'r, " vv"'"l " ', " "'NSiW EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1919 .15 ll" Mtt2i VON BISSING "UNWILLING" TO PUNISH "It Is Useless to Inquire by What Means I Correspond," Cardi nal Tells German Chaplain Who Calls at Primate's Palace in Malines as. Governor General's Envoy Explanatory Comment Tf ARLY in the war German brutality was compared to the savagery of the Red Indian of American Colonial days, to, the frenzy of Attila ami his hordes, to the macjness of insensate Zulus. The estimate did not square with facts. Barbarians of the past made no pretensions to having a conscience. They were, at least, not hypocrites. Sitting Bull at the battle of Little Big Horn was cruel and .merciless. He was, however, quite incapable of assuming 0 a virtuous pose and was altogether untroubled by any doubts concerning justification for his remorseless behavior. But their veneer of civilization constantly embarrassed the Germans. Their ideal was to execute n policy of rightfulness and at the Mime time to assume a mask of humanity. J5uch purposes were always involving the gov ernment in moral hot water. It was not easy to be ruthless and almost simultaneously to convince the world that it was misjudging Teutonic conduct. Dread of the crime of being found out became a German obsession. Whenever a Hun was accused of outrages hfe squealed that he was misjudged and went throuch the motions of demanding V? proof of perfectly well-established facts. Von Bissing played the game precisely this way, anil in the correspondence given below his procedure hurled him swjftly into the pit of discomfiture. In his lage over the damaging disclosures of German cruelty made by Mgr. de Waechter, formerly of Malines, he was so foolish as to ask the Cardinal of the priest's present whereabouts. "The intimation was that if Mgr. Waechter could be found ho would be severely punished. But the offending charges had been made in Willcsdcn, a suburb of London. Had tho Governor General not been so excited ho would have realized that the priest would be unlikely to return to Belgium and furthermore, that if he had come back the German Government would have duly registered his residence. And so Von Bissing's letter enabled the Cardinal to taste the sweets of triumph. The satisfaction with which the primate hastens to give De Wacchter's nddrcss is deliciously apparent, since the auxiliary bishop of Malines was quite safe in England. As usual Von Bissing's bluff had been exposed. It was the Cardinal's privilege, now becoming quite common, courteously to inform the Governor General of his helplessness. Cardinal M Sto ercier s ry Including his correspondence with the German' authorities in Belgium during the war, 1914 to 1918, edited by Professor Fernand Mayence of Louvain University and translated by the Bene dictine Monks of St. Augustine's, Ramsgate, England. CHAPTER XI The Muster-Roll of Young Men Clashing With Religious Services on Sundays i TN CERTAIN communes the muster-roll of young men of military age took place at the same time as divine service on Sundays. The Cardinal had complained of this to the German authorities. Von Bissing informed him that he had just published an order commanding his subordinates to take care that the young men liable to rollcall should be able to fulfill their religious ob ligations. The Cardinal thanked him for this measure. Governor General's Office, Brussels, April 1st, 1015. Ho His Eminence Cardinal Mercier, Malines. I have the honor of informing your Eminence that in consequence of the complaints which have been brought to my notice regarding the clashing of the young men's muster-roll with the church services, I have published an order of which I inclose a copy. The Governor General. (Signed) BARON VON BISSING, Major General. Governor General's Office, Brussels, Sect. Ic. No. 25Gi. April 1st, 1915. Whenever the day appointed for the muster-roll CAN WOMAN KEEP A SECRET? CITY CLUB PL A Y WILL TELL Production Next Thursday Night, Which Attempts Solution of Question, Will Begin Christmas Festivities at