The Sunday Oregonian., December 02, 1917, Section One, Page 5, Image 5

II
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. PORTLAND, DECEMBER 2, 1917.
LAND DESERTED AS
GERMANS
ADVANCE
Belgians Quit Homes and Flee
. Like Hunted Beasts at
Outbreak of War.
PITIFUL SIGHTS ARE NOTED
Secretary of American Legation
Tells of I'lnding Farms Empty
and of Lonely Caddies Vain
ly Waitins on Links.
BT HUGH GIBSON.
Secretary of the American Legation In Brus
sels at the outbreak of the war. Copy
right. 1!17. Uoubleday, Page & Co.. by
Oiis I'. Wood.
(CONTINUE. I.)
Brussels. Aug. 18, 1914. At 10 in the
morning I started with Frederick Pal
mer and Blount in the latter's car. to
see whether we could get a little way
out of town and get a glimpse of what
was going on.
We were provided with laisser-passers
and passports and all sorts of cre
dentials, but as a strict prohibition
against sightseers has been enforced
for some 'days, we rather doubted
whether we should be able to get far
ther than the edge of town.
Before we got back we had gone
more than a hundred kilometers
through the heart of things and saw a
great deal more than anybody should
be allowed to see. We got back to
town about 8 o'clock, thoroughly tired
and with eyes tilled with dust and cin
ders. Country Appears Deserted.
Part way out the avenue we were
hailed by a soldier, who asked us for
a lift as far as Tervueren. He climbed
Into the car beside me and rode out.
The Foret de Soignes was mournful.
Quatro Bras, where the cafes are
usually filled with a good-sized crowd
of bourgeois, was deserted and empty.
The shutters were up and the proprie
tors evidently gone. The Minister's
house, near by, was closed. The gate
was locked and the gardener's dog was
the only living thing in sight.
We passed our. golf club a little far
ther on toward Tervueren. The old
chateau is closed, the garden is grow
ing rank and the rose bushes that were
kept so scrupulously plucked and trim
were heavy with dead roses. The grass
was high on the lawns; weeds were
springing up on the fine tennis courts.
Caddies Only Left.
The gardeners and other servants
have all been called to the colors.
Most of the members are also at the
front, shoulder to shoulder with the
servants. A few caddies were sitting
mournfully on the grass and greeted us
solemnly - and without enthusiasm.
These deserted places are in some ways
more dreadful than the real horrors at
the front. At least there Is life and
activity at the front.
Before we got out of town the guards
began stopping us, and we were held
up every few minutes until we got
back to town at night. Sometimes the
posts were a kilometer or even two
kilometers apart. Sometimes we were
held up every 50 yards. Sometimes the
posts were regulars, sometimes Gardes
Civiques; often hastily assembled civil
ians, mostly too old or too young for
more active service. They had no uni
forms, but only rifles, caps and bras
sards to distinguish them as men in
authority.
Passes Are Examined.
In some places the men formed a
solid rank across the road. In others
they sat by the roadside and came out
only when we hove in sight. Our
laisser-passers were carefully exam
ined each time we were stopped, even
by many of the guards who did not un
derstand a word of French, and,
strangely enough, our papers were
made out in only the one language.
They could, at least, understand our
photographs, and took the rest for
granted.
When we got to the first outpost at
Tervueren the guard waved our papers
aside and demanded the password.
Then our soldier passenger leaned
across in front of Blount and whis
pered "Belgique." That got us through
everything until midday, when the
word changed.
Scene Is Warlike.
From Tervueren on we began to re
alize that there was really a war in
. progress. All was preparation. We
passed long trains of motor trucks car
rying provisions to the front. Supply
depots were planted along the way
Officers dashed by in motors. Small
detachments of cavalry, infantry and
artillery pounded along the road
toward Louvain. A little way out we
passed a company of scouts on bicycles.
They are doing good woric and have
kept wonderfully fresh. In this part
of the country everybody looked tense
and anxious and worried. Nearer the
front they were more calm.
Most of the groups ws passed mis
took our flag for a British standard
and cheered with a good will. Once
a while somebody who recognized the
flag would give it a cheer on its own
account, and we got a smile every
where.
Reaping Is Abandoned.
All the farmhouses along the road
were either already abandoned or pre
pared for instant flight. In some places
the reaping had already begun, only to
be abandoned. In others the crop stood
ripe, waiting for the reapers that may
never come.
