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Untitled [Kevin Braam on Americans in Occupied Belgium Edward J. Klekowski, Libby Klekowski. Americans in Occupied Belgium, 1914/1918: Accounts of the War from Journalists, Tourists, Troops and Medical staff. Jefferson: McFarland, 2014. 296 pp. $45.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-7864-7255-0. Reviewed by Kevin Braam Published on H-War (August, 2017) Commissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University) As the centenaries of major battles and signif‐ thors note Whitlock’s involvement or perspective icant events of the First World War occur, there is on many of the major events of WWI that are de‐ much renewed interest in scholarship of the war. scribed. One journalist who needed Whitlock’s Ed and Libby Klekowski unveil many personal ac‐ support was popular American author Richard counts of American journalists, businessmen, and Harding Davis. After remarking that the German war adventurers in Americans in Occupied Bel‐ “war machine is certainly wonderful” (p. 23) to gium, 1914-1918. Where the title of the book is behold as soldiers marched through the streets of misleading, the scholarly work conducted by the Brussels on August 20, 1914, he set out in pursuit authors vividly describes the human condition of for the front lines. He stumbled upon the advanc‐ Americans in Belgium and uncovers the horror ing German army in the city of Hal. Barely escap‐ brought against the Belgian people by the German ing death, he was ordered back to Brussels, where army. The authors captivate the reader by reveal‐ he immediately sought counsel from Brand Whit‐ ing the personal experience and individual per‐ lock. Many journalists were not as reliant on spective of the war and its effects in the context of Whitlock nor did they pursue diplomatic means major historical events or large-scale battles. to reach the front lines. They relied their own in‐ Well-known events that are used include the Bat‐ genuity, often putting their lives at risk. tle of Ypres and the assault on several cities, in‐ In August and September 1914, fve American cluding Brussels and Antwerp. The authors also journalists including representatives from the highlight American involvement in foreign Chicago Daily News and the Associated Press de‐ armies as well as the creative efforts of journalists ceived German leadership and gained access to to accurately report on the war. areas outside of Brussels. Upon reaching the town In early 1914, Brand Whitlock was appointed of Beaumont, they embedded with the German head of the American Legation in Belgium. He army. Together this group published an article in served in this position until the United States de‐ September 1914 in the New York Times arguing clared war against Germany. He was indirectly in‐ that “rumors of German atrocities were ground‐ volved in the lives of many journalists and Ameri‐ less” (p. 65) despite the compelling evidence of cans living abroad. Americans often relied on carnage in other towns around Beaumont. The Whitlock’s political influence in Belgium. The au‐ authors compare this opinion with examples from H-Net Reviews other journalists who witnessed atrocities frst‐ Collier’s Magazine Arthur H. Gleason and his hand. Granville Fortescue, an American writing wife, Helen, volunteered for the Munro Ambu‐ for the London Daily Telegraph, reported that at lance Corps. Another example was Mary Roberts Duvain the “Germans murdered about 10 per‐ Rinehart, an author of mystery novels and an edu‐ cent” (p. 54) of the population. The authors note cated nurse who toured various medical facilities that despite conflicting reporting, there is no evi‐ in support of the Belgian Red Cross and its dence suggesting francs-tireurs (people conduct‐ founder, Dr. Antoine Depage. She worked hard ing guerilla warfare) conducted a “people’s war” convincing American benefactors to provide per‐ against the German army. The German army sonnel and materiel, specifically medical, in sup‐ moved north from the Meuse River region to port of the war. Through this example, the au‐ Antwerp in September 1914. American journalists thors do an excellent job describing the connec‐ and civilians caught up in war hysteria made dar‐ tion American volunteers had to major events of ing efforts to experience the war firsthand. the war. An unfortunate casualty of war, Dr. De‐ E. Alexander Powell, a writer for the New page’s wife, Marie Depage, was a passenger York World, made a daring trip from Antwerp to aboard the Lusitania when a German U-boat sank Holland on October 11, 1914. Traveling without it in May 1915. German authorization, Powell eventually reached U-Boat warfare was responsible for sinking the London office of his employer and published many Allied warships and also passenger ships. Fighting in Flanders in November of 1914. Jour‐ Walter Duranty, a writer for the New York Times, nalist and adventures alike were fascinated with arrived in Belgium after Bruges was liberated in the war, seeing it in some ways as a tourist event. October 1918. He wrote several articles about the Walter Austin, a businessman from Boston, trav‐ difficulty German U-Boat crewmembers had after eled to Belgium posing as a reporter for the Ded‐ they returned from operations. Alcoholism, de‐ ham Transcript, knowing journalists could gain bauchery, and an attitude of living for the mo‐ access to the front line. After teaming up with oth‐ ment were prevalent among these men. On this er war “gadabouts,” Austin eventually stumbled topic, the authors transition from describing the across the First Battle of Ypres, where “the explo‐ personal experience of American citizens to that sions of shrapnel and the deep booming of how‐ of German U-boat personnel. The book also takes itzers” (p. 112) could be heard all around. In stark an interesting new direction as the authors make contrast to the self-gratifying activity of war the bold statement that “Germany lost the First tourists, the authors describe in much greater de‐ World War and the Kaiser his throne” (p. 205) as a tail the plight of other Americans who participat‐ result of the German decision to resume unre‐ ed in the war, prior to official American involve‐ stricted U-boat warfare in January 1917. A more ment. convincing argument could have been made if the Many Americans volunteered to serve in for‐ authors had connected the proposed German war eign armies and fght against German aggression. plan with Mexico, examined later in the same More than sixteen thousand American citizens chapter discussing U-boats. Analysis on U-boat joined the Canadian army. In 1916 C. Seymour warfare falls short, but the discussion on the suc‐ Bullock founded the American Legion, a Canadian cess of the Comission for the Relief of Belgium brigade comprised entirely of American volun‐ (CRB) brings new light to its significance and the teers. Americans living abroad volunteered as role Americans played in managing the organiza‐ well, serving in the British army as nurses or am‐ tion. bulance attendants. Former associate editor for 2 H-Net Reviews Herbert Hoover served as chairman for the CRB. The goal of the CRB was the successful deliv‐ ery of 100,000 tons of foodstuff per month to the Belgian people. Hoover and other wealthy busi‐ nessmen living in England when the war began volunteered to provide support for the organiza‐ tion. They oversaw the shipping and distribution of food to Americans and Belgian citizens trapped inside cities under German occupation. The CRB brought worldwide attention to the food short‐ ages in Belgium, but majority of donations came from the United States. American leadership of the CRB continued until the American declaration of war. The Klekowskis' design of this book provides a different approach to revealing personal experi‐ ences of warfare. The gripping accounts of nurses on the battlefield, combined with the creative ef‐ forts made by journalists to reach the front line, make this work great supplemental reading on any of the major events discussed in the book. This book’s greatest strength is the creative way the authors relate personal experiences of Ameri‐ cans within the framework of a battle or event. If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at https://networks.h-net.org/h-war Citation: Kevin Braam. Review of Klekowski, Edward J.; Klekowski, Libby. Americans in Occupied Belgium, 1914/1918: Accounts of the War from Journalists, Tourists, Troops and Medical staff. H-War, H- Net Reviews. August, 2017. URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=49610 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3.
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