Show Smuggling a Fine Art ArtAs 4 As Belgians Used It t To Evade the Germans P. P H I BT nr WELLES ELL J Staff Stott CO Correspondent cs Brug-cs Doa Deo T c. c Blower Is s a a. Flemish Flemish Flem Flem- b ish v verb rb which has hae been glorified under un un- der dor cr fou nara of ot bocho boche oppression lon Today TodaY Today To To- day when all Bruges Bruge Is Isay gay ay with th the rod Tod rod yellow and bl blade black of ot a n. fatherland l' l restored and folk toUt who long Ions had hall been beon dumb bet before re tho eyes eOS of ot the tho hated rated 1 are still stopping to con- con ono one another with mIrth mirthful CuI Jests tho word oro blower has hae become tho the synonym of ot a a. national Joko Joke Origin Originally all Tor blo meant to smug smug- el gle l During the four years ye r e that the pound pound-pound of ot the th- goo e t p on tho the cobbles was wa bitterness In the oars oira of ot tho the Belgians blow blower or came to mean moan to cheat tho the Hun nun t to o evade his studied program of ot irritations to laugh at nt him behind clo closed blinds and over o an nn omelet verboten Now that the tho liberation s has como come neighbor I Is confiding to neighbor the th tricks of ot blower each vying to tot t tell ll the taU tallest est tale o of how hoon ho put tho the hated and his to American Supplied J. J h I It was ns the tho Irrepressible American n i ease nse ns of or humor that gave pye all nIl Bruges Drug I rte its first hearty laugh on tho the morning pf or October 22 4 the vanguard of or ortho tho the conquering Belgians passed through the tho Porto Porte S. S Edwards Edward on an American artist artist ar artist ar- ar formerly of ot New o York who with hie and and a friend of ot tho the Ed Miss of ot Nashville Tenn had passed through the tho black years ars of or the occupation ran out an nn American flag fla flagon flagen on en the tho pole from his hlo window and under under un un- der It he ho suspended a copper I kettle This he ho had concealed from German copper and brass searching parties during all 11 tho the four tour years ears of ot the he occupation The suspended copper kettle kottie kottle kot- kot tle tie beneath the Stars and Stripes Stripes- aled against the day when Mao conc concealed was a Co bit of ot the they might fly again was wall humor sufficiently patent Both Doth flag the tho hysterical hysterical hys hys- and nd kettle were cheered by thousands on th the tho street below Hear Hoar the Edwardsen story of ot how the little they ey practiced tricks or of blower when hon a 0 Kom- Kom atur had hod his head in his hands bande thinking up some new deviltry to try tn tryout tryout out Dut on the the bestIn best bestIn bestIn That copper kettle was I wanted to sho show It It In Bru Bruges so 50 this Ihla was a e. satisfied sigh as Sir Mr Edards Ed- Ed ards puffed putted his first nut American But look at ret fret in four years wash boiler that copper bottomed over ver there I had that camouflaged kith Ith books booke so that it looked like part of Dr my bookcase and man many a Co German boot had thudded against as It ft when tho the search parties made their rounds Nevertheless Nfl we had our hot baths bathe alt 1111 il through those years o of hell thanks 6 JO o 0 our dear doar copper bottomed boiler g Ve loved It like Uko a child and and do yet Coffee Coffe Mill Ull a Pet Dont forget torget the coffee mill mm when Mrs Edwards Ed Ed- ro you bou are naming our pets wards hastened to amend amend- and amend and how rou au loved to grind It The shaggy haggy Beaded haded artist chuckled reminiscently Well Well he said sold you see HOC we used to keep our blower wheat In my trunk underneath trunk underneath my underwear How t r got Sot the tho grain Is la neither hero nor there thore but we usually had a supply ind nd two or three times a a. week I used to lift the clothing from tram my grain Supply and give It a stir sUr with a a. stick So 0 it wouldn't grow mouldy Then When hen we wo wanted wheat flour I would grind g up some Borne of ot the wheat In the It usually took about four tour fourg hours hour of ot arm rm and nd wrist work orle to make enough flour lOUI for a baking but but urn I tho the result rosult wa was worth tho labor labon Milk w was w.-n verboten as well I as M wheat flour lour Tho The Germans Germane Used d to collect all the milk thc they could get I Irom from rom the farmers and aid manufacture cheese to be tent sent back to Germany German Aside from the tho condensed milk the tho I commission store toro used Belgian relief to sell thoro there was none nono to bo be had ex- ex blower milk mille but that t Wi was waa tho the I best milk In the world of ot course I Shall I toll tell Carrie IJo Ho turned to Miss rUSI with a merry mern twinkle i In his eyes oyes The Tho young O lad lady from rom Nashville gave I e permission lonWell lon I Well I mado made a couple of ot secret visits to a J. J tinsmith t and amI ho constructed two to rather curiously l shaped draped containers contain contain- er ers which Miss could strap to I lets her ah lets let's lets let's which Miss US her um urn lIl say could carry under her skirts without difficulty Eer Every day he she wont out Into the country and ancl camo came back past all tho the guards with milk real milk real milk Milked nt at Midnight Then Thon Edwards told how the tho farmers used to evade 0 tho tiro German masters masters' milk confiscation With true truo German thoroughness a census of ot 01 0 every cow cowand cowand cowand and calf call In tho the district was 03 taken and upon each farmer was laid tho the quota of or milk mUle ho lie must deliver dollor to tho the collectors collectors tors the tho owner being allowed to ro- ro a J. J modicum of at skimmed milk for tor his own use uso When tho the Germans discovered the tho peasants Were ere not delivering delivering deliver deliver- ing their full tull quota tho the or 01 one ono of ot his understrappers devised tho the neat idea of ot having the soldiers milk oval every cow In the district each day Result tho the cann canny peasant would arise at midnight ht to tap hla his own cows or would snatch a a. hasty bottleful while he was driving thorn thom to pas pas- ture turo Similarly the hens hen of ot tho the district paid tribute to the Germans Germane A At census census census cen cen- sus of ot hena hens was ordered and tho the command command com com- mand went out that each hen must bo be expected to lay at least three eggs a 1 week for tor the kaJ kaiser er Any generosity generos generos- ity above the tho stipulated was permitted to benefit the tho farmer otherwise h he never nevor saw tho the Inside of ot an eg eggshell shell But Dut the number of ot hens that lived In attics and secret pens in the tho woods wooda Inor aud ed and Blower eggs could be had if It one knew where whore to ask Actually I know one matt man man manthe the theartist theartist theartist artist continued who ho had hidden bidden BO so man many different things In so many different different dif dlf- ferent forent places he admitted himself he did not know what he ho had nor where everything everything- was Ever Ever- Every Belgian or allied lag Hag that fills tills Bruges Bruges' streets with burning color color col col- or today Is 19 three or four tour years old though the newness shines from its folds Loyal women of Bruges worked in secret upon the banners of ot their countr country then hid thorn thom beyond the lynx eyes ayes of or the spies and ngen agents ts Today I saw caw In a a. store atoro window an American flag made of or alternate strips of ot rod and white paper and with a Q square of ot indigo paper for tOT the tho Jack Upon tho the purple le field were sewn sown white buttons for tor stars Hero Here was a real tribute of or affection for tor the land lond which had nad done so BO much for tOr Belgium |