UNDER RUSSIAN RULE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 17 March 1915, Page 4

UNDER RUSSIAN RULE.

The German Governor of Belgium has ifcsued an order compelling Belgian children to attend .school. The object of this, of course, is to aefeist in re-establish-ing the ordinary habits of life in the country; but it is thoroughly characteriutic of Germany's determination to treat Belgium aa a conquered country. More than this, it is an intimation that the Belgians are .to be governed, like the Poles, in accordance with the views of their masters, aaid without any reference bo their own prejudices or convictions. Nothing could more clearly indicate the aggressive and tyrannical attitude that the Germans adppt toward all who have the misfortune to be in any way subjected to their power. In Belgium already desperate efforts are being made to Germanize or "de-nationa-lize" the people. All newspapers are printed in German; Belgian children, when baptized, are registered under German names: and in process of time no doubt, if the Belgians proved obdurate, the Belgian tongue would be ostracized just as the use of the national language is discouraged and practically forbidden in Poland. A few years ago civilised countries were shocked, to learn that the children in Polish schools were being flogged by their German masters for refusing to repeat their prayers in a foreign tongue. Even the Kaiser seems to have been alarmed at the outburst of indignation by which this peculiarly apt illustration of Prussian brutality was greeted throughout Europe. But Prussian methods arc the same always j and everywhere, and there is uo doubt that 'until the Belgians are freed and restored to their rights and liberties by | the victory of the Allies they will be as ' constantly exposed to vexatious and harassing tyranny a s the Poles, who I rightly regard the Germans as far more ' cruel and barbarous taskmasters than the Russians.