Historic Ghent, with its quarter of a million inhabitants, was also surrendered peaceably to the Germans, and again the energy and initiative of an American, United States Vice-Consul J. A. Van Hee, had much to do with the avoidance of tragedy and destruction.
Learning that the advance guard of the German army was only a few miles outside the city, the burgomaster went out on the morning of September to parley with Gen. von Boehn—in the hope of arranging for the German forces not to enter. An agreement finally was reached whereby the Germans should go around Ghent on condition that all Belgian troops should evacuate the city, the civic guard be disarmed, their weapons surrendered, and the municipal authorities should supply the Germans with specified quantities of provisions and other supplies.
The burgomaster was not back an hour when a motor car driven by two armed German soldiers appeared in the streets.
At almost the same moment that the German car entered the city from the south a Belgian armored car, armed with a machine gun, with a crew of three men, entered from the east on a scouting expedition.
The two cars, both speeding, encountered each other at the head of the Rue Agneau, directly in front of the American consulate. Vice-consul Van Hee, standing in the doorway, was an eyewitness to what followed.
The Germans, taken completely by surprise at the sight of the foe's grim war car in its coat of elephant gray, bearing down upon them, attempted to escape, firing with their carbines as they fled. Notwithstanding the fact that the sidewalks were lined with onlookers, the Belgians opened on the fleeing Germans with their machine guns, which spurted lead as a garden hose spurts water.
The driver, fearing the Germans might escape, swerved his powerful car against the German motor precisely as a polo player "rides off" his opponent. The machine gun never ceased its angry snarl.
The Germans surrendered, both being wounded.
Appreciating that Ghent stood in imminent danger of meeting the terrible fate of its sister cities, Aerschot and Louvain, sacked and burned for far less cause, Mr. Van Hee hurriedly found the burgomaster and urged him to go along instantly to German headquarters.
They found General von Boehn and his staff at a chateau a few miles outside the city. The German commander at first was furious with anger and threatened Ghent with the same punishment he had meted out to the other places where Germans were fired on. Van Hee took a very firm stand, however. He told the general the burning of Ghent would do more than anything else to lose the Germans all American sympathy. He reminded him that Americans have a great sentimental interest in Ghent because the treaty of peace between England and the United States was signed there just a century ago.