I hope you will publish the boy's letter, _but it is necessary that you
suppress both his and the writer's name_. Should either be given and the
boy remain in Belgium, _it may cost him his life_. The mention of my own
may later on cause me difficulties with our German friends of liberty.
Yours truly,
---- ----.
[Inclosure.]
Translation of letter received from one of my employes, a young Belgian
boy of about 16 years of age. Received in England Sept. 28, 1914.
ANTWERP, Sept. 23, 1914.
Dear Sir: As you correctly said in my testimonial when you were closing
the office, the war has isolated Belgium. Really I can well say that I
have been painfully struck by this scourge, and I permit myself, dear
Sir, to give you a little description of my Calvary.
Your offices were closed in the beginning of August. As I did not know
what to do and as the fatherland had not enough men to defend its
territory I tried to get myself accepted as a volunteer.
On Aug. 10 I went to Aerschot, my native town, to get my certificate of
good conduct. Then I went to Louvain to have same signed by the
commander of the place. This gentleman sent me to St. Nicholas and
thence to Hemixem, where I was rejected as too young. I then decided to
return to Brussels, passing through Aerschot. Here my aunt asked me to
stay with her, saying that she was afraid of the Germans.
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