Belgians Under the German Eagle

by Jean Massart

2. Disdain of Others.

We have seen that the Germans are seeking by all possible means to accentuate their superiority over their neighbours. An elementary procedure for increasing the vertical distance between them and their rivals consists in depreciating the latter. Germany has so often, in every tone of voice, proclaimed the irremediable inferiority of all the other peoples inhabiting our planet, that she has at last come to believe it herself, and has begun to act in conformity with her belief.

Some Inept Proclamations, etc.

Thus, to speak only of our own experience, they assuredly under-estimated our national integrity when they believed us capable of becoming accomplices in the violation of an international treaty. They also greatly under-estimated our army's powers of resistance, or they would have taken good care not to lose a fortnight in Belgium, a delay which spoiled their sudden attack upon France. Finally, they show us every day, by their placards, that they do not think much of our intelligence. Some of those entitled "News published by the German General Government" are really inimitable.

Imagine our laughter when the authorities to whom we are forced to submit officially announced that a German squadron had captured fifteen fishing-boats; or that the Serbians had taken Semlin in order to obtain food; or that the star of Paschitsch was growing pale; or that the Austrians had evacuated Lemberg for strategic and humanitarian reasons; or that the British Army is so ill-equipped that the soldiers are without writing-paper and shoelaces; or that the river of the "gifts of love" continues to flow; or that General Joffre (in a French that could only have come from a German pen) informs his troops that "the moment is come to profit by the weakness which offers itself to us, after we have reinforced ourselves in men and material." In the last days of September 1914, when a citizen of Brussels met a fair-haired comrade, he hastened to measure him, to make sure that he was not Charles-Alice Yate, "being about 5 ft. 9 in. in height."

Here are some of these placards:—

News published by the German Government.

Berlin, 6th September, 1914.—The Austria-Hungarian Ambassador publishes the following dispatch which has been forwarded to him by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vienna:—

"The Russian news on the subject of the battle of Lemberg and the triumphant capture of the city is a lie. The open town of Lemberg was evacuated by us without a battle for strategical and humanitarian reasons."

The General German Government.

London, 8th September, 1914 (Reuter's Agency).—A German squadron, composed of two cruisers and four torpedo-boats, has captured fifteen English fishing-boats in the North Sea, and has brought numerous prisoners to Wilhelmshaven.

The German General Government.

Berlin, 22nd September, 1914.—On the night of the 19th September Major Charles-Alice Yate, of the regiment of the Yorkshire Light Infantry, escaped from Torgau, where he was prisoner of war. Yate is that English officer of superior rank concerning whom it was announced the other day that he did not deny, upon inquiry, that the English troops have been supplied with dum-dum bullets; in the course of this interrogatory he declared that the soldier must obviously use the ammunition which is furnished to him by the Government.

The fugitive is about 5 ft. 9 in. in height; he is slender, fair-haired, and speaks German well.

The German General Government.

Vienna, 29th September, 1914.—The Reichspost announces from Sofia: The correspondent of the Volja, the organ of Ghenadjev, writes from Nish: The Austrian offensive has serious consequences for Serbia; rebellion is muttering in the country and the army, and every day may see the outbreak of the revolution. During the last few days several regiments of artillery have revolted. A certain number of guns have been demolished....

King Peter has returned; he is completely apathetic, and the Crown Prince Alexander does not know what to do. The star of Paschitsch is paling, and it is feared there may soon be victims in his entourage.

The German General Government.

London, 6th October, 1914.—The Daily Chronicle announces that at Aldershot, in round figures, 135,000 militia belonging to all arms should be prepared to depart for the army as soon as they are ready. However, the training, despite the most brilliant efforts, could not give satisfactory results, the troops being insufficiently equipped. The newspaper appeals for the assistance of the public, and remarks that, for example, no officer of Lord Kitchener's first army possesses field-glasses. They also lack socks, handkerchiefs, shoelaces, writing-paper and materials, and drums and fifes for the Scottish regiments.

The German General Government.

What is even more strange than their insistence in offering us their sophisticated views, is their virtuous indignation when they discover that we are not receptive of this kind of truth. Thus the people of Liége, who would not believe the German placards and preferred their secret newspapers, were warned by Lieut.-General von Kolewe that they were in danger of appearing ridiculous in the eyes of intelligent people.

To the Population of Liége and Neighbourhood.

Considering the continual successes of the German troops, it is impossible to understand why the people of Liége are still so credulous as to believe the absurd and frivolous news spread by the manufactories of falsehoods installed in Liége. Those who busy themselves in propagating such news are risking severe punishment. They are playing a dangerous game in abusing the credulity of their fellow-citizens and in inciting them to reckless actions. The reasonable population of Liége will resist all temptations of the kind.

