The sun., 1916-11-21
OF REVOLT
GROWS IN BELGIUM
Workers Resent Being Forced
to Give Aid to the
COnquerOrs.
Special Gable Despatch TO THs srS from the
London Times.

Special Cable Despatoh to THs srx from the
London Times.
LONDON. Nov. 20.-Cnder the title
THE Agony Of Belgium; How Slavery
was Prepared With Starvation as a
Weapon" the Ttmes says that rigorous
measures are In force to prevent per-
sonal communications from the invaded
part of Belgium reaching England. The
following article 10 by a neutral COM
mercial agent who has just returned
from Brussels. where he lived many
years:
"A spirit Of revolt has been awakened
which has grown stronger month after
month. especially among the laboring
classes. When the entire output OF a
boot factory was co~mmandeered In be-
half Of the German soldiers the master
was agErieved and the workmen cXls-
perated. They realized that they were
assisting the enemy by presenting him
with mems boots.
Factories Taken Over.
The metal engineering trades have
suffered worst Of all. The great Cocker
willie works were taken over indiscrimi-
nately after the fall OF Livg. and since
then all the iron and steel and electrical
works In the valley OF the Mouse have
fallen into German hs ads.
M. Rensen, director OF important an
Gular steel works. who refused to con-
duct operations for the invader. was
made a prisoner ana sent to Germany.
The machinery Of the International Elec-
tricai Company and Of similar concerns
was carried across the Rhine. All the
stocks Of copper n brass and enormous
quantities Of tools were Communicated
and thousands OF skilled artisans were
thrown out Of work.
THE latest acquisitions OF the Ger
man tyrant are all the leather betting
In the country. Idleness is therefore
forced upon the people, The German
statement that the workmen prefer to
be maintained on public charity is un-
true.
Crop Of seeds Taken Over.
Look also at what was done in the
agricultural districts. The Germans
took the whole crop OF seeds. There
was . plentiful potato crop. hut the bulk
Of Il was sent to Germany. Latterly
they have carried of all the cattle. oxen,
sheep. COWS: even goats. Every week
a thousand animals are passing throueh
Liege from the frontier. Now YOU will
understand why starvation is driving
these Industrious, thrifty people to des-
peration.
.The food sent by the American Relief
Commission In widely distributed. but It
10 impossible to provide for the men az
we'll as the women and children. With
the factories closed down and the quays
At Antwerp idle. the field uncultivated
more than 100000 men are hungry and
hopeless. brough to that state by a dia-
bolical plan cunningly devised and APP
piled without mercy.
"In order to give All aspect OF legality,
a tribunal IL set up In each district.
The local burgomasters are ordered TO
collect all unemployed men from 10 to 81
years BID on the promise Of providing
work. Those MAGISTRATES who declined
to assist In this mock humanitarian
scheme were heavily fined.
"Men who were called up were not
deported. They we're offered work in
the mines and quarrics of Westphalia
and northern France. come in forced
circumstances were willing to go. They
were informed on reaching the concen-
tration camps to which some were sent
that they would get extra pay II they
would go OF their own free will to the
munition works. This despicable trick
was only partly successful, hut many
who p~atriotically scorned the bribe were
m~altreated by the military guard and
yielded. fearing IA worse fate.
Now under the pretext that men who
will not work must be made to work
thousands have been torn from their
families and sent into exile. 1t is i'm
possible to say how many altogether
have been sent. ! myself saw 1000 sent
from the central station at Antwerp on
November 8. and was told that an equal
number had been despatched from the
southern station.
'They were not all OF the laboring
class. Some appeared to be clerks and
students. saw several priests. So far
as I can ascertain there had been no
deportation from Brussels VI to the time
7 left. hut the unemployed had been
called upon to report themselves