Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-09
DIPLOMACY ENDS
ON DEPORTATIONS
[Continued From First Page.1

draw guidance for the next steps. If
any be taken.
Germany's reply conveyed in conver-
sations with Charge Grew at Berlin
by Chancellor Won Bethman- -Hol1weg Is
that the deportations are regarded as
justified on the grounds of social ne
cessity.
No actual reply in the form of a note
has been received from Germany but
no doubt has been left by the chancel-
lor that the protest of the United States
will not be headed.
DeportatiOns Continued
oficial information shows that the
deportations are continuing. Publica-
tions of the protest was disclosed at
the State Department to-day to be for
the purpose of placing the case before
American public opinion. 1t was also
revealed that publication of the docu-
ment might be interpreted as unfriendly
but that this contingency had been
taken into consideration before 1t was
given out.
The State Department feels that it
has gone far beyond the usual diplo-
matte bonds in its protest to Germany
and that in strictly conventional sense
1t had almost no right to discuss the
matter at all with Germany as Bel
gium's interest I'm that country are rep
resented by Spain and not by the United
States. Consequently with all diplo-
matte procedure now admittedly ex-
hausted the department has no other
resoure than to give the facts to the
public and leave the case with il.
Washington, d. c., Dec S.-The text
of the formal protest of the United
States made to Germany against the
deportation of Belgians for forced
labor as being contrary to all prece-
n "a line hun, ,Nrt,No ~
of international practice was made
public yesterday by Secretary of State
Lansing.
The formal statement, giving the text
of the note Charge Joseph G. Grew,
at Berlin, read to the imperial chan
cellor, went no further than to say
that the interview has taken place"
The note was cabled to Charge Grew
on November 20, following unsuccess-
ful informal efforts. The State De-
partment had previously instructed
Mr.. Grew to say informally that the
deportations were having q most un-
favorable effect upon neutrals, par
ticularly the United States. The Ber-
lin foreign office replied that the policy
had been adopted as a military neces-
sity and that Germany regarded it as
legal.
The note, the text of which follows,
is the outcome of these informal con-
Versations. 1t reads:
THE government of the United
States has learned with the greatest
concern and regret of the policy of
the German government to deport
from Belgium portion of the civilian
population for the purpose of forcing
them to labor in Germany and is con-
strained to protest in a friendly spirit
but most solemnly against this action,
which is in contravcntion of all prece-
dent and of those humane principles
international WI Iau
long been accepted and followed by
civilized nations in their treatment of
noncombatants in conquered territory.
"Furthermore, the government of
the United States is convinced that the
effect of this policy IL pursued will be
in all probability fatal to Belgian re-
lief work so humanely planned and so
successfully carried out q result which
would be generally deplored and
which, 1t is assumed, would seriously
embarrass the German government"
Berlin, Dec. z, via London, Dec. g.
Germany in n day or two will reply
with a memorandum to the represen-
tations which Joseph c. Grew, secre-
tary of the American embassy, has
been making regarding the deportation
OF Belgian laborers. The reply is ex-
pected to follow much the same lines
as that made to the Belgian protest
through the Spanish government, the
substance of which was published in
the North German Gazette this morn
ing.
The result of Secretary Crews con-
ference with Chancellor Won Beth
mann-Hollweg on the subject probably
will be that while the principle of
using unemployed Belgians in Ger
many will be adhered to, pains will
be taken to see that 1t is accurately
applied. 1t is explained that it has not
always been possible to prevent the
measure being applied to Belgians not
of the unemployed classes, but that
greater care is now being exercised,
and that with the use of Belgian lists
1t Is thought the measure can be re-
stricted solely to the classes which it is
designed to affect.