As a result of my remarks, Cardinal Mercier of Malines has declared to me verbally and in writing that he had no intention of exciting or alarming the population by his pastoral letter, and he had not expected any such effect. That he had particularly insisted on the necessity of obedience on the part of the population towards the occupier, even if a patriot should inwardly feel in a state of opposition. In case I should nevertheless fear an exciting effect, the Cardinal did not insist on requiring of his clergy the repeated reading of the pastoral letter on the succeeding Sundays, provided for in the conclusion of the letter, nor the distribution of the letter. My hypothesis has proved correct. I therefore repeat my prohibition of the 2nd January of this year, concerning the reading and the diffusion of the pastoral letter. I draw the attention of the clergy to this point--that they will be acting in contradiction to the written declaration of their Cardinal in disobeying his prohibition. BARON VON BISSING, _Colonel-General_. _Governor-General in Belgium._ _A lie._--This declaration is false. Mgr. Evrard, Dean of St. Gudule in Brussels, went to see Mgr. Mercier at Malines, and obtained proof of the falsehood. He at once warned all the curés of Brussels and the district of the manoeuvre, and on Sunday, the 10th January, the reading of the letter was resumed. BRUSSELS, _9th January, 1915_. MONSIEUR LE CURÉ,-- I have returned from Malines. Despite the written prohibition received yesterday, His Eminence the Cardinal wishes his letter to be read. This written prohibition is cunning and spurious. "Neither verbally, nor in writing, have I withdrawn anything, nor do I now withdraw anything of my previous instructions, and I protest against the violence done against the liberty of my pastoral ministry." That is what the Cardinal dictated to me. He added: "They have done everything to make me sign mitigations of my letter; I have not signed them. Now they seek to separate my clergy from me, by forbidding them to read it. "I have done my duty; my clergy know if they will do theirs." Accept, M. le Curé, the homage of all my respect. (_Signed_) E. EVRARD, _Dean_. 5. Baron von Bissing published in the newspapers a _communiqué_ stating "that no hindrance of any kind had been put in the way of the exercise of the pastoral duties of the Cardinal-Archbishop." _A lie._--The Cardinal contradicted this assertion in a Latin letter addressed to his clergy. MECHLINIAE, _Dominica infra Octavam Epiphaniae_. REVERENDI ADMODUM DOMINI ET COOPERATORES DILECTISSIMI,-- Habuistis, ut puto, prae oculis nuntium a Gubernio Generali Bruxellensi publicis ephemeridibus propalatum, quo declarabatur "Cardinalem Archiepiscopum Mechliniensem a munere suo ecclesiastico libere adimplendo nullatenus fuisse impeditum." Quod quam a veritate alienum sit, e factis elucet.