The Alaska daily empire., 1916-08-28
FRENCH EXILES TELL WOES OF
 WAR SEIZURES
Carried from Homes by the Germans and Required to Work on the
 Big Farms.
GIRLS NEARLY ALL SAD

6lhLS WEAhLI AEL SAD
 A TOWN IN EASTERN FRANCE. Aug. l5.- (SpeciaD via, Berlin and1 London-On account of the protests of France against forcible removal by German authorities or inhabitants of French cities in the occupied area, and representations that hardships have resulted. a correspondent oi the Associated Press investigated conditions under which civilians from Lille. Turcolng. and Roubaix, quar- tered at various points in eastern France. are living.
 The German authorities afforded every facility for the inquiry and per. mitted examination Of official docu- ments dealing with the subject.
 The proclamation posted by the Germans in Lille. RoubaiN and Tur- colng said that since the English blockade made the problem or feed ing the population of Belgium and the occupied part of France daily more difficult and since call to agricultural workers by the German authorities had not been answered, the Germans were obliged to move to the country certain parts of the population.
 Inhabitants Are Assembled
 The proclamation was posted or April 10 and at midnight of April 2l the German troops aroused the inhabitants in certain quarters Of the three towns. telling them to assemble in front Of their houses. Officers then picked the following persons for transportation:
 Males of military age or able-bod- jed males who were not engaged in fixed trades or other occupations; whole families unemployed and with out financial support and unemployed females.
 In all cases the instructions were to select persons familiar with agri- culture or suited for it. The women were to do the cooking for the men or to work for French country fami- lies who needed assistance around the house in minding babies or doing other tasks.
 Germans Admit Errors
 German officers in charge of the transportation admit that mistakes were made in a good many instances, 1, [ these have since been rectified More than 2.OOO men and women are said to have returned to their homes towns since the transportation move ment began.
 Nearly 21.OOO persons were remov- ed from their homes. Those taken were told they would have ninety minutes in which to pack sixty-fiye pounds Of household utensils and clothing. Al the expiration of that time they were taken 10 the railroad station at o'clock in the morning and were examined as Co their fitness for farm work. They were then permitted to return to their homes, with orders 10 return to the station at o'clock in the afternoon to take trains for their destination.
 Hears Many Complaints
 The correspondent visited four places from which parts of the popu. lation had been taken. Three were villages in East France and one was "a camp for males Of military age In the first village the leader Of those who had been removed had many complaints. He said the peo. pie he represented were not suited for farm labor. and that French farmers did not like to employ them for that reason He asserted that the food was insufficient. and that the fare was monotonous.
 One girl said the treatment Of herself and companions had been good but the villagers had noto em- ployed them. so they were not earn ing money and were living on rations allowed them by the German au- thorities
 0Qyo EalN All
 In the next village the cores. pondent talked with five young men, aged from IS to 19 years. They said they were earning their full keep marks daily. The correspondent wis daily by doing piece work on the farms. The food was good they said, and their quarters were com fortable In the same house there was man suffering from rheuma- tism. who was under treatment of German medical authorities. He was allowed 40 pfennigs daily. The pres ident or the village told the cores pondent that it was his opinion that the move was good so far as the men were concerned
 At an internment camp for males Of military age the men were em- ployed at a sawmill and in cutting wood in a nearby forest. earning on an average of mark 60 pfennigs daily and their board Workmen on piece work were earning up to firo marke daily. The correspondent wis tied the kitchen and found the food to be of good quality. The next vil- lage contained a large number Of persons employed in farming and in