Association House "How a Woman Keeps a Seciet" if the title of a little play to lie piveii by members of the City Club of the Penn sylvania Association of Women Work ers. 152.1 Locust street, next Thursday evening. That will begin the Christmas fes tivities at the association house, which Is headquarters for the. utatc and the citv organization. The City Club, formed two months ago, has 175 members. Soenty-nvc of them nine in as a unit from the "Woinan'H Land Army when the organ isation disbanded. The clubhouse is oiienlwioc a week to the city members. There are classes in Hnglish. dramatics Bj mimslum. choral wovk. dancing, do mestic arts, home hjgieiie. current democratic ideals and opportunity for practical service for its members. The Philadelphia club is growing rapidly and I am sure will soon be an influential force among the women of the city." Fire Damages Woman's Store The haberdashery store nnd dwelling of Mis. I'. Salford, at Seventh and Oregon streets, was damaged by fire last night. No estimate ot the Joss has been made, but it was serious. Mrs. Salford was away from home when the lire started. Give events, story telling, and in the making of Christmas presents. Then there ro Sunday afternoon teas, hikes during the week and frequent parties. "The Association of Women Work ers," explained Miss Anne L. Tlanderi. exrrutive secretary, "is a state asso ciation of self-governing clubs. It de velops complete self-government in local nnj state activities; absolute noii-sec-tnrianism with un effort toward toler ance and breadth of vision essential to true Americanism and self-support hich is cssentinl to self-respect, de velopment and independence. "It supplies recreation, education and Ulamand tec Cat Wilmington, Pet, Baton Built Industrial Roadways Increase PJant Efficiency Holes and ruts hammer vFSPiri vf I ie 1 if HI I &OjSoles. Sizes 22 to 6 Sizes 1 to 2 Sizes 11 to 1312 Uic life out of a truck. A Baton Built Concrclo I Roadway is easiest on trucks, easiest on gas, easiest on the man who pays the bills. Big Boys' & Henry E.Baton Central Contractor JtlS Euuoro St., rhUo. GOOD BU rtioncvSpruce 8710 u 919-921 nrKTTX1TXKm i iMLLiLirua-r&AV falh on a Sunday or feast day the authorities of the several districts are requested to take care that those who have to present themselves shall be able to fulfill their religious duties. To effect this, it will be suffi. cient in most caets to advance or delay the opening of the muster parade by one or two hours. The Governor General. (Signed) BARON VON BISSING, Major General. Archbishop's House. Malines, April 6th, 1915. To His Excellency Baron von Bissing, Governor Gen eral, Brussels. Sir Your Excellency has been so kind as to lot me know that, in deference to an expressed wish of mine, you have been wiling to fix the rollcall of young men of military ago at hours which do not coincide with those for religious worship. I deem it my duty to expi ess to you my thank fulness for this, benevolent action and would ask you to accept the assurance of mv sincere esteem. (Signed) D. J. CARDINAL MERCIER, Archbishop of Malines. CHAPTER XII Yon Bjssing Complains of a Discourse of Mgr. de Waclltcr's Governor General's Office, Brussels, April Hth, 1015. To His Eminence Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Malines. According to the newspaper The Courier, of Dun dee, of Feb) nary 15th, Mgr. de Waechter, of Malines, delivered a discourse on February nth at Willesdcn, in which he is staled to have said that four ecclesi astics who had the preceding week returned from WOMEN WRITE LADY ASTOR 2 Philadelphia Organization Praises Her for Blazing Path A letter of congiotulation has been sent to Lady Nancy Astor, M. 1'., b the Philadelphia League of Women Cit' i.ens. The letter, written by Mis. Kmih Q. A. Mills, of 4100 Locust street, sec retary of the league, sajtf: "At the first anuunl convention of the Philadelphia League of Women Cit izens, held on December (1, it was unani mously resolved that a letter of con gratulation be sent to jou expressing our pleasure and pride in