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EVENING PUBLIC LBDaBR-prilLADELPHlA, SATUBDAY, DECEMBER 6, , 1919
15
CARDINAL
DURING
MERCIER'S OWN STORY OF BELGIUM
FOUR YEARS OF GERMAN OCCUPATION
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"I Protest Against Acts of Violence of Which
My Compatriots Have Been the Innocent
Victims," Primate Writes Von Bis-
sing, German Governor General
Cardinal Mercier's Story
Including his correspondence with the German
authorities in Belgium during the war, 1914 to
1918, edited by Proiesor Fernand Mayence of
Lourain University and translated by the Bene
dictine Monks of St. Augustine's, Ramsgate,
England.
Copvrtaht, lilt, lu Puttie Ledger Co.
vowrioht. Canada. 19S9. by Public Ledger Co.
International Copvrloht, 1919, htl rullla Ledger Co.
INTRODUCTION:
By CARDINAL MERGER
Archeveclje de Malines
I think I owe the public a word of explanation as to
how. this book has seen the light.
During the war, and more frequently after the
armistice, I was asked would I write a narrative of
my war experience's.
I had taken many notes of events as they had oc
curred, and my memory was full of incidents in which
I was concerned.
Much as I would have .wished to write such a story,
from some points of view, if only to vindicate my
country against its detractors, the libels circulated by
its enemies, yet'I felt, more and more inevitably as the
weeks rolled by, that I would never have time to write .
this book.
I then thought of my correspondence with the Ger
man authorities right through the war.
Here arc my war experiences in their most tense
and vivid reality; all the issues I fought with the oc
cupying power, their methods and mine clearly defined,
undeniably fixed in black and white.
So I asked a friend of mine, Professor Mayence,
pf Louvajn University, to take my notes and material,
I could not let his work go to press without publicly
thanking him for having helped me as he has done,
and to edit mjTcorrespondence with short explanatory
remarks about the letters and the events they referred
or led ,up to. I also gave him some personal remi
niscences, for this purpose, and with him revised the
whole book. v
CARD. .MERCIER,
7th 1st 10 Archbp. of MalineS.
Cardinal Gibbons's Preface
CARDINAL'S RESIDENCE,
408 N. Charles St.
BALTIMORE.
September .16, 1919.
I am very happy to be able, to recommend to the
American reading public this authorized, official and
authentic story of my beloved and esteemed brother,
Cardinal Mercier's experience during the great war.
In it the reader will realize the full meaning of
the Cardinal's attitude during the war and possess a
true historical account of the great moral fight
which was carried on by him as Belgium's spiritual
leader.
J. CARDINAL GIBBONS.
PREFACE
By Professor Fernand Mayence, of Louvain
University, Louvain, Belgium
F
ROM all parts of the world, but especially from
America, His Eminence Cardinal Mercier was re
quested to write his experiences during the German
occupation of Belgium.
The magnificient role which he had played during
the war was universally known. His pastoral letters with
which he confronted the power in occupation and in
swhich he publicly proclaimed the rights of truth and
justice had, been read in every corner of the world.
Someof 'the powerful letters addressed by him to the
German Governor General as a protest against the
odious- regime imposed upon Belgium had already been
published even during the occupation. The knowledge
of certain episodes of the duel which had been going
on between the Cardinal ami the German Governor Gen
eral roused a good deal of curiosity.
What people wanted was to have in detail from
him who had been during the occupation of Belgium
the "soul of resistance" all the varying, phases of the
conflict which, without a moment's fespifc or any signs
of wavering, he waged against the tyranny of the op
pressor. The many and unceasing labors of his episcopal
office Jiindered the Cardinal from yielding to these
pressing requests; but his experiences, had they, not
already been embodied during the war in the volu
niinouscorrespondence he had exchanged with the
representatives of the Imperial Government?
To satisfy those who wanted a book on his en
counters with' the Germans, the Cardinal consented to
the publication of these documents' and 'conferred upon
us a great honor in choosing lis to .edit them.
A Duel in Documents
During the occupation, certain portions of the
Archiepiscopa archives among other the Cardinal's
correspondence with the German Governor General
underwent the fate of all tho "verboten." To avoid
perquisitions and to guard against their being sejzed,
they had tobe hidden, away in dark corners which, today
appearing to afford security, tomorrow ceasing to do so,
eventually were in all haste changed for others.
Unfortunately, in the course of these repeated and
hurried, removals from one place to another, some of
the documents happily of Bmall importance, so it
seems went astray. We have called attention to these
lacunae in the course of our work each time that we
were able to certify tho fact.
' Wo have hero reproduced all the documents that
have been preserved. We have only left out a few
let,ters of little importance, us, for Instance, tho sending
of a passport to travel by motor or those only con
taining requests in favor of political prisoners, and for
that reason presenting no point of general interest.
