In the Claws of the German Eagle

er The Germa

example of me to warn outsiders to cease prowling around the war zone?" "Was I going to be railroaded off to jail, or even worse?" It was no time to be woo

ere was not much on me; but I did have a pass from the Belgian commander giving me access to the Antwerp fortifications. I had figured on framing it as a souvenir of my adventures, but my molars now reduced it to an unrecognizable pulp. Cards

I had been taken in the morning. It was now turned into a trial chamber. Javert, as prosecutor, was seated on one side of the table, while around the farther end were r

mit from the German Consul at Maastricht, Holland, to enter "the territory of Belgium

at Ame

2 Septemb

Unis d'Amerique a Ga

oir laisser passer le

t Williams, ci

S VAN

l Ame

t, the 22nd of September, and to

Shirt-sleeves diplomat indeed! Another time he requested permission to take three Belgian women through the lines to their family in Bruges. The German commandant said "No." "All right," said Van Hee, taking out a p

name was not to be trifled with. But on the other hand there must necessarily have existed a certain resentment against him for his ruthless and

ders, "only he is not the consul, but the vice- consul at Ghent and let us remember

the words "Writer for The Outlook." It's hard to understand

at the uncanny display of knowledge of this man at the center of the Eu

anti-German," I protested; "we ca

nge language in a military court! Where had he

" I thought that surely I was going to reap the result of the adverse reports that the American corre

h that classic language. I was forthwith ordered to talk English and direct my remarks to Javert, acting now as interpreter. In the midst of this procedure Javert, with a quick sud

calmly, "I

plete writing," cried Javert. "As it

ny military secrets, there were, on the other hand, uncomplimentary observations about the Germans. It would not be good strategy to let these fall into their hands in their present mood. At Javert's behest, I set t

anted it in a hu

We have ample time

al setting in which they were said that made them so ominous, an

e other paper giving a full, readable translation of it. I wrote out the things complimentary to th

ile horns." Their silver and flute-like notes had been a

otels." I wondered why they had not commandeered quarters in more of the big empty hotels

es were constantly shaken before them in every cafe, and not once was a box passed to an officer in vai

gainst the Germans myself." That looked ugly, but I wanted to record for myself the ugly mood of resentment I had f

the same tide of indignation mounting up in him. In that mood it would have given me genuine pleasure to have joined a little killing-party and wiped out

l. Almost panic- stricken I was ready to give up in despair and throw myself upon the mercy of the court when, like a flash of inspiration, the right reading came. I transcribed that ugly phrase now to read: "If I were among the Belgians, I would join possibly the Germans myself." What more could the most ardent Ge

ith the original scribble-paper. For example, he called the attention of the judge to the fact that "guarded" in one paper was spelled "gaurded" in the other-some slip I had inadvertently made.

udge; "but that only makes it look the more suspici

ray examination of my person, even tearing out the lining of my hat. Alas for him too late; his search disclosed nothing more damnatory than a French dictionary, which, because I was

perhaps you don't find it conve

the charge laid against me. Suddenly the judge

e movement of German troops!" he let go

ut food, for eight hours confined in a fetid atmosphere, and for two hours grilled by

d, "I didn't do

!" "No use holding anything back!" "We have the witnesses who w

my defense with the suddenness of the onslaught. They succeeded for a moment. I couldn't ral

t many troops and ruins along the way. I told him I had some money and would be glad to invest in such a trip, at the same time giving him my address at the Hotel Metropole. Guileless as he appeared, he turned out to be an agent of t

ld de Leval at the American Embassy, later. "We've got a

hese bumptious, undeferential, overcritical Americans, and thought it was time to give one of them a lesson. Perhaps he was tired of trapping ordinary garden variety spies of the Belgian brand. It would be a pleasing variation in the monotony of convicting defenseless, helpless Belgians if he co

at was unknown to Javert. He now shifted to the confid

best for you. And as a matter of fact you have been under the eyes of our Secret Se

case of gratuitously damning myself and likewise endangering my companion of yesterday's adventure-the British lieutenant with the American passport. Yet again if Javert knew all he pretended to, silence about that ep

is not omniscient. Getting no results then from these wheedling tactics Javert shifted back to his bullying and essayed once more to browbeat me

re a spy." "We know

?" "You know that y

l that you have done

erves were being torn to tatters. I felt like screaming and it seemed that if this continued I would smash an officer with a chair and put an end to it all. But the fact that I am writing these lines shows that I didn't. Human nature is so constituted tha

of officers and some consultation in an undertone. The judge left the room and th

dea of what you expect t

up to the General for decision

to rage came surging up within me. Masking it as well as I could, I asked per

all day," I announced. "Can

there and open

ranged themselves two in front and two behind, and marched

ically devoted to duty. For a broad general impression that is perhaps a fair enough statement to start with; but when I am tempted to let it go at that, there is one striking exception that always rises up to point the finger of denial at this easy and common generalization. It is that

the four soldiers had led me. Hurriedly, he said to me: "Really, you know, I ought not to come in here, but I heard

ibfehler on your paper?" He followed my recital anxiously and sympathetically, and, looking me full in the face, asked, "C

g him in the eye, I said, most ferven

, because he winced as he drew his hands away; but he said, "I shall try to put in