that an Aiuer-lean-born woman has chosen to 'bla7e the path' in Parliament." ' Merry Christmas for Horses Needy and deserving horses will be I given blankets and Christmas dinners I next week by the Women's Pennsjl vnnia S. P. C. A., In the dispensary I building at HI 5 South" Chadwick sttect. I The horses will get two apples anil I lixin's of oats. i That Boy of Yours a Pair of Storm Shoes for Christmas Outside of the fact that these shoes are wonderful value, they make a cracker-jack Christmas gift, for every real boy wants a pair. High-cut, 2 buckles, weather-proof Stdrm Shoes, just like the picture, made of tan, oil-finished veal grain leather, with double welted oak Sturdy, good-looking, long wearing shoes that a regu lar fellow is proud to wear. 6.85 6.45 5.85 Worth 8.00 Worth 7.50 Worth 7.00 Men's Sizes, 6 to 11, 7.95 Worth 9.50 5604-06 Germantown Are. 4028-30 Lancaster Ave. 2746-58 Germantovrn Are. 60th and Chestnut Sto. Branch Store Open Every Evening SHOESI Market St. fcSi. r""i '"g'&V," " i." Franrla. l)rsiln. (lie printer of Ma lines, ttho uas ar rc&ll for publish ing Cardinal Mrr dor's paslornl Id ler January 1, KM.-, Germany, declared that they had there been compelled to perform the vilest tasks and had rnffered every kind of outrage. One day they had been placed against the wall at the same time an the English and French prisoners and informed that they were about to be shot and rifles had then been leveled at them. After the lapse of an hour they were told that their cxeou tion had been deferred. These scenes had been re peated j or several days in succession. . Among those who had been subjected to these frightful torments, many had completely lost their reason. I ask your Eminence to inform me where Mgr: de Waechter vow resides in order that he may be heard in regard to these monstrous accusations. The Governor General. (Signed) BARON VON BISSING, Major General. Archbishop's House, Malines, April 18th, 1915. To His Excellency 'Bai on on Bissing, Governor Gen eral, Brussels. Sir I hasten to give your Excellency tho ad dress of Mgr. De Waechter, auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Malines. For over six months he has been lesiding in London with Mgr. Amigo, Bishop of Southwaik. His address is. Bishop's House, St. George's road, Southwaik, S. E. London.,, I am ignorant alike of the subject matter of this discouise and its delivery, of which your Excellency speaks on th,c authority of the Courier, of Dundee. Accept, dear Governor General, the assurance of my sinccie esteem. (Signed) D. J. CARDINAL MERCIER, Archbishop of Malines. CHAPTER XIII The Cardinal's Interview With Mgr. Mittcndorf "AN April 14th, 1915, Mgr. Mittcndorf, Catholic, chap- lain general of the German armies of the west, presented himself at the archiepiscopal palace. Ad mitted to the Cardinal's piesence, lie declared that ho was charged with a mission from the Governor Gen eral; he took a letter from his pocket and proceeded to read it. When he had finished, tho Cardinal, with a & !L Mnkt djrtatmaa ilterrg SELECT YOUR V1CTROLA NOW Avoid Waitirfg Lists by Buying at Once the Style You Desire. VICTROLA RECORDS Make an appropriate and lasting gift. We have over 12,000 from which you may make your selection. We Also Offer a Complete Line of Brunswick Phonographs I Cheney Phonographs An instrument that plays all makes in period of records and which we have already placed in many hundreds of homes in Philadelphia. designs. which has favor. We can furnish you a talking machine at any price from $25 up to $550 and will arrange the terms of payment to suit your convenience. Xmas delivery assured. PRESSER SERVICE ALL THE YEAR ROUND THE0. PRESSER CO. THE HOME OF MUSIC 1710-12 Chestnut St. Open Evenings natural gesture, put out his hand to receive the let ter, imagining that it was meant for him. But Mgr. Mittcndorf was unwilling to give it up. He even went t-o far as to refuse, no ono knows for what reason, to allow the Cardinal to glance at the document which ho had just read. Hero, in substance, is the communication from