The sight of the poor peasants flee
ing like hunted beasts and their empty
houses or their rotting crops were the
worst part of the day. It is a shame
that those responsible for all this mis
ery cannot be made to pay the penalty
and they never can, no matter what
is done to them.
King Soldierly Man.
Liouvain is the headquarters of the
King and his Etat-Major. The King is
commander-in-chief of the allied forces
operating in Belgium, and is apparent
ly proving to De very mucn oi a sol
dier. The town is completely occupied
and troops line the streets, stopping all
motors and Inspecting papers, then tell
lng you which way you can go. We
were the only civilians on the road all
day, except the Red Cross people:
The big square was completely
barred off from general traffic and was
surrounded with grenadiers. We got
through the town and stopped at the
only cafe we could find open, where we
had a bottle of mineral water and
talked over what we should do-next.
In Louvain there is an American the
ological seminary. We had had some
correspondence with Monseigneur de
Becker, its rector, as to what he should
do to protect the institution. At our
suggestion he had established a Red
Cross hosptial and had hoisted a. big
American flag, but still he was not al
together easy in his mind.
Rector Is I'neaay.
I called upon him and did my level
best to reassure him, on the ground
that the Germans were certainly not
making war on seminaries or priests,
and that If the Germans reached Lou
vain, all he had to do was to stay
peacefully at home and wait lor quiet
to be restored. Most of his students
were gone and some of the faculty had
followed them, so his chief concern was
for the library and - other treasures.
My arguments did not seem to have
very much weight, but I left with a
promise to look in again at the first
opportunity and to respond to any call
the rector might make.
From the seminary we drove out the
Tirlemont road, to see if we could get
to that little town and see some of the
fighting that was known to be going
on. At the edge of the town we came
to a barricade of carts, road rollers and
cobblestones, where we were courte
ously but firmly turned back.
Bluff Works Finely. '
They had told us that nobody could
go beyond the barricade without an
order from the commandant de place
at Louvain. On the way back we de
cided that we could at least try, so we
hunted the headquarters of the com
mandant. A fierce-looking sergeant was sitting
at a table near the door, hearing re
quests for vises ' ' on laisser-passers.
Everybody was begging for a vise, on
one pretext or another, and most of
them were being turned down. I de
cided to try a play of confidence, so
took our three cards and walked up to
his table, as though there could be no
possible doubt of his doing what I
wanted. I threw our three laisser
passers down in front of him and said
in a businesslike tone: "Trois vises
pour Tirlemont, S. V. P." My man
looked up In mild surprise, viseed the
three papers without a word and hand
ed them back in less time than it takes
to tell it.
Camouflage la Used.
We sailed back to the barricade In
high feather, astonished the guard with
our vise, and plowed along the road,
weaving in and out among ammuni
tion wagons, artillery caissons, infan
try, cavalry, bicyclists all in a dense
cloud of dust. Troops were every
where in small numbers. Machine guns,
covered with shrubbery, were thick on
the road and in the woods. There was
a decidedly hectic movement toward
the front, and it was being carried out
at high speed without confusion or
disorder. It was a sight to remember.
The barricades were more numerous
as we drew nearer the town. About
two miles out we were stopped dead.
Fighting was going on just ahead, be
tween us and the town, and the order
had been given out that nobody should
pass. That applied ' to military and
civilians alike, so we could not com
plain, and came back to Louvain, re
joicing that we had been able to get
so far. .
(.To Be Continued.)
JAPAN TO EXPAND ARMY
navy, too, will br enlarged by
'kew programme.
Nippon's Mailed Fist Will Be Nearly
Doubled, According to Plan Pro-
vlded for, Cable States.
NEW TORK, Dec 1. (Special.)
Japan Is nearly going to double the
size of her army, according to the cable
reports from the Tokio correspondent of
the "Nichl-Bei" here. The new navy
and army expansion programme Is said
to be the product of the lessons gained
from the present world war.
The programme Is not an indefinite
military talk merely. It has been defin
itely formulated, and the expenditure
therefor has been worked into the
budget for the next fiscal year. The
new plan will reduce the strength of a
division. It will consist of three regl
ments. In the past a Japanese division
was composed of four regiments. And
in the new programme two divisions
will make up an army corps, and Japan
according to this new programme, is
to have 2a army corps.
