sentiments," said Baron von der Goltz in the first of the somewhat extraordinary declarations with which he gratified us during his stay in our midst in his quality of Governor-General (placard of 2nd September, 1914).

_The Forced Striking of the Flag._

Every one was anxiously asking himself what was really the thought at the back of the Baron's head; for we already knew the Germans sufficiently to realize that so honeyed a phrase concealed some peril. But what? Two weeks later the riddle was solved; it meant that the Belgian national flag was "regarded as a provocation by the German troops" (placard of 16th September, 1914). A provocation of what or whom? Of their national sentiment? Well, and what of ours, which the Governor-General was not asking us to renounce? It is true that after the appearance of this placard the Military Governor announced that he had "by no means the intention of wounding the dignity or the feelings of the inhabitants by this measure; its sole purpose is to preserve the citizens from any annoyance." In short, it was for our good that we were forced to haul down our flag. What was to be done? To resist would be to give the scoundrels who were oppressing us an occasion for exercising their murderous and incendiary talents on Brussels. By a very dignified and very moderate notice, M. Max, the burgomaster, counselled his fellow-citizens to yield. This placard, which was not subjected to the censorship, despite the order given by the Germans, displeased them to the point of having it immediately covered with blank sheets of paper. But these were torn away by the people of Brussels, or else they were rendered transparent by means of petroleum: in a word, every one could read the burgomaster's protest. But as it was expected, with a good show of reason, that the Germans would soon cause it to disappear completely, many persons copied the placard, or even photographed it; and for a long time numbers of the inhabitants of Brussels carried upon their persons, like a precious relic, a copy or a photograph of M. Max's famous placard.

_The Belgian Colours forbidden in the Provinces._

While the withdrawal of the Belgian flag was demanded, in the provinces a hunt was conducted for the Belgian colours used in the decoration of shop-windows. The German police would enter the shops and demand the immediate removal of all tricolour ribbons decorating the windows.

MILITARY COURT.

Henry Dargette, of Namur, Place Arthur Borlée, 32, was punished
with a fine of 10 marks, or 2 days' subsidiary detention, in
accordance with § 13 of the Imperial decree of the 28th December,
1893, for having disregarded the communiqué of the Imperial
Government of Namur of the 22nd April, 1915. He had exposed in his
shop-window boxes of tin-plate with the French, British, Russian,
and Belgian colours.

(_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 3-6 July, 1915.)

In Brussels it was a long time before they decided to take measures against the wearing of the tricolour rosettes which so many people carried in their buttonholes; in the streets, at least two persons in three displayed our colours. This persistence on the part of the Belgians in publicly displaying their patriotic sentiments is extremely annoying to the Germans. For proof we need only turn to the letter from Brussels published in the weekly illustrated supplement of the _Hamburger Fremdenblatt_ for the 18th April, 1915: "One does not see a schoolboy, not a schoolgirl, not a lady, not a gentleman, who does not wear, in an obvious fashion, the Belgian cockade." In certain towns--for example Lessines, Gand, and Dinant--this kind of manifestation is prohibited. At Namur the fine may amount to 500 frs.; the placard which threatens this penalty is conceived in the involved and nauseating style which we encounter every time the Germans inflict on us a particularly disgusting piece of hypocrisy. In particular it is stated that it is forbidden "_publicly_ to display the Belgian colours." No doubt it is permissible to have them floating about in one's pocket, or to decorate the interior of one's chest of drawers with them. This is how the Teuton Tartuffe "asks no one to renounce his patriotic sentiments":--

GOVERNMENT COMMUNIQUÉS.

One may observe, of late, in a great proportion of the inhabitants
of the town, as well as in the young school-children, a tendency to
manifest their patriotic feelings by wearing, in an open manner,
the Belgian colours, under different forms.

I am far from wishing to offend their feelings; on the contrary, I
esteem and respect them.

But, on the other hand, I cannot but perceive, in this form
[of display], that it is desired thereby PUBLICLY to express a
demonstration against the present state of affairs and against the
German authority, which I expressly forbid.

I consequently direct:

It is strictly forbidden to place in view, publicly, the Belgian
colours, either on oneself, or on any objects whatever, in no
matter what circumstances.

Contraventions will be punished by a fine which may amount to
500 frs., unless, according to the gravity of the case, the
contravention is punished by imprisonment.

This regulation does not at any time prevent the wearing of
official decorations by those who have the right to do so.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL BARON VON HIRSCHBERG,
_Military Governor of the Fortified Position of Namur_.
(_L'Ami de l'Ordre_, 15th November, 1914.)

_Prohibition of the Belgian Colours in Brussels._

Suddenly, without any pretext, the sight of the little tricolour decorations worn by the people of Brussels began to offend the Germans, and the national emblem was prohibited from the 1st July, 1915. The prohibition was posted only on the 30th of June. It made a distinction between the Belgian colours, the wearing of which was tolerated if it was not provocative, and the colours of our Allies, the display of which, even if not provocative, was absolutely prohibited. How were our German bumpkins going to make this much too subtle distinction between provocative and non-provocative display? This evidently left the door open to all sorts of arbitrary actions. So the people of Brussels judged it prudent to renounce their badges entirely. A few, however, replaced the rosette by an ivy-leaf, the emblem of fidelity in the language of flowers. What were the Germans to do now? Prohibit the wearing of the ivy-leaf, perhaps, for by the 5th July they had forbidden the manufacture and sale of artificial ivy-leaves, whether of cloth or paper. But they did not persist in this course. For the first time since we had been subject to them they conceived a witty idea. They themselves began to display the ivy-leaf; from that moment this emblem could not decently be worn by any of us. It would be interesting to know who inspired them with this ingenious idea.

