The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-15
Cardinal Mercer Protests
against Enskavtng Belgfans
(The Associated Press.)

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-Cardinal
Mercier's protest against the deporta-
ton of Belgians to Germany, only
brief excerpts of which came in the
cable dispatches, has been received
here by the Associated Press in its
full text. as follows:
"Malines, November Z, 1916.
Every day the military author
tiles deport from Belgium into Ger
many thousands of inoffensive citizens
to oblige them there to perform
forced labor.
AS early as October 10Th we sent
to the governor general a protest. a
copy of which was handed to the rep
resentatives of the Holy See, of Spain,
the United States and Holland, in
Brussels. but the governor general re-
piled to it that nothing could be done.
AT the time of our prOtestatiOn,
the orders of the occupying power
threatened only the unemployed; to-
day every ablebOdied man is carried
off. pellmell, assembled in freight cars
and carried off to unknown parts, like
herd of slaves. The enemy proceeds
by regions. Vague rumors had come
made in Tuornau, Client and AlOst,
but we were not aware of the condi-
tions under which they had been
made. Between October oath and No
vember End. it occurred in the region
of Mons, Quievrain, Saint Guislain,
Jemappes. in lunches of 500 to 1900
men a day. The next, and the follow
| ing days, it occurred in the Arrondiss-
ment OF N;velles Here is a specimen
of the announcement of the proceed
| ings:
"'By order of the Kreischef every
male person over II years old. shall
present himself, Place Saint Paul, in
| Nivelles, on November 8th. 1916. at
o'clock belgian time) 8 o'clock
Central time) bringing with him his
identification card and eventually his
card from the Meldeamt.
| "'Only small handbaggage is per
mitted.
Those not presenting themselves
will be forcibly depOrted into Ger
many and will besides be liable to a
heavy fine and to long Imprisonment.
'Ecclesiastics, physicians, lawyers
and teachers are exempt from this
order
1.-The mayors will be held respons
ible for the proper execution of this
order which must be brought imme
diately to the knowledge of the in
habitants.'
Between the announcement and the
deportation there is an interval OF
only "a hours.
Under pretext of public works tC
be performed on Belgian soil. the Oc
cupying power had attempted to oh
tain from the communities the list:
of working men out of work. Most o
the communities proudly refused.
Three DEGREES from the genera
government prepared the way for tn
execution which is in force today.
Under date of August 18th. 1915
a first decree imposes, under penalt,
of Imprisonment and fine, force
work is to be executed IN Belgium
and that noncompliance will be ad
judged by Belgian tribunals.
"A second decree. dated May 2nd
1916, reserves the right of the Gel
man authorities, to supply work t
the idle and threatens a fine of thre
years Imprisonment and 10000 mark
impossible on anybody executing O
ordering to be executed work not al
proved by the general government.
Under the same decree. the RICH
to judge attractions which had r.
NAMED with the Belgian tribunal!
passes from the Belgian to the Ge
man tribunals
"A third decree, dated May 1stl