That means 50 divisions of three regi
ments each; in other words, 150 regi
ments in all. The present strength of
the Japanese army is 19 divisions, and
an imperial guard division and two ad
ditional divisions stationed in Corea,
making 22 divisions in all. - As these
have four regiments each, the total
number of the regiments amounts to
88. Therefore, the new expansion pro
gramme of the Japanese army will in
crease the land strength by 62 regl
ments.
The navy Is to be greatly increased
also, according to the same cable re
port. The new naval programme pro
vides for the creation of three squad
rons. Each of them is to have as its
main fighting strength eight dread
nought battleships and eight battle
cruisers.
CREEL CENSORSHIP
HELD DEFENSELESS
United States Tightens Up on
News, While France and
British Get More Liberal.
RHYME OR REASON ABSENT
Lumber Company Loses Logs.
STAYTON, Or., Dec 1. (Special.)
The recent rains have made trouble for
the Brown-Petzel Lumber Company of
this city. The Santlam River is now
very high, and, although the lumber
company has had a crew of men at
work. trying to save Its logs, several
thousand feet have been lost.
Walter Evans to Speak at Rosebnrg.
ROSEBTJRG, Or Dec. 1. (Special.)
Roseburg Lodge of Elks has ar
ranged its programme for the observ
ance of the annual memorial day to
morrow. Attorney waiter in. juvans,
of Portland, will deliver the memorial
address.
Read The Oregonian classified ads.
Incidents Cited to Show Lack of
Common Sense Used by Ameri
: can Bureau Daniels' Se
crecy Hard to Understand.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU,. Wash
ington, Dec. 1. While France is abol
ishing press censorship, and Great
Britain growing more and more liberal
in the release of war news, the volun
tary censorship presided over by George
Creel at Washington continues to op
erate in a way resembling the early
and ridiculous censorship of England.
Recently the first steel ship built on
order of the Shipping Board was
launched at Seattle. Chairman Hurley,
of the Shipping Board, announced in
advance that the launching would
take place, giving the time and place,
and the size of the ship. He an
nounced this directly to newspaper
men. About two months ago a big
liner was launched at Portland, and
the Creel bureau would not give its
consent to any publication regarding
the matter whatever. It so happened,
as the matter was handled, that the
story was printed in some local papers,
and the story of the launching was
carried by press associations, but this
publication was against the advice of
the censorship office.
Shipping Policy Conflicts.
It has long been decreed that no
news shall be given to the papers re
garding the letting of ship contracts
by the Shipping Board. Contracts are
awarded, but no announcement is made
in Washington. It is said this infor
mation must be kept from the enemy.
Yet every time an award is made that
fact is published in newspapers of the.
town nearest the shipyard and every
shipbuilding community knows what
is going on in its midst.
Yet. while the letting of contracts is
held to be confidential information, the
Shipping Board has several times pub
lished its programme; has announced
the number of ships being built on its
order; has classified those ships, given
the tonnage, told how many ships and
what tonnage have been commandeered
and also announced the tonnage seized
and being fitted for American trans
port use. Details of the shipbuilding
programme are far more interesting
to Germany than the mere letting of
contracts and no amount of news sup
pressing about contracts is going to
keep Germany in the dark as to the
number of ships being built In the
United States not unless the German
spy system can be wiped put,
Daniels' Logic Amazes.
Several days ago two American de
stroyers encountered a German sub
marine and dropped a depth bomb
which crippled the under-sea boat. The
U-boat rose to the surface; its crew
surrendered after opening the sea
cocks and the U-boat soon sank. The
official announcement by Secretary
Daniels gave most of the information.
but for some reason the Secretary
withheld the information that the
American destroyers had rescued and
made prisoners of the crew of the
German craft.
Naval officers who heard of the ex
ploit and knew the details which Sec
retary Daniels suppressed, "leaked" the
Information about the capture of the
crew. Later, an Associated Press dis
patch from London, passed by the Brit
Ish censor, told the whole story. The
English censor could eee no objection
to announcing the rescue and capture
of the crew; what strategic importance
Secretary Daniels attached to this de
tail has never been explained.
Gunner's Name Withheld.