In the arrangement of tho documents the method
adopted is' not a strictly chronological one. At the risk
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of events, to group the letters according to the prin
cipal objects for which they wero written.
Tyranny and Hypocrisy Laid Bare
Cardinal Mercier's correspondence with the Ger
man Governor General is, in brief, an expose of tho
hateful regime to which Belgium was subjected during
the fifty long months of the German domination. There
is in fact, not a single crime of the occupying power
which this courageous pastor has not stigmatized, not
a single one of its snares which he has not exposed, not
a' single one of its hypocritical acts which he has not
laid bare, not one single act of abuse of its governing
power against which he lias not raised his voice in angry
protest. .
Scorning all danger, listening only to the voice
of his conscience, he constantly kept to the fore against
the abuse of "might," the imprcscribable rights of truth
and justice. By his uniform behavior, by the calmness
and nobleness of his attitude, whether in the face of
threats or of conciliatory proposals of the occupying
power, he upset the calculations of a government
which labored under the conviction that a systematic
organization placed at the service of "might" ought
eventually to triumph over all resistance.
From the time he took office as Governor General,
Baron von Bissing, using the Cardinal of Cologne as
an intermediary, endeavored to enter into personal re
lations with the primate of Belgium. He gave him
to understand that he was disposed to give entire
satisfaction to the Catholic Church and to assuage the
wounds already inflicted on the occupied country by tho
war.
In his first letter to Baron von Bissing, while thank
ing him in a very courteous manner for the good feel
ings shown by hirh, His Eminence made a point of clear
ing away from the beginning any possible misunder
standing. ("Whatever may be His Excellency Baron
von Bissing's personal inclinations," he wrote, "the
Governor General is tho representative among us of a
usurping and openly hostile nation, in the presence of
which we boldly affirm our rights to our independence
and to have our neutrality respected." "If, for the
time being, we bow to a stronger power than our own,"
wrote he at the same time to Cardinal von Hartmann,
"we proudly cherish our rights, and entertain our un
shaken confidence in the future!")
Submission to the regulations imposed by the oc
cupying power so long as they did not wound either our
conscience or the dignity of our feelings as patriots;
repeated protests against acts of violence and injustice;
unfailing fidelity to our king and to the legitimate
authority of our country; and unconquerable trust in
the future all these are the principal points of the
program sketched out by the Cardinal from the very
beginning of the occupation and to which he faithfully
adhered up to the hour of deliverance.'
i
The Cardinal's Calm Defiance
The letters exchanged between the Cardinal and
Baron von Bissing are very numerous and touch on very
varied topics. The Governor General shows himself al
ternately conciliatory and quarrelsome, menacing and
argumentative. But unfailingly he finds himself up
against the calm and sercneness of a man strongly con
vinced of his rights and thoroughly confident in the
justice and holiness of his cause.
Baron von Palkenhausen, Baron von Bissing's1 suc
cessor in the office of Governor General, stands out as
the type of an autocratic andN brutal officer. He de
clared on his arrival in Belgium that hq declined to dis
cuss with the Cardinal questions , which had no direct
connection with religious matters.
This implied prohibition did -not restrain His Emi
nence from sending with his usual frankness and vigor
protests to the Governor against the breaches of law
committed by him or his officers, and notably against
the arrest of state officials who had been charged with
having refused to collaborate with the enemy adminis
tration and against measures taken by the occupying
power td despoil the Belgians of the produce of the
soil.
Prom the very beginning of the occupation, with
out allowing himself to be repelled by the successive
Note It has been established by convincing evi
dence that otuisevcral occasions the Cardinal'H arrest
hod been deemed upon, but 'tho German authorities
each time held back in view of the consequences of
this step and their decision was never put. into force.
EXCERPT FROM MERCIER'S INTRODUCTION
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This Is a reproduction of a remarkable etching of Cardinal Mercier, tho worlt of Mademoiselle I'lron, a noted
llelgian artist. The original was brought to America by Professor du Wulff, of Louvain University, who
accompanied tho Cardinal on lila recent visit (o this country
refusals with which his requests had been met, 'His
Eminence had constantly asked for sanction to send to
the prisoner camps in Germany priests of Belgian na
tionality who could speak both native tongues. As tho
new Governor General had declared that in rc'igious
matters, he would readily welcome any demands that
came from thu Belgian episcopacy, the Cardinal again
returned to the charge, but his persistence had no
greater success than before.
The same happened with several other requests
made'by him in which he pleaded for measures to be
taken to further the religious welfaVe of the railway
men and of those persons who had been arrested and
were awaiting their trial in Belgian prisons. If Baron
von Falkenhausen ever consented to take notice of any
demands that were in arty way connected with religious
affairs, it was only to reply that he was not in a position
to grant them.
