Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-05
KaiSer'S Governor BIameS
Plight of Belgium on Great
Britain Economic Isolation
of FatherIand,
RELIEF FROM AMERICA
MAY BE DISCONTINUED
Allies May Allow People OF
Little Kingdom to StaNer
Says Statement Issued by
English Government,
,.y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w'NsI

ray MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIRFl
London. Dec. 4.-DoCuments re-
ceived here give the text of the reply
of General Won Bissing, military gov
ernor of Belgium, to Cardinal Mer-
cier's letter of october 10, ana the
cardinals rejoinder of November 10
General Won Bissings reply, dated
October &c, begins by denying any
violation of the assurance of the Ger
man commanders gave at the begin
ming of the war that no men be re-
moved from Belgium, declaring lhd'
such removals had been justified by
ethe clandestine emigration of large
numbers of young men wishing TO
ioin the Belgian army" He adds
"The German authorities would have
been quite justified in following lhe
example of England and France pul
they have not done so.
BIames 10 on England.
Contending that the employment ol
Belgian unemployed in Germany mas
nothing to do with the conduct OF the
war. but is purely a social and econo-
mic measure, General Won Bissing
says:
Great Britain's merciless economic
isolation of Germany bears equally
on Belgium; bringing a state OF pun
lie calamity to Belgium
General Won Bissing then declares
that the Belgian people realized the
state of affairs and that tens Oh
thousands of them have gone 10 Ger
many voluntarily, whore they coula
get better pay. others would follow
he says. but are deferred by influence
Systematically brought to bear on
them. Ee invites the cardinal TO
study the situation from social ana
economic view point.
Replying on November 10, Cardinal
Mercier recalls the promise made by
Baron Won Huehne and subsequently
confirmed by Baron Won der Golt2'
and says:
Cardinals sharp Reply,
"The undertaking was explicit ana
entirely without time lit that young
people have nothing to fear that they
may be sent to Germany, either to be
enrolled in the army, or employed at
forced labor This engagement has
been violated every day a thousand
times for fourteen days.
The cardinal denies that the Bel
gians menaced public order.
Cardinal. MERCER then says that H.
as Won Kissing declares, such labor
has nothing to do with the conduct OF
the war, properly speaking, 1t has
to do with the war, i'm
speaking.
For" he continues, even if Bel
gian does not take up arms he re-
leases the hands of a German work
man who will taken them up,
The cardinal concludes as follows:
Recalls Won Bissing's Words.
Monsieur Governor, at the begin
ming of my letter / recalled the noble
words of your excellency: 1 have
come to Belgium to heal the wounds
of your country If you eXcellency
could, as we priests do, enter the
homes of the working people and hear
the lamentations of the wives and
mothers to whom your decree brings
mourning and poverty, you would be
better able to see yourself that the
wounds of the Belgian people are
open and bleeding.
Two years they say there was
death, there was pillage, there was
burning But it was war. Today 1t
is no longer war. 1t is cold calcula-
tion, desired destruction, the domina-
tion Of might over right; the humilia-
ton of man in defiance of humanity.
1t depends on you, your excellency, to
silence the voice, the cries of out
RACED conscience.
May God, on whom we call with
all the ardor of the soul Of an op-
pressed people, inspire you with pity
of the good Samaritan
Protest Against policy.
The British government in con-
junction with Great Britain's allies
has issued a declaration regarding
the present state of Belgium in
which protest is made to the civilized
world against the slave raids con
Quoted by the German authorities in
Belgium, and a warning given to the
world that the work of relief which
neutraIs have built up is in danger Of
falling
The document, after reciting the as
sistance the allies have given in the
past work Of relief in BELGIUM, says:
THE allies only stipulated that the
Germans should equally draw no ad-
vantage from the operations of the
neutral commission; that they should
not imported or native supplies, ana
that the distribution Of relief should
not be used for the purpose of coefc-
ing Belgian workers against their
conscience5. These conditions. which
tho Germans were PLEDGED - obey,