_The "Te Deum" on the Patron Saint's Day of the King._

Let us note the date of _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ which contained Baron von Hirschberg's announcement: the 15th November, the patron saint's day of the King. The same copy of the paper reproduced an article from _Düsseldorfer General Anzeiger_, which doubtless had escaped the censor, doing homage to the valour of the King and Queen. On the following day _L'Ami de l'Ordre_ had to announce that the usual _Te Deum_ would not be performed. Why was the ceremony suppressed? The paper did not say; but we can easily guess; the superior German authorities had decided otherwise.

In Brussels also the _Te Deum_ of the 15th November was prohibited. It was decided to replace it by a mass which would be sung at 11 o'clock in the church of St. Gudule. By 10.30 the church was overflowing with people; but towards 11.0 a priest passed quietly through the ranks of the faithful, announcing that the singing of the Mass had been prohibited by the Germans, and that it would be replaced by a Low Mass. After this some hundreds of persons repaired to the Palais Royal, to the gate in the Rue Bréderode; they expected that a book would be there, as usual, to receive their signatures. The register had been there, but the German authorities had removed it. The callers then decided merely to leave their cards; but a Palace servant came to inform them that the Germans, after removing the register, had also forbidden the formation of assemblies near the Palace, and had even made some arrests; he therefore begged the public to disperse. More respect for patriotic sentiments!

_The Portraits of the Royal Family._

Since then it has been forbidden to sell portraits of the Royal Family published since the outbreak of the war. In particular those picture-postcards are prohibited which represent the King as a soldier, the King with his Staff, the King in the trenches, the King on the dunes, the King with General Joffre, the King at Furnes, the Queen as a nurse, Prince Leopold as a trooper, etc. The prohibition is applied with an incoherence which accords ill with the wonderful spirit of organization with which our persecutors are credited. In certain parts of Brussels the vendors have never been disturbed; in others, they may sell the cards in the shops, but may not expose them in the windows; elsewhere it is a crime even to have the cards in stock. In short, all is left to the caprice of the police. These make the round of the stationers' shops, seizing all prohibited cards, and very often, too, seizing other cards on their own initiative and for their own use. To a stationer who was privily selling us some prohibited cards, we put the question, whether the police did not often enter his shop, in order to seize whatever displeased them. "What displeases them?" he replied. "No, no; they seize more particularly whatever pleases them!" Another merchant, who was summoned to attend at the German police bureau in the Rue de l'Hôtel des Monnaies, was assured by the commissioner that the police had the right to take "everything that might excite the patriotism of the Belgians." This official put his own interpretation on Baron von der Goltz's regulations with regard to patriotism.

Not far away, at St. Gilles, on Sunday the 14th February, an under-officer brutally snatched away the national flag which covered the coffin of a Belgian soldier. Here is another example of individual ideas as to the respect to be paid to patriotism and piety.

While in Brussels the Germans prohibited only the more recent Royal portraits, at Gand, in February 1915, the commandant of the Magazine,[42] in order to show his zeal, forbade the sale of any portraits of the Royal Family, of whatever date or nature.

The Burgomaster of Gand has received the following letter, the
communal administration sending us a translation of the same:--

2. mob. Etappen Kommandantur.
Reference No. 1095.

GAND, _4th February, 1915_.

To the Burgomaster of the City,--

I beg you again to draw the attention of all the booksellers,
stationers' shops, etc., by hand-bill or by means of the
newspapers, that they are forbidden under any circumstances to
display the portraits of the Royal Family of Belgium, either in the
windows or in the interior of the shops.

Those who act otherwise will be severely punished.

THE COMMANDANT OF THE MAGAZINE,
P.O.

(_Signed_) HENZ.

(_Le Bien Public_, 13th February, 1915.)

The German persecutions were resumed with renewed vigour on the approach of the 8th April, the King's birthday. At Antwerp the Germans took care to forbid, in advance, anything that might have passed for a royalist manifestation; but the inhabitants succeeded, none the less, under their enemies' noses, in celebrating their Sovereign's anniversary.

Elsewhere the Germans, in their incorrigible meanness, had a different inspiration. They suddenly had an intuition that the communal administrations of Brabant were going to dismiss the schools in honour of the King. Immediately circulars were distributed, forbidding the closing of the schools on that day. But these ineffable blunderers had forgotten one thing: namely, that the 8th of April fell in the middle of the Easter holidays! Certain communes permitted themselves the malicious delight of inquiring of the Germans whether they must recall the pupils for the 8th of April? The Germans, of course, missed the irony of the situation, and replied that it would not be necessary to resume the classes. Their second letter contains a particularly delightful sentence: "My will is merely that instruction shall not be specially interrupted in honour of the anniversary of H.M. the King of the Belgians." Another example of the unshakable determination to respect the Belgians' patriotism!

_Obligation to Employ the German Language._