The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-14
GERMANS REPLY
 EXPLAINS POLICY
 IN DECORATIONS
Tells Washington Public Order Demands likeness Be
 MinimiZed.

Berlin, Dec. 14-(By wireless to Say ville) reply to the muir ies of the United States into the mat ter of the Belgian unemployed and the deportation of Belgians is put- lished in the Norddeutsche Allege meine Zeitung and is given out by the Overseas News Agency as fol lows:
 '"rhe government of the United States of America has protestes against the transportation of Belgial workingmen to Germany and agains their compulsory employment fo work, basing this on the view that these measures are in contravention of humane principles and of interna- tional practice as to the treatment oi the population in occupied territory The German government thinks that the government of the United States has been incorrectly informed regard ing the cause and the execution of the measures and therefore considers II appropriate first to explain the facts in detail.
 likeness Laid to England.
 .'In Belgium unemployment for a considerable time has been extended in a perplexing fashion among the industrial workingmen. This pre- valence of unemployment has been caused by the English policy of isola- tion, which has cut off Belgium in dustry from the importation of raw material and the exportation of man ufactured goods, and has thus brought the greater part of Belgian industry to a standstill.
 ssBy this measure almost half of the workingmen in Belgian factories, numbering altogether in round fig ures 100000, were deprived of the possibility of earning living, and many more than half million Bel gians, who formerly supported them selves by industrial work, were made dependent upon public relief. Adding the members of their facilies, this number is increased three-fold, or, in round numbers, 100000 persons.
 From the standpoint of Belgian economic right, upon which these unemployed inf1ict a heavy burden, as also from the standpoint of public order and public morals. which are
 
 unemployment and the accompany ing consequences, this situation makes it extremely desirable and ur- gent that efficient measures for inn provement be taken. This necessity has been recognized and pointed out also by fairminded Belgians for a long time.
 Work or Prison.
 .Under such conditions the Gov ernor-G General of Brussels on May 15, 1916,. issued an order by which upon persons enjoying public relief and de- clining without adequate reasons to accept or to continue to do work cor responding to their abilities, confine- ment or coercive labor was imposed.
 Belgian industries being in a de- pressed condition, it was impossible to procure for all the unemployed work, or. at least proper employment, within Belgium itself. The only thing possible, therefore, was to assign them to work in Germany, where a large number of Belgian workingmen had already voluntarily accepted work, were well fed, were receiving high wages and were enjoying far reaching liberty Of movement. For those workingmen, however. that did not support their families coercive labor was used.
 These measures are completely in accordance with international law, for according to The Hague conven- tion relating to war on land (para- graph 43), the occupying power is obliged to undertake the maintenance of public order and public life in oc- cupied districts, and for this purpose,