VON BISSING’S LAST WILL.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7914, 4 August 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

VON BISSING’S LAST WILL.

(“Daily Mail.”) Among those who, after the war, w*ill go down the ages branded with dishonour and disgrace, the ineffable Baron von Bissing will always hold a foreiQpst place. He is assured of the same immortality which the great masters of cruelty may boast. He will share the notoriety of all those other scoundrels who have made war upon women and children, who have brutally entreated) those who could not defend themselve^ And his distinction will bo vaster than that of his rivals. They did their best to butcher cities. He has bled a whole country wel-nigh to death. The murderer of Miss Cavell, then, needed not to add another leaf to his crown of obloquy. Tet he knew not how to stmv his hand, for von Biss.'ing was not merely cruel, he was stupid as well. He was of those who a,re so grossly puffed up with pride that they cannot measure the effect of their crimes'. B.v killing an Englishwoman who had given her life to the tending of the sick and wounded he had little to gain. Ho did not foresee in his arrogance what would be the undivided verdict of the civilised world. Not even in his dentil could he leave himself a loophole of escape. He composed his last will and testament in such terms as will make him for ever a byword of shame and ridicule. It is not earsy for those who are not barbarians to understand the mental processes of the Huns. For their own sinister purposes they chose to hack their way through Belgium. They gladly tore up scraps of paper and made light of solemn treaties. And ever since their unjustified invasion they have held an aggrieved l tone. They complained that th o military occupation of Belgium is very costly, and with a complete lack of humour they are always extracting from tin* Belgians still greater sums, that the 7ioor victims of Hunnish brutality should pay for the wrongs inflicted upon them. With equal right might the burglar send in a bill of costs to the peaceful citizen whoso crib he had thought it useful to crack. BELGIAN COAST ESSENTIAL. But it is in von Bissing** last will and testament that the foul design of Germany is most frankly disclosed. He puts no limit on his cynicism. He talk‘l in the familiar strain of dire necessity and his Fatherland’s sacred dut,v. Nothing will satisfy his posthumous greed save the complete annexation of Belgium. The hinterland is of no use by itself. The coal mines are very well in their way, and quite worth stealing. But what Germany must in. sist upon acquiring is the Belgian coast. Germany must reach the sea, for how otherwise shall she threaten. England, her great, indeed her only enemy ? \ on Bissing, of course, always made a great pretence of cynicism. He pictured himself, no doubt, as a kind of Bismarck. He was sure that force was the sole remedy for human ills, and ; t wn*i no part of ins polio/ to conciliate anybody. He repudiated with scorn all the amicable things that have been said by the Bodies about the Fleming,. I hough he played his part in establishing the Flemish University, which boasted more professors than'students, he knew that this was but a way of throwing dust in sleepy eyes. He would use the Flemings, if he could; he would not permit them the smallest privilege. Hi*' utmost concession he would allow himself was to play them off against the Walloons. “Divide and govern” is ono of the elementary maxims which oven this blunderer could understand l . But in his desire to divide he had no intention of granting independence eseri to the Flemings, among whom he pretended there wore many open ■and very many still undeclared friends. “W'e liiaist do everything.” be left 't on record for his friends, “without delay to repress boundless hopes on the part of the Flemings.” Some of them were foolish enough to dream of a separate State of Flanders, with a King to govern it. This drenm von Bissing brushed hastily aside. There was only one prospect for I* landers, a»s for the rest of Belgium, the prospect of complete subjection to Germany’s will. She had permitted providence to interpose her Detween Germany and France. Geography had been indiscreet enough to give her coast line opposite to England. And therefore she must pav whatever penalty the Bodies chose to oxact for the indiscretion of geography or the waywardness of providence. LOUDER BOASTS THAN EVER, Indeed, we have travelled far from the day on which Herr von Bethmann Hollweg acknowledged the wrong that had been done to Belgium and promised reparation. Von IBissing, as he Iny dying, urged upon his countrymen the necessity of avoiding during the peace negotiations ril discussion about the form of the annexation, and of applying nothing but the right of conquest. The procedure of Germany, ho was sure, must he “ just and ruthless.” W’e may deny the justice. We cannot hut acknowledge the ruthlesbness of von Bissing’s plan. But as the outrageous haron composed his political testaiment he w«i«i still haunted bv the spectre of the King of the Belgians. The lofty heroism of this; Patriot-King troubled his death-bed. He turned uneasily upon his pillow, no doubt, when ho thought that, after all, his schemes of cruelty and exaction might lie unset by the unconouerahle serenity of a hero. “Tlie King of the Belgians,” he said, “will ho deposed, and will remain abroad as an aggrieved enemy.” But even then lie did not despair. “We con read in Mnchiavelli.” -a.idl this dying philosopher, “that lie vho de-ires to take possession of a country will be compelled to remove the King or Regent. even by killing him.” We are glad, in truth, to receive this open revelation of Germany’? designs upon Belgium. We know row that they contemplate not merely theft bid murder. To discover the wr.r aims of our enemy is the first rroful step towards the thwarting of them. Til the face of von Bissing’s last will and' testament the chatter about “no indemnities and no annexations” *eem?i idle indeed. The Germans, if the.-* ooukl. "*«ul(1--annex- BeMnm, and having nut King Albert to-death would proceed to extort from the un-hnonv Belgian: the whole cost of their brutality. Tn other

words, they would indemnify themselves for tho toil it gave them to annex. And we only wish all the sentimental Socialists in the world! would forget their copy-book headings) for an hour or two and give themselves seriously to the study of von Bissing’s political testament. It is characteristic of the Germans that the tighter the noose of defeat is' drawn about their necks the more loudly they lift up their voice to boast. And even as they boast they, must know well that Belgium shall never Ibe tlioirs. Until that ravaged country be restored'; to its ancient independence and prosperity the Allies will never sheathe their uwordi. At this very moment the Huns’ hold upon Belgium i« loosened. Tt matters not that von Bisj-ing bragged end threatened with his dying breath. The answer to his will and testament- has already been given—at the Messiney Rid-'o. AX ENGLISHMAN.