Jousts With a Cynical Dilettante
The one who corresponded at great length with
the Cardinal was Baron von der Lanckcn, head of the
political department at government headquarters. At
the very beginning of the occupation he came into touch
with His Eminence. For all that, his first letters to
the Cardinal date only from the'eommencement of 1916.
After this he intervenes in all the important mat
ters which became the object of discussion between the
Cardinal und the Germans; namely, deportations, the
patriotic action of the priests, church demonstrations,
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the severance of administrative powers, the disastrous
policy of the "Centrales," etc.
His letters betray the cold reserve of a diplomat.
Contrary to his chiefs, he never loses his temper. If,
very often at the request of the1Governor General) he
undertakes to take up and plead the bad cases brought
forward by the representatives of the empire, he acts
for them without enthusiasm, without conviction, almost
in dilettante fashion.-
Ho takes delight in these epistolary jousts, and at
certain moments his correspondence with the Cardinal
assumes the glamour of an academic discussion in the
course of which the opponents argue out questions of"
right, of general policy, even those of philosophy. On
the other hand, it seems that occasionally Baron von der
Lancken did earnestly endeavor to soften the vigor of
measures imposed by the military authorities.
During the four years of occupation, the Governor
General, and following his example the whole of Ger
many, had constantly reproached the Cardinal with
having overstepped his role of bishop. When at the
beginning of the invasion he condemned the crimes
committed by the German troops; when he rose in anger
against the deportation of workmen; when he declared
that it was every one's duty to love his country and to
remain faithful to it even under oppression; when he
sought to uplift the fainting heart of the Belgian popu
lation with the hope of a better future, he was accused
of having misused his pastoral functions and of having
pursued political ends.
"The Incarnation of Belgium"
Over and over again the Cardinal gloriously de
feated his accusers. He had the satisfaction of seeing
his conduct justified by the Imperial Government itself.
On October 17th, 1918, Baron von der Lancken pre
sented himself at Archbishop's House. In the name of
the Governor General and of the Berlin government, he
announced to His Eminence the approaching release of
all political prisoners and handed to him a note which
commences with words vindicating the policy pursued
by the Cardinal:"You are in our estimation the in
carnation of occupied Belgium of which vou are the
venerated and trusted pastor. For this reason, it is
to you that the Governor General and my government
also have commissioned me to come and to announce
that when we evacuate your soil we wish to hand over
to you unasked and of our own free-will the political
prisoners serving their time either in Belgium or in
Germany." '
' ' This was un avowal of defeat. At the close of the
struggle, which he had waged for four years against
the Cardinal, the German Governor General acknowl
edged himself beaten. All his policy of coercion as well
as his diplomatic subterfuges hud broken dpwn before
the strong and unbending will of a man who, in every
thing and at all times had this one tiling alone in vlciv
to do his duty.
TRANSLATORS' FOREWORD
lslators by way of preface have only this to
: That tho work undertaken by them to
nglish rendering to the present correspondence
a real labor of love.
spectators of the events which took place in
during the occupation, the news of which
out at odd times in spite of the German censor-
we came to entertain for His Eminence, who
largely loomed in these events, great admiration and
sympathy, so that when the work of translating a series
of letters which reflected the sturdincss, stanchness and
unflagging courage of this stout champion of Belgian
rights was offered to us, we gladly and lovingly ac
cepted the honorable task.
If our humble collaboration is to result, as we hope
it will, in. making still better known the saintly virtues
a Prince of the Church who, like St. Thomas of Can-
Imry and many, other chitpbww jr history, wiprr
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has
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pared to give up even his life for his flock and their
rights, we shall be more than proud in having had
some small share in bringing this about, while at the
same time wc beg the reading public, in view of the
many difficulties with which a work of this kind Is
hedged, to condone any discrepancies or other faults
that may have crept in in the course of our endeavor to
reveal to them the minds of the several writers.
CHAPTER I
Fir6t Relations of the Cardinal With Von
Bissing
TTNDER the government of Von der Goltz (September
'-' 3rd-Deccmber 3rd, 1914), there was no interchange
of correspondence bctweeh the Cardinal and the Gov
ernor General. Their relations were limited to an ex
change of mutual visits.
