New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-14
SAVE Us, MERCER
CRIES TO WORLD
Able-Bodied Belgians Car
ried Off Like Slaves, Says
Cardinals Protest

l4O
Primate OF Belgium, has issued pro-
,os, 70 the civilized world against the
denortation Of Belgisns to Germany
%, forced labor. The protest IS dated
Novcmoer 7, and is signed by Cardinai
u,r,tcr in behalf of all the Belgian
h;shops. except the Bishop oil bruges'
,;.h wnom ne was unable TO get IN
touch.
Among the principal passages IN ire
nrotes. are the following, when the
"Echo Beige" will publish tomorrow
s,ys q Reuter- dispatch from Amster-
dam.
"Tbe military authorities arc daily
denorting thousands of inoifenslVe cli,
zoLs in order 10 set them 20 iorceu
labor. 40.
nrotest TO the Governor General, a copy
Of which was also sent to the repre-
sentatives in Brussels Of the Holy see
Snain. the United States and the Neth-
erlands. The Governor General, IN re-
ply. refused to take any steps.
Eat that time the ordinances only
threatened unemployed men. To-Day an
able bodied men are carried on pen,
nell. penned up in trucks and deported
70 unknown destinations ike slave
gangs.
"The enemy proceeds by regions.
Vague reports have reached US that ar
rests have been made successlveiy AZ
Journal. Client and Alost, but we were
unaware of the circumstances;
Between October "a and the begin,
ming of November the enemy operates
in the regions of Mons, Quievralno; ~,
Chislain and Jemappes, from ooV u
/. 200 men being rounded up daily. 10
morrow and the following days ne IN
tends to fall on the Nivelles arroh-
disement. poster orders All mares u
present themselves at Nivelles on NO
vember 8. provided with identification
and registration cards. They are per-
mitted to bring only a small handbag;
C,srgvmen. doctors, barristers ana
schooimasters are exempt. Burgomas-
ters are held responsible for them 70
leave in twenty-four hours between the
hosting of the order and deportation.
"Iinder the pretext of the necessity
to carry on. public works on belgiah
soil the occupying power had trleu "
ohtain from the communes lists OF un-
emnloved workmen, which the ma,
ioritv Of the communes proudly refused
20 give.
Way Paved by Three DEGREES
"Throc DEGREES Of the Governor Cen
oraI naved the way for the blow when
ras struck us to-day. The first. issued
August Is. 1915, ordered forced LABOR
for the unemployed, under pain OF I'm,
nrisoument and a fine, but It stated
that il was only question or work IN
ReIoium. The second, issued May =,
gives the German authorities the right
TO proyide work for the unemployed
any unauthorized person giving WORK
beino liable to three years lmprlson-
ment and a fine of 10000 marks.
"The third decree, issued May ~,
authorized the governors and military
Commanders TO issue orders for the
unemployed to be forcibly taken to
places for work.
at was already a matter OF forced
labor for Belgium. To-day IT Is no
longer a question OF forced labor IN
Belgium, but in Germany for the Ter
mans benefit
"At first the Germans tried TO give
their measures an air OF plausloility
by alleging that the unemployed people
in Belgium were dangerous to puollc
order and burden to official charity.
replied to Governor Won Bissmg that
he himself knew we'll that public order
was in no way endangered and that the
unemployed made no demands on ON
cial charity.
an his answer Won Kissing aoan-
doned his previous argument ana al
legged that, first. the mere fact OF wl1e-
spread unemployment tends to burden
finances. and. second. prolongstion OF
unemployment will result IN the work
ers losing their technical skill.
"To this repled: There are other
ways of protecting Belgian hnanees'
For example, spare US the war ievles,
which have reached total OF milliard
Of francs and continue at the rate OF
40 900 900 francs monthly. Also, spare
us reouisitions in kind, which have al
ready totalled several milliards.
Thousands Reduced TO Slavery
1.-THE situation which We denounce TO
the civilized world may be summed up
as follows: Four hundred thousand
workmen are reduced to unemployment
through no fault of their own, and
largely inconvenience the German occu-
patton. Sons, husbands, fathers, re-
spectful of public order, bow to their
unhappy lot With their most pressing
needs provided for, they await with Dig
nifty the end Of their period of trial.
"Now. suddenly, parties of soldiers
begin to enter by force these peace
full homes, tearing youth from parent,
husband from wife. father from chill
dren. They bar with the bayonet the
door through which wives and mothers
wish to pass to say farewell to those
departing. They herd their captives
in groups of tens and twenties and
push them into cars. As soon as the
train is filled the officer in charge
brusauely waves the signal for depart
ure. Thus thousands of Belgians are
being reduced TO slavery.
1.-THE Germans are not only enrolling
the unemployed, but they are also re-
cruitng a great number Of men who
have never been out of work"
The Cardinal gives examples OF how
various high German authorities have
repeatedly given formal assurances
that Belgian liberty would be respect.
cd. He closes with an appeal TO all
persons, Allied and neutral. even OF
cnuptrias who rasnpct hu-