Von Bissing: The newspapers have published a letter from your Eminence to Cardinal Amettc. Now' there is a regulation which rforbid3 any Belgian to correspond with any one whatever without first submitting his letter to the Herman censorship. Moreover, your Eminence has recognized in your Christmas pastoral the ncccsiitii of obedience to the authorities in occupa tion. If any other citizen whatever had committed the breach of which your Eminence has rendered yourself guilty, we should have to punish him. But out of love of peace and through respect for the Holy See and the sacred purple which your Eminence wears, we ate unwilling to inflict punitlnncnt on you. We should prefer, should your Eminence force us to take such a step, to lay the matter before the Holy Sec. Defends Right to Correspond The Cardinal did not hesitate to acknowledge that he had written to the Archbishop of Paris. "And even," he added, "I icceived yesterday a French newspaper, the Matin, which publishes extracts of my letter. This publication is pieccded by some lines of intioduction in which it is stated that this letter is piivate, and the paper puts some extracts only befoio its icadeis." "Prhate or not, it is none the less the revelation of a fact, namely, that your Eminence has set at nought the l emulation which obliges every Belgian in the oc cupied tcrritoiy to submit his correspondence to the German consulship." "I am aware of this lobulation, and tho Governor General will lecollect that it has already been the sub ject of an exchange of views between us. Indeed, in answer to tho question which he addressed to me in his lntter of January 3id, regaiding the means by which I learned that the King of England had ordered a day of intercession, I replied that even a lawful gov ernment would not consider itself entitled to set on foot an inquiry regarding my piivato intercourse, nnd 1 could not therefore believe that it could enter into the plans of the Governor Gcncial to ask me how I had boon able to coi respond cither with my own sovereign or with tho King of England. This regulation does indeed exist, but it must be interpreted according to tho rules of common sense. The Governor General has himself placed in my hands a letter which Cardinal von Haitmann had wiitten to him in which ho asked per mission for tho Belgian bishops to correspond freely with tho Holy See. I thought I might count on the tacit consent of the Gorman authorities for acts ren dcird necessary by my situation. You arc a priest, Cardinal Mercler's roat of arms PHOTO THRU OFlMERICA A 11,,!,,, 12th. Morris A PMryunk Av. Alnamura Mat.DallyHta. i:ks.U:43&0. RTHCIj CI-VTTON In "MORE DBADL.Y '11IAN TI1J5 MALE" A PfM I C B2D THOMPSON STS. trJLsLXJ MATINUC DAILY CONSTANCE TAT.MADOE In "A TmU'EKAMENfAL, WIFE" i ADfAniA CHESTNUT Below 1BTH 1 Ar.Ul in A M to 11 :1BP.M. CONSTANCE 1UNNEY In "KHHTWHILE SUSAN" ti fiP' ,J, Di I TtmiDr nnoAD street and LiUlLDlrvL St'SQUEHANNA AVE. TOM MOORE In "LOnn AND I.ADY ALGY" 1 ! BROADWAY "TS-OTtfiS. BRYANT "IT PAYS I CAPITOL I COLONIAL n nn. . m "IT PAYS riiDDrrcc main st. manayunk LIVlrKbob matinee daily VIOLA DANA In "PLEASE GET MARRIED" FAIRMOUNT t&Wa&y FltANK KEENAN In "BROTHERS DIVIDED" l- A lllt V THEATRE 1311 Mark.t St. rAlVllL,! OA M. to Midntsht. 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MERCIER Monslgnorj you should inform the Governor General regarding tho working of a diocesnn administration." "I do not speak, as a priest," brusquely interrupted Mgr. Mittcndorf, " am here only as the envoy of his Ex cellency Von Bissing." "Suitable Means Never Lacking" "Quito so, I am aworo of it; but I know also thai you are a Catholic priest, nnd ns such, in a position to enlighten your government regarding Catholic life. Now, can any one who has tho least idea of ihe needs of Catholic diocesan administration, imagine that I could remain for whole months without intercourse with Rome? I have written, nnd that, too, several times, to the Holy See, to the Roman congregations, to my colleagues of the Sacred College in Italy, England, tho