TERRORISM IN BRUSSELS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16577, 28 December 1915, Page 2

TERRORISM IN BRUSSELS

SENTENCES ON WOMEN. (From Ook Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 22. Something like a reign of terror seems to exist in Brussels, where the Germans are taking very. drastic steps against people with pro-Ally sentiments. Many people have recently been arrested and P ut op .trial for assisting the enemies of the Kaiser, and the execution of Mi sa Cavell is only an incident in a big pro gramme of death sentences. The United States Minister protested very early in the day, and the Spanish Minister was set to work promptly by the keen solicitude of King Alfonso." Kin" Alfonso ordered the Marques de Lerna to instruct the Marques de Villalobar, the Spanish Minister at Brussels, and Senor Polo de Bernabe, the Ambassador in Bei lin, to intercede on behalf of the Belgian ladies who were condemned to death. His Majesty asked for a commutation of the sentence. Amongst the prisoners are the Countess Jeanne de Belleville and Mademoiselle de Thuillez. King Alfonso, not being satisfied with these instructions, sent a personal telegram to the German Emperor, insisting in, this fervent desire that capital punishment should not be meted out. On Sunday the King received a telegram from the German Emperor stating that he had asked for details of the case, and would reply after examining the same. It was by the British Minister to Belgium that the Belgian Government was informed of the condemnation to death of Miss Edith Cavell, Comtesse Johanna de Belleville, Mdlle Thuilliez, and MM. Louis Severin and Philip Bancq. The French Government immediately telegraphed to the Belgian Ministers to the Vatican and Spain to solicit the intervention of Pope Benedict XV and King Alfonso XIII. The King and the Pope without any delay advised the Belgian Ministers that they had telegraphed direct to Wilhelm 11, who replied that he had ordered a new inquiry into the cases of the Comtesse de Belleville, Mdlle Thuilliez, and M. Baucq. The Comtesse belongs to the French nobility through her father, while - her mother, the Vicomtessc d'Hendecourt, is Belgian. She passed a good portion of the year in Belgium, devoting herself to charitable work, and when the war broke out she came to the aid of her compatriots who had remained in Belgium. This was her sole crime. The Germans, continuing their reign of terror, have passed 34 new sentences of death on Belgians in Liege, who were capable of rendering themselves useful to their unfortunate compatriots. The intervention of the Pope, the King of Spain, and Pres'dent Wilson has been solicited ! on their behalf. The Germans have ordered all soldiers of the Allies now in Belgium to report themselves for deportation to Germany on pain of being shot. I Tho mantle of sable fur given to tho Empress of Russia on her coronation was valued at £12,000. It is made of aable, . and -weighs only 16oi-.