The evening leader., 1916-11-20
HAVE
MIXED bELG|ANS
TO A FINISH

London.-In a statement made to
the Associated Press Lord Robert
Cecil, minister of war trade, uttered
vigorous protest against Germany's
deportation of Belgians and declared
that the people of France and Eng
land, no less than the people of, "hope
that American public opinion viii
show itself, not only in few days Or
weeks Of protests and criticisms, but
in steady pressure upon the invaders
of Belgium, to conduct the war against
the soldiers of the allies in the trench
es and not against the helpless civil
ians whom they have in their power
Lord Robert reviewed the measures
taken by the Entente allies to provide
relief for the Belgians and character
i"ed as a ''lie" what he termed Ger
many's attempt to justify it's action
by saying that England was respon-
sible for unemployment in Belgium.
"lhree times during the past year,
Lord Robert continued, 1--WE have pro
posed to the Germans a definite
scheme whereby the exports of Bel
gian manufactures and even imports
of raw material might be made free
under the control of the Belgian Re-
lief commission and that the COM
mission might control all the funds
arising out of the trade. To none of
these proposals have we had a reply.
The Germans have consistently refus-
ed to do anything to assist the Relief
commission and Belgian industry. In
stead they have exacted forty million
francs month from Belgium, requisi .
toned every kind of machinery and
raw material, seized the funds of the
National bank and restricted exports.
Have MIXED Belgium Dry
' "They have drained Belgium dry
and stripped her bare and we all know
this policy was deliberately calculated
to create a maximum amount of I'M
ployment in order that when the
proper moment arrived their slave
raids might begin.
Further, the Germans justify their
action on the ground that the unem-
ployment they themselves created had
become so bad as to overstrain the re-
sources of the poor relief. This is
the most impudent thing even Ger
many has said since the war began.
You might think the poor relief refer
red to came from Germany or from
Belgium. AS matter of fact, it
Genes from the allies through the
Relief commission. This country alone
IL the last eighteen months has ad-
vapced some $50,O00,OOO for food and
poor relief. This money goes from
Us freely and without condition except
that it shall be under neutral control.
"It is kind of the Germans to be so
anxious not to overstrain our resourc-
es, but it is fair to ask what right the
Germans have to make the charity of
the world an excuse for enslaving
those who receive it. The Belgians are
going to Germany on no ordinary
work. They are to be caught up and
crushed in the great new German ma
chine for mobilizing labor.
"Grinding Up of Nation Piecemeal''
"They will be scattered to all man
towns in all the remote
corners of Germany, from Silesia to
West Phalia and once caught upon
the machine they will never return 20
Belgium. 1t is this grinding up of a
nation piecemeal that is the most hor-
rifle feature of the situation. Lastly
if must be remembered that the allies
can and will liberate Belgian territory.
they can and will bear the
burden of keeping the Belgians from
starvation. But they cannot protect
the Belgians from slavery; they can
rot insure that when Belgium is lib
Grated it will be a nation and not a
desert. 1t is only the neutrals who can
do this by the exercise of their public
opinion"
Lord Robert concluded with an ex-
preston of hope that the pressure of
American public opinion would bring
about this result.