For days there has been a commotion
in Washington because Brigadier-Gen
eral Eli D. Hoyle, commanding the De
partment of the East, in a speech in
New York let out the vastly important
military secret that gunners of the
Sixth Field Artillery had fired the first
American shot at the German lines
The dispatches passed by the American
censor had merely told that a "red
headed gunner" had fired the first shot,
and said the shell was being sent to
President Wilson as a souvenir. The
name of that gunner is still suppressed;
not even his own parents know of the
honor that fell to his lot, unless they
have been told in a letter from the
front.
The Identity of that gunner is bound
to become known;' the censorship can
not suppress it forever, and why that
artilleryman should be denied a little
credit Is not explained. It was wrong,
according to Washington authorities,
for General Hoyle to even name the
T GATHER the best of the
JL
V V V ' --i. - V. k V T TAKE care of the "afterwards"
T- ft J N ' . """S X j X A as well as the "now." At this
V- II 'yl is 1 store "satisfaction guaranteed"
V 1 . ' V" J '' ""' doesn't stop when you buy; it means
't Ny. . I y Sfc- -f vvat afterward, when the test of wear
' f p , - " " fc" na8 Provud ,l- Thla Is'tho "money-
. it V . . ' I - "-"
it, VoN.kf' -r ftH
fv NJVs.
i .Hv-. 7A-' A
world's fabrics for you; I show.
them in overcoats tailored in
perfect manner. Here are the
.finest garments that America
produces fashions designed by the real artists of the
craft.
Here are new ideas in coloring and weave; and here,
also, is a wealth of variety from which to choose ele
gant Carr Meltons, Crombie Montagnacs, rich Velours,
soft, warm Llamas, leather-finish Irish Friezes.
New models in motor coats, ulsters, trench models, raglans, Ches
terfields, double-breasted styles, box styles, buttonless models.
The Best in Overcoats
Is Here, Fairly Priced
Fifteen Dollars to Sixty Dollars
Man-tailored Coats for Women, $15 to $35
Morrison Street at Rmrtk
1I
unit to which the gunner belonged.
Why the Kaiser should care whether
the Sixth Field Artillery or the 10th
Field 'Artillery fired' the first broadside
at his lines, or why he should be lnter
ested in knowing whether Gunner
Smith or Gunner Lewis was selected to
discharge the first American missile In
his direction, is something unofficial
Washington is puzzling over.
There is still another inconsistency
In war censorship. Newspaper men at
the various Army camps are required
to submit all their copy to a military
censor before putting it on the wire or
in the mail. Yet every last officer and
man in these camps is at liberty to
write back home whatever comes into
his mind; his friends and relatives are
entirely free to give those letters to
the newspapers and' newspapers are
permitted to print -these letters. Yet
the trained newspaper men, knowing
the desire to- suppress all hurtful in
formation, and having, usually, a bet
ter idea of what should and' what
should npt be printed than the officers
detailed to act a censors, must submit
their copy for revision.
It is the inconsistency of the censor
ship that is causing the most annoy
ance, for information under the ban in
one quarter is not restricted in, an
other. And it la the newspapers them
selves, which are voluntarily suppres
sing informationi which should not be
printed, that are still the real censors
of war news.
Red Cross Benefit Nets $45.50.
CASTLE ROCK. Wash., Dec. 1. (Spe
cial.) Sandy Bend auxiliary of the Cas
tle Rock branch of the Red Cross gave
a box and shadow social for the bene
fit of the Red Cross at the red school
hoiijie. which netted 45.r0.
WOMEN REPLACE MEN
FEDERAL BUREAU OF MINES QUAD
RUPLES FORCE.
Night Crew of About 25 Put On All
Male Staff of Plttsburie Experi
ment Station Now Broken.
"WASHINGTON. Dec. 1. The Federal
bureau of mines is opening Its services
to women as never before. "Since the
beginning of the war It has more than
quadrupled Its clerical force of women
employed In the Department of In
terior at Washington.
In addition to Its regular force of
stenographers, typists and filing clerks
who work during the day. the bureau
has been compelled to employ a night
force, and this includes about 25 wom
en. These night workers are employed
at the rate of 50 cents an hour. The
bureau of mines is endeavoring to
make this work helpful to women who
are out of work or awaiting employ
ment or require this extra help. No
woman employed by the Government
during the day Is permitted to join
this night force.