Otherwise it is exposing itself not merely to the gravest disappointment, but also to appearing ridiculous in the eyes of intelligent people.

Kolewe,
Lieut.-General and German Governor of the
Fortress of Liége.

It is forbidden to tear down this placard or to paste another over it.

Lies concerning the Situation in Belgium.

Before other placards the shrugging of shoulders gave way to disgust. Baron von der Goltz, at Sofia, boasted of having rendered "the situation in Belgium entirely normal." What of it? We were so glad to be rid of him that we were ready to overlook any ineptitudes. But when his successor, Baron von Bissing, after levying a contribution of 480 million frs. (£19,200,000), had the audacity to declare that he hoped "to do much for the economic situation," and would especially apply himself "to doing everything to assist the weak in Belgium, and to encourage them," he passed the bounds of cynicism and presumption. However, two months later, on the 18th February, 1915, after having despoiled us of 120 million francs, he found occasion to go still farther, affirming his "solicitude for the welfare and prosperity of the population."

Lies concerning "Francs-tireurs."

What shall we say of the accusations made against Belgian civilians? From August, at the time of the first sortie of our troops from Antwerp, the Germans posted up statements in Brussels that the Belgian population was again taking part in the conflict.

Official Statement by the Commandant of the German Army.

Brussels, 28th August, 1914.—On the 26th and 27th August several Belgian divisions made a sortie from Antwerp in order to attack our lines of communication, but they were repulsed by those of our troops left behind to invest the city. Five Belgian guns fell into our hands....

The Belgian population almost everywhere took part in the fighting. It became necessary to take the most drastic measures to repress the bands of francs-tireurs....

Now certain of these battles took place at a distance of only six miles from Brussels; peasants were shot at Houtem (a hamlet of Vilvorde) and at Eppeghem: that is, in villages whence people went into the city every morning with vegetables, milk, etc., so that the inhabitants of the capital were perfectly informed as to the behaviour of the German troops toward the Belgian civilians. They knew, too, that these pretended attacks of "francs-tireurs" had been delivered by detachments of the Belgian army (see E. Waxweiler in La Belgique neutre et loyale, p. 219). The keen indignation against the German liars was still further aggravated when, three weeks later, the Kaiser repeated these calumnies. The fact of their having placarded the walls of Brussels with these obviously false accusations shows once more in what low esteem the Germans hold the mental faculties of their victims.

News published by the German Government.

Brussels, 7th October.—From the leader of a troop of cyclists near Hennuyères written instructions were taken, intended for the leaders of the so-called "destructive detachment," in which they are told, among other things: "Spread false news: landing of the English at Antwerp, Russians at Calais."

That the Germans should seek to deceive their own compatriots as to the situation is natural enough—they are quite content with official news. But in Belgium we still, in spite of all obstacles, continue to receive foreign newspapers, which keep us informed of the military operations. Why, then, did the Germans try to impose on us over the battle of the Marne, when nothing was easier than to learn the truth from the Times and the French Press?

A still more curious case was that of the battle of Ypres. During a whole fortnight the official placards daily informed the Belgians of the latest German success ... and at the end of three weeks the army was still as far from Ypres. The whole of this Yser campaign is interesting as throwing a light upon the German mentality. From the outset the Germans tried to establish a confusion between the "canalized" Yser and the "canalized" Yperlée, that is, the canal running from Ypres to the Yser. What they call "the canal of the Yser" in their placard of the 22nd October is the canalized Yser between Dixmude and Nieuport. In the placard of the 2nd November they spoke of the "canal from the Yser to Ypres, near Nieuport," an absolutely fantastic description. Finally, on the 4th April, when they claimed to have crossed "the Yser canal" to occupy Driegrachten, it was really the Yperlée that was in question, and not the Yser at all. This is, as will be seen, on a par with the intentional confusion which they sought to create between the city of Liége and its forts (pp. [50], [58]). Such confusions may deceive the Germans, but the Belgians, familiar with the geography of their country, naturally laugh at them.

Another point relating to this astonishing campaign on the Yser: On the 2nd November the Germans announced that operations were rendered difficult by the inundation. On the following day, having expressed their pity for the Belgians "whose fields were devastated for a long time to come," they added that the water was in parts deeper than a man's height, but that they had lost neither man, nor horse, nor gun. How can they impose such idle stuff on people who know the polders of the coast region, with their innumerable canals and ditches, and who know, moreover, than an inundation there renders all retreat impossible?