TRAITORS
And now I see people gathering round the Germans as they come to a halt
at the end of the Avenue. I see people stroking the horses' heads, and
old men and young men smiling and bowing, and a few minutes later,
inside the restaurant of my hotel, I witness those extraordinary
encounters between the Germans and their spies. I hear the clink of
gold, and see the passing of big German notes, and I watch the flushed
faces of Antwerp men who are holding note-books over the tables to the
German officers, and drinking beer with them, to the accompaniment of
loud riotous laughter. That is the note struck in the first hour of the
German entrance; and that is the note all the time as far as the
German-Anversois are concerned. Before very long I discover that there
must have been hundreds of people hiding away inside those silent
houses, waiting for the Germans to come in. The horror of it makes me
feel physically ill.
The procession comes to a standstill at last in front of a little green
square by the Athene, and next moment a group of grey-clad officers with
roses in their tunics are hurrying towards the hotel, and begin
parleying with Monsieur Claude, our proprietor.
I expected to see him icily resolute against receiving them. But to my
surprise he seems affable. He smiles. He waves his hand as he talks. He
is eager, deferential, and quite unmistakably friendly, friendly even to
the point of fawning. Turning, he flings open his doors with a bow, and
in a few minutes the Germans are crowding into his great restaurants.
Cries of "Bier" resounded on all sides.
Outside, on the walls of the Theatre Flamand, the Huns are at it already
with their endless proclamations.
"_EINWOHNER VON ANTWERPEN!_
"Das deutsche Heer betritt Euere Stadt als
Sieger. Keinem Euerer Mitbürger wird ein Leid
geschehen und Euer Eigentum wird geschont
werden, wenn ihr Euch jeder Feindseligkeit
enthaltet.
"Jede Widersetzlichkeit dagegen wird nach
Kriegsrecht bestraft und kann die Zerstörung
Euerer schonen Stadt zur Folge haben.
"DER OBERBEFEHLSHABER DER
DEUTSCHEN TRUPPEN."
"_INWONERS VAN ANTWERPEN!_
"Het Duitsche leger is als overwinnaar in
uwe stad gekomen. Aan geen enkel uwer
medeburgers zal eenig leed geschieden en uwe
eigendommen zullen ongeschonden blijven,
wanneer gij u allen van vijandelijkheden
onthoudt.
"Elk verzet zal naar oorlogsrecht worden
bestraft en kan de vernietiging van uwe schoone
stad voor gevolg hebben.
"DE HOOFDBEVELHEBBER DER
DUITSCHE TROEPEN."
"_HABITANTS D'ANVERS!_
"L'armée allemande est entrée dans votre
ville en vainquer. Aucun de vos concitoyens
ne sera inquiété et vos propriétés seront respectées
à la condition que vous vous absteniez de toute
hostilité.
"Toute résistance sera punie d'après les lois
de la guerre, et peut entraîner la destruction de
votre belle ville.
"LE COMMANDANT EN CHEF DES
TROUPES CHEF ALLEMANDS."