At the new Pittsburg experiment
station, which has Just been completed
by the Government as a cost of
J500.000, women are being employed as
fast as male vacancies require and per
mit tho Miihntltution of female service.
in h bureau of mines' former force
I of 200 employes at this station
rhich
(food is ammunition-T-don't waste it)
if sib. op nnri
ODD
useful gifts for men bought at a store catering
exclusively to masculine wants, offer a Christ
mas gift doubly acceptable.
experienced salesmen will assist you in your
selection, offering much more satisfaction
than goods hurriedly thrust upon you in any
department store.
exceptional gifts to fit any purse
neckwear that he will wear and that will wear him 50c, 65c,
75c, $1, $1.50 to $5. silk shirts in profusion $4 to $12.
gifts that are different; golf coats, overcoats, day and dress
vests, english style, kit bags and suit cases, clever umbrellas
and canes, wool and fur-lined sport and auto gloves, and superb wallets,
an especially representative line of both french and irish
linen handkerchiefs from 25 cents to $2 each,
special gifts for those in the U. S' service, including regula
tion sweaters, army hats, wool hose and buck army gloves,
absolutely the most acceptable Christmas gift for a man is a
merchandise order from this store, issued for any amount from $l-$50.
i
occupied the old Arsenal grounds, not
a single woman was employed. They
are now being employed as rapidly as
vacancies occur which they can nil.
Food Demonstration Arranged.
ABERDEEN. Wash.. Dec. 1. (Spe
cial.) Miss Myrtle E. Boone, Federal
food demonstrator, will spend all of
next week in Aberdeen and Hoquiam
giving practical lectures and demon
strations in the saving of meats, fats,
sugar and wheat, the conservation of
which is urged by the Government.
Large classes are being formed to hear
her lectures.
Rev. J. It. N. Bell Elks Orator.
ALBANY. Or.. Dec 1. (Special.)
Rev. J. R. N. Bell, veteran Presbyterian
minister, of Corvillis, has been chosen
to deliver the memorial oration at the
annual memorial services of the Al
bany lodge of Elks tomorrow afternoon.
J. J. Collins, of this city, a past exalt
edrule r of the local lodse, will pro
nounce the eulogy. Mrs. H. B. Cusick
and Mrs. Dr. W. H. Davis will sing.
Have You Faith
In Your Dentist?
tti-t ' " . JSSf
DR. K. a. AUSrl.TTTO. MCR.
My Practice la Limited to
Illga-t'laaa Dentlatry Only.
Faith in His
Ability
Faith in His Hon
esty of Purpose
Faith in His
Guarantee
Faith is a wonderful thing, a
very necessary and comfort
ing part of our existence. I
never knew a man or woman
who had "faith" who was
very bad, nor one who lacked
"faith" who was very good.
phone main 1810
331 Washington st.
near broadway
irmio sielheL
men's furnisher & hatter:
331 Washington st.
near broadway
There's something intuitive about faith you seem to "know" things
are so and people are true, even though all the world says otherwise.
You see faith in the eyes of your dog faith In the smile of a child
faith in the trust of a woman, and faith in the hand - clasps of your
friends.
Better a man lose all than lose his faith In himself and in his friends.
The measure of success I have made in my profession I owe to faith.
I had faith in mvKelf. in my ability to serve the public well, and faith
that my HONESTY OF PURPOSE would stand between me and the
envious critics and turn back the shafts of slander hurled at me.
I have faith In the people I feel that they will appreciate my efforts
to give them BETTER DENTISTRY, at LOWER PRICKS and not con
fuse this office with the nameless. Irresponsible concerns who use cheap
prices merely as a "bait" or "LURE."
People nho nut count the coat of dental work la these daya of a la a
prices should look, for HESPUXMHILITY FIRST and prices afterward.
If my very low fees were the OMY Inducement I offered I ahonld not
expect nor should I deserve the patronage of the people who think:
for themselves.
Electro Whalebone Plates. ............. .$15.00
Flesh-Colored Plates $10.00
Porcelain Crowns 5j5.5.00
Gold Fillings, from $t.OO
22-K Gold Crowns So.OO
22-K Gold Bridge $3.50 to $5.00
Open
Nights
Life is Service the Dentist who progresses is the one who gives his
fellow beings BETTER WORK for Less Money and No Pain.
Electro-Painless Dentists
IN THE TWO-STORY BUILDING
CORNER SIXTH AND WASHINGTON STS, PORTLAND, OR.