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B THE‘ FATHERLAND
under a weary load, we have no say as to how the tithing of
our substance shall be disbursed. We are a patient lot of
sufferers hiding the break of a better day. Staggering under
our burden, sweating and swearing, we stumble along a
road we have no business to be traveling. There have been
revolutions for less than we are enduring, and these were
based on the plain principle that taxation without represen-
tation atfords just cause for resistance. How long must
patience hide the straining test? is there no justice in
power except that which is extorted from it by counter
power? We are not speaking of Boers and their treaty
rights, but referring to Britons and their galling wrongs.”
This wail came from the very heart of the Transvaal,
from the region which the Rhodes-Chamberlain-Eek
stein-Beit propaganda was launched to save. Here was
the perfected fruit of England's war against the South
African republics-“a war to which,” as an. American
writer said, "we lent our prayers and sympathies.” The
Transvaal was rescued from the Boers, progress runs
on easy casters; civilization found its long-sought apath-
eosis, and Englishmen, the benctlcicncies of the sacred
crusade, are already pondering revolt and revolution.
Great Britain did not manage some of her Colonies
very much better in 1775.
BELGJAN PRIEST DEFENDS GERMANS
Dr. Coenrad, Vice-Regent of Louvain University, Contradicts Belgian Commission to Washington.
THE main indictment charged against the Germans by the
Belgian Commission sent over by the Belgian Govern-
ment and duly blessed and anointed by King George of Eng-
land, is the wanton destruction of the city of Louvaln. As
this commission has been received by the President as well as
by Col. Roosevelt, the reliability of these charges became a.
matter of serious importance. It is alleged that the German
soldiers were not fired upon and the city was destroyed with-
out provocation.
A radically different version of the events, and one which
opcnlycontradicts the report of the commission, has been given
to the Muenchen-Gladbach divine,.Dr. Karl Sonnenschein,
by Dr. Coenrad, the Vice-Rector of the Louvain University.
-As Dr. Coenrad is a tangible and reputable witness, who
played an important part in the terrible events--he was one
of the hostages held by the Germans for the safety of their
troops--his testimony is likely to exercise a strong influence
on the final determination of the case. He says:
“There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that the Ger-
man soldiers were ruthlessly hred upon. Cetait une fusillade
bicn nourrie. It is very easy to distinguish the reports of
the Belgian from those of the German muskets. The shots
I heard for a period of at least five minutes were not those
' of German guns.
“I will tell you my experience in succinct form. I was one
of the hostages. VVe were repeatedly changed and were
obliged to spend twenty-four hours, from 3 o'clock in the
afternoon until the same hour the next afternoon, at the city
hall. During the first day the burgomaster and the rector
of the university were held as hostages. On Tuesday it was
my turn.
“I assumed my duties in good cheer at 3 o’clocl< Tuesday
afternoon. Sometime in the evening the shooting began. It
was not the work of regular troops. In fact, there were no
longer any Belgian soldiers in the city. We were paralyzed
with fear. Three other persons happened to be present in
the hall besides ourselves (the Dominican Father Dillen, a
physician, and an apothecary), who were'asking for permission
to search for wounded after 9 o'clock. Another gentleman
came to see about his auto which was to be placed at the
ldisposal of the military authorities. This was rather unpleas-
ant for us, for it, was suspected that these trips had some-
. thing to do with the sniping. A general who entered the
room in the meantime declared that there was evidently a
conspiracy, and he would be obliged to adopt extreme meas-
131%
“That same evening we walked up and down the Rue de la.
Station appealing to the people to remain quiet, for heaven's
sake. Father Dillen spoke to them in Flemish, Senator Orbiln
de Xivry, the former minister of the King of Belgium to
Rumania, who had joined us, in French. VVe thereupon te-
turned'to the city halland retired. The windows of the
houscs opposite were lighted up with a blood-red glare even
then.
"The next morning I accompanied the officers and men to the
church. From the city hall, to which we returned, we were
led to the railway station. There we were kept in a car 50$‘
an hour while a. proclamation was being drawn up in the
waiting room to be read aloud in the city. Contents: ‘XVe Ilfc
the hostages. If another shot is tired we shall be killed, the
city will be burned and a contribution of 20,000,000 il’8l1C5
will be levied on the citizens.’ ,
“We went through the city with this proclamation. VVC
read it at forty or fifty places-that is,,Father Dillen read it.
because his voice was the loudest.‘ The oliicer stood l>?5ld<3
us with a drawn revolver. At the Rue de Namur nn0ll1e"
olliccr joined us, and I found myself staring into the milZliC5
of two revolvers. About twenty soldiers formed the escort.
Several Sisters of Charity joined tlle procession. We were
surrounded by men, women and children. Weeping and rais-
ing their arms, they cried out, time and again, that they
would do anything to save us from being killed.
“One thing I shall never forget. We were ‘reading the
proclamation at the corner of the Rue Frederic Links, as so
many, many times before, when what should happen? By
heaven, they were hring just the same!
“For live hours we had trumped the streets, and for five
h-oursgwe had read the proclamation. Tired to death, we re-
turned, to the railway station at 3 o’clock. I broke down in
a fit of hysteria. After a while I received some food. Then
I asked permission to speak to Senator de Xivry. Instead Of
the Senator, a German staff surgeon entered, Dr. Bufghaltscn,
Gereon street; Cologne (at least that was the hddress I iiified
down). To him I owe my life. Besides, my term of service
as a hostage had expired. I was allowed to return to my
home in the Rue de la Joyeuse Entre. R
“The surgeon accompanied me up the Rue de la Station-
VVe had gone as ‘far as the Rue Leopold. Suddenly a shot
was tired from the direction of the Marche au Grain (that is
the place where Pnof. Victor Brants, the sociologist, lives).
Instantly soldiers lined up on the opposite side of the street
‘ c