The sun., 1916-12-24

gendered. No, they operated slowly,
taking town by town and even quarter
by quarter in some towns.
And. too. the Germans feared UNI
favorable comment from outside. FROM
Lille and Roubaix, In France, they had
deported In April last $4,000 people en-
masse. including young girls n the
sturdiest OF the sections young man.
hood. intending to enforce on them the
baleful work Of laboring upon German
military projects.
DOUBTLESS when these ruthless steps
were taken they thought the isolation
of the affected cities would prevent the
news from penetrating to the OUTSIDE
world. But the news spread very
promptly. horror was general
out the world. the neutral nations leo
by that great American, Gerard. pro
tested and such practices were topped.
Lille promptly was repopulated and
Mr.. Gerard was promised that nothing
Of the sort again hould happen.
But now il seems that this agree
ment was another scrap OF paper.
This, by the way, makes the new de-
portations a breach OF faith win the
American ambassador
.If YOU will examine the three
'arretee' which recently have been en-
forced in Belgium you will ma tnat
zach Of the last two Is stronger than
! its predecessor.
THE new procedure (which. let me
| say again. was a breach of faith with
| the American Ambassador began
| upon October 3. and on November IL
between 5000 and 10000 people had
been taken, or an average or o
1000 daily. The work started In the
military zone. where from four cities
that we know ,there are other cities
| from which no news has been permit
I ted to pe~rcolate) workers have been
taken by patches.
"Ostensibly the DEGREES apply only
to the unemployed. First the Germans
try to get the lists of unemployed from
\ the local authorities. Frequently. OF
| course, such lists are refused. II this
occurs the offending officials are ar
rested and their papers seized. III In
such cases the lists cannot be found
the Germans take the electoral lists
and select at random from them the
names Of as many men a. they desire
TO seize. without regard to unemploy-
ment.
''Whcn ever electoral lists cannot be
found they seize the people as they
come along indiscriminately upon the
streets. without real regard as to
whether they are employed or not.
without regard as to whether they are
rich or poor. Never is there shown
the slightest feeling for the ties Of
family.
The seized men at once are taken
to the local barracks or the nearest
prison, where they are roughly or
ganized, and thence they are hur-
ricd to the railway stations. where
trains are waiting under steam. SO
that no time for resistance may be
given. Wives. mothers. sisters. sweet
, hearts have not been permitted to see
these victims for an instant.
AT Mons. where the women carried
bundles of clothes and food to thciI
dear ones as soon as they learned that
they mad been seized. they were not
even permitted to take them to the
n~eighborhood Of the railway station
The enslaved men We're deported with
out adieu or any comforts. even with
out extra clothing, in open trucks eN'
posed to wind and weather.
mo one knows ,eXcept the Ger
nans) Just where the laden trains hav,
been sent, but those who have seer
them pass report in various ways tina
while most OF them have travelled int,
Germany. some have gone SOUTHWARK
and a few even toward Nerdun. Thu
transportation of the prisoners in tha
direction a mean only that they arr
to be put to military work.
Through letters dropped from tn
trains and struggled o. we have dis
covered that in some instances tn
men have been kept without food TO
three days and that although this hap
pens and they are left entirely expose,
to rain and cold they have kept III
their courage a. they have travelled
And trainloads have been heard pass
ing through the country singing tn
Belgian national hymn. in tina de
r fiance OF the enemy.
, Some Of the dropped letters ar
pathetic 10 the last degree. declaring
that the victims never will work 70
, Germany and ending with Long liv
| King Albert Unquestionably such de
fance is the general intention Of tn
: men. but can they sustain il aftc
they ave been Isolated and find them
selves singly or in little groups at tn
= mercy of their captors?
I at Is unbelievably clever, this las
action of the Germans. Ii IL insidious
working slowly. a little at a time. il
separated sections.
But il has crept steadily along un
til II has passed the military zont
I reaching even as far al Antwerp, an
$ az We are talking it is believed tina
the k'dnappers are abou TO descen
I upon Loos and Brussels. II is Amos
g certain that before this article ca
reach America the people Of these an
4 other Belgian cities will have falle
4 victims to this newest torture whic
II sapping the great soul of my dea
= country.
I 1--WE know that plans have bee
$ made for the deportation Of at leas
5 300 900 Belgian men.
THE pledge against the seizure {
- employed mon, which was included
+ the very decree prefacing this late.
horror, has not been regarded hy th
r victorious hut hitherto not Who'll
conquering Germans, for in some cas-,
"A they ave seized indlsCrlminntely ever
= man whom they could find who al
n parently was strong enough to do mar
= RAJ labor, Never, indeed, So far a.
can learn, has there been made Il
least distinction between employed an
j. unemployed. Further, the system ,