One writer[149] has even endeavoured to prove that the House of Hesse has a legitimate historical claim to the province of Brabant.  But as the following extracts will show, there is method in this madness.  No pains are being spared to stir up racial feeling between the two peoples (Flemings and Walloons) who form King Albert’s subjects.  All the internal differences are being dished up to convince the inhabitants of Flanders that they will be much better off under the German heel.[150]

[Footnote 149:  Dr. Karl Knetsch:  “Des Hauses Hessen Ansprueche auf Brabant” ("The House of Hesse’s Claims to Brabant").  Marburg, 1915.]

[Footnote 150:  The Muenchner Neueste Nachrichten for September 19th, 1915, contains a long account of a petition which was presented to Herr von Hissing, General Governor of Belgium, by a branch of the General Union of the Netherlands.  The branch society is in Lierre (a town occupied by the Germans), and the petition is a statement of Flemish national and language aspirations.  Unfortunately the document in question “makes a bitter attack on Franco-Belgian endeavours to rob the Flemings of their rights.”  It is superfluous to quote more; this sentence alone shows the origin of the petition to be German.]

Forgetting their tyrannous efforts to stamp out the Polish language and Polish national feelings, the Germans are now sorrowing over the alleged attempts of the Walloons to suffocate the Flemish dialect.  German war books breathe hate and contempt for the Walloons, but bestow clumsy bear-like caresses (no doubt unwelcome to their recipients) on the Flemings.

In a work[151] already cited the following passages occur, in addition to three whole chapters intended to supply historical proof that Flanders is by the very nature of things a part of the German Empire.

[Footnote 151:  Wilhelm Kotzde:  “Von Luettich bis Flandern” ("From Liege into Flanders").  Weimar, 1914.]

“The German people committed a grave crime, when they fought among themselves and left their race-brothers on the frontier, defenceless and at the mercy of a foreign Power.  Therefore we have no right to scold these brothers (the Flemings), but should rather fetch them back into the German fold” (p. 40).

Kotzde reports a conversation which he had with an educated Fleming last autumn. “‘We do not like the French and English,’ said the Fleming.  ’But what about Brussels?’ I remarked.  ’They are a people for themselves.  The Flemish capital is Antwerp’ he answered.

“Our paths led in different directions, but we parted with the consciousness that we are tribal brothers.  So much seems certain, that when the Flemings are freed from the embittering influence of the Walloons and French, then this Low German tribe will again learn to love everything German—­because they are German.  Furthermore, that will make an end of the French language in Flemish districts” (p. 84).