Shortly after the arrival at Brussels of the first
German Governor, the Cardinal called upon him and
asked him to intercede with the Imperial Government
for the repatriation, as soon as possible, of the priests
and teachers who had been deported at the time of the
invasion. He drew his attention to tho fears' of the
Belgians remaining in the country, and of the refugees
wishing to return to Belgium, who dreaded seeing their
young men deported to Germany for the purpose, pre
sumably, of being incorporated in the ranks of the
German army. The Cardinal had already started ne
gotiations on this subject with the Governor of Ant
werp, General von Huene. As a result of these, Von
Huene had entered into an agreement, applicable to tho
province of Antwerp, according to which, (1) the civic
guards having laid down their arms would not be
molested, (2) young men would neither be deported to
Germany nor in any way pressed into the service of the
German army. Tho Cardinal, during the course of his
visit, requested Von der Goltz to ratify this agree
ment, to extend its application to the whole country
and to guarantee its observance by whoever might be
hi3 successor. The Governor promised to give tho
Cardinal's wishes his favorable consideration.
Governor General Goes to Malines
The very next day the Governor General in person'
went to Malines with his reply. He promised to use all
the influence he could to obtain the repatriation of
deported priests and teachers. As regards Von Huene's
agreement, he did not hesitate to ratify it and extend
it to the whole of Belgium. He was much less explicit
about binding his successor to any course of action.
"We have no use," he added, "for young Belgians;
their presence in our ranks would be a danger to us.?'
The Governor expressed his wish to see normal Ufe re
stored at an early date. The Cardinal answered' that
it was his wish also, but that the people were too
deeply impressed by the tragic events hich had marked
the beginning of hostilities to allow them to feel any
confidence. He insisted particularly on the arbitrary
proceedings which were responsible foe the massacre
of 140 victims at Aerschot. This threw the General
into an embarrassment which he altogether failed to
disguise. The interview ended with the mutually ex
pressed wish to sec the schools soon reopened.
On December 3rd, 1914, Von der Goltz's place was
taken by Von Bissing. Hardly had the new Governor
been appointed, when he realized that the task he had
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ing the growth of any hostility on the part of the Bel
gian clergy and their superiors. But he was wary.
He knew how unanimous was the feeling of Belgian
priests and bishops in face of the invader; so to obtain
his end he took a roundabout way. Instead of address
ing Mgr. Mercier directly, he wrote to Cardinal von
Hartmann, Archbishop' of Cologne, whom he had known
for a long time, and asked him to intervene in his favor
with the Belgian primate.
Letter to Cardinal von Hartmann
r The following is the letter which he sent to him on
the day after he took up his new duties:
The Governor General of Belgium
Brussels, December 4th, 1014.
To His Eminence Cardinal von Hartmann, Cologne.
Your Eminence will have heard, no doubt, of my
nomination to the post of Governor General of BeU
gium. It is a mission by which I am much honored,
but the task which I have undertaken by accepting it
is in every respect a difficult one; it is only natural
then that I should try to find influential persons who,
though they inay not be able to support me in the
fulfillment of this duty, yet will be anxious not to
increase the difficulties of it. In a large part of '
Belgium the Catholic clergy represent a force whose
importance cannot be overrated; therefore, I should
not wish to ignore negotiating with them and their
heads, not only in the interests of viy mission, but
likewise in the interest of tlie country and of the
Catholic population, In order to pave the way for
these relatioiis, I address your Eminence, asking you,
to be so kind as to inform the Cardinal of Malines
that I should be very pleased to enter into personal
relations with him, whether it be that he give me an
opportunity to have an interview with him at Malines,
for so long as the time at my disposal altoivs, or that
he u''U have the kindness to pay me a visit at Brus
sels. I hope to convince him during our interview that
I am determined to do all in my power to satisfy the.
claims of the Catholic Church; but, on thot other hand,
I expect him to recognize the earnest wioh which in
spires me to attach supreme importance to alleviatini
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ivi ueigium, mougn, oj course, safeguarding at the
same time our military interests. I take the liberty
to inform your Eminence that the head chaplain,
Doctor Mittendorf, came yesterday; his mission is to
superviee and extend the work of the Catholic chap
lams and to see to it that the spiritual wants- of the
numerous troops of occupation and of the wounded be
in no wise neglected. The Chaplain General has re-'
ceived the needful instructions from the Catholic
'Feldprpbst"; I have supplemented them and, in
agreement with his superior, I have recommended
him to get into touch with the bishops as soon as pos
sible in the course of his tour thrpugh Belgium.
I expect from this line of conduct twofold r
suit: I hope that my intentions and my actions will; ffij
be in accord wtth the wishes of your Eminence and w-1
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Wishing to convey to your Eminence my prou
foundest respect, I have the honor to be your Emi'
nence's most devoted servant.
The Gdvcrnor General nf Belgium,
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t avalry General.
Gernmn Churchman Backs Von Bissing "
Cardinal von Hartmann hastened to forward (&,.
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mgr. mercier uie leuicr 01 voa uissing, 10 wniCB Wm
gave his warm support:
Cologne, December 0th, 1914.
To Hie Eminence Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop 0
Malines,
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