United States and elsewhere: the obligations of my pastoral charge lender it a duty for me to declare thai I could not refrain in the future also from corresponding with those abroad. It is useless to inquire by whni means I correspond. Hac we not every day friends from the United States, from Italy, from Holland, who come to sec mo and offer their sen ices? Do not the United States legation, the Spanish legation, the Nunci nturo correspond freely with those abroad? I do not, mark well, indicate any of these was to insinuate that I have actually availed myself of any of them, but I wish to proe that to put myself in communication, when needful, with other countries, suitable means arc never lacking." "What especially annoys the Governor General is the fact that your Eminence's letter to Cardinal Ametta has been made public." "Oh, but many of my letters sent abroad have likewise become public, among othcis the letter of thanks addressed to the United States, to Canada, to England, to Ireland, in return for the generous acta of those nations toward tho Belgian people, on which oc casions no complaint was made to me. Be sure of this; no Belgian will take advantage of my correspondence with foreign nations to maintain that every ono has the right to the same freedom as I lay claim to. The Bel gians are endowed with good sense." "Could not your Eminence have submitted your letter to Cardinal Amettc to censorship?" "Haven't Yet Got to Know Us" "This letter conveyed my thanks to the French bishops for the sympathy which they kindly wished to testify when I published my Christmas pastoral. I waited two months before showing my gratitude a proof that I was no agitator. I had to answer under penalty of passing for a man without manners. Now suppose, Monsignor, that I had submitted to the Gov ernor General a letter of thanks to those who publicly took my side at the moment of the controversy whicfy had arisen between him and me, what would his Ex cellency have said? What could he have said? That I was ridiculing him. Veiy well, I did not wish to ridicule his Excellency. Behold the whole of my wrong-doing, If wrong-doing there was. Our interview is coming to an end, Monsignor; let mo draw from it one con clusion. You Germans, after many months of occupa tion, have not yet got to know the Belgians. Among you n general commands and automatically every one obeys. Here with us, good sense, regard for higher interests, interprets the order and dictates our conduct. External regulations are meant, no doubt, for every one; and it is in this senso that Idiavc acknowledged them as tho Governor General reminds me in his letter. But every ono applies them with a due regard for different con tingencies and the obligations which they entail." At the end of the conversation Mgr. Mittendorf seemed to wish the Cardinal to state what his future at titude would be. To this request the Cardinal made no reply, and after a few minutes' silence nado his visitor a kindly adieu. (TO BE CONTINUED) CorvrloM, ISIS, bv Public Ledger Co. Copyright, Canada, 1S19, bv Public Ledger Co. International Copyright, iS19, by 1'ubUo Ledger Co, rnOTOPlATB rnoToriAYS The following theatres obtain their pictures through the STANLEY Company of Amer ica, which is a guarantee of early showing of the finest productions. Ask for the theatre in your locality obtaining pictures through the Stanley Company of America. PLAYS PAI APP l-'li MARKET STREET "MALE AND FEMALE" PRINPPS 10ls MARKET STREET 1 I.I11(VIk3iJ s 'in A M to 11:15 P. M MADELA1NE TRAVERSE In "LOST MONEY" REGENT JIAIKI-T bT Below 17TH rVCAJ,-jl l 11 A M to 11 P.M. LUCY COTTON In lo " r "THE MIRACLE OP LOVE" RIAI TO GERMAN! OWN AVE. rWrtl 1 KJ AT TIJLPEHOCKEJJ 8T. "ROUOH-RIDlKo ROMANCE" RUBY MARKEJ ST. BELOW 7TII 10 A M IMM1P II DOROTHY DALTON In L "THE TOAKim aW" WASHITCRN In TO ADVERTISE" 722 MARKET STREET in A M TO 11:15 T. M. SAVOY 12Uo "ARKET STREET ELSin vEnousov in "COLNTBUrEIT" D w onrrriTTPs "SCARLET DAYS" Gtn R. Maplewood Avf. n.tn 1 arA fl T M. 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