The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-16
INTERN TIONAL
LAW TRAMPLED
UNDER FOOT
Germany Has Shown an Utter Disregard
for All Considerations Of Pity, Mercy,
Humanity and International Nor
Atty, Says Colonel Roosevelt.


New York, dee. l6.--A letter from
! Col. Theodore Roosevelt was read last
night at the meeting to protest against
the Belgian deportations. He declared
that Germany has trampled under foot
every device of international law for Sc.
curing the protection OF the weak and
the unofIending," and "has shown an ut
ter disregard OF all considerations OF
pity, mercy, humanity and international
morality"
II earnestly wish you all success in
I your meeting" the colonel wrote, "and
all Americans who are proud OF the good
name of their country and also have In
them the capacity for generous indigna-
ton on behalf OF foully wronged peo-
pie, must join in hearty thanks TO you
and your associates.
"GermaEys campaign Of methodically
organized atrocities against the unhappy
Belgian people has eliminated in the
transplanting OF over hundred thousand
Belgian men into condition of state
slavery in Germany, where their labor is
20 be used to aid in the conquest OF their
fellow countrymen. Similar transplant
/ ings of civilian non eombatants, both
men and women, into slavery in Ger
many, have already occurred in northern
France.
"This action is paralleled by the &C
tion of the Assyrian conquerors OF Syria
and Palestine; but until the present war
broke out it was supposed that such hide
GUS infamies were effectively checked by
the system of international law which
has grown up under modern Christian
civilization.
"The outrages committed on our own
people have been such as the United
States has never before been forced to
endure, and have included the repeated
killing of our men, women and children.
The sinking of the Marina and the Che
mung the other day, with the attendant
murder of six Americans, was but the
most recent in an lnbroken chain of in
iuries and insults, which by comparison
make mere wrong to our property inter
ests sink into absolute insigniticance.
"As long az neutrals keep silent, or
speak apologetieally, or take refuge in
the utilities of the professional pacific
lists, there will be no cessation IN these
brutalities. But surely this last and
browning brutality, which amounts to
the imposition of cruel form OF state
slavery on helpless and unoitending
conquered nation. must make our people
realize that they peril their own souls,
that they degrade their own manhood, II
they do not bear emphatic testimony
against the perpetration of such inl-
putty.
81 am glad to be one among the Amer
| leans who thus bear testimony"
"a Cruel and Barbarous Atrocity."
| Joseph II. Choate wrote a letter which
called this act lone of the most cruel
and harbarous atrocities known to his
tory" and asking all citizens "to support
the great effort which our president has
been making to put stop to it,"
"The secretary of state says that the
United States government has exhausted
its means of diplomacy Mr. Choate CON
tinued. "and, therefore, lays the case be-
fore American public opinion, IRON
which ii will expect to draw guidance
for the next steps. II any be taken do
not agree to that view, although | &C
eept it for the time being in Difference TO
the high authority OF the president |
do not believe that we are bound to con-
tinuc diplomatic relations with nation
that shall persist in such brutal out
RACES, against the universal protest OF
the neutral world.
chancellor Won us Bethmann- Hollweg
told Secretary Grew that the deporta-
tions are regarded as justified 'on the
grounds of social necessity But the
same chancellor declared to the world on
the 4th of August. 1914, that the inya-
sion of Belgium was justified on the
same plea of necessity, although he ad-
mitted that it was all wrong and was in
| violation of international law and would
be fully paid for, as it viii be by and by.
81 have read that the vice chancellor
of Germany said the other day that these
deportations were in entire accordance
with international law, and were au-
thorized by the convention with respect
to the laws and customs of war on land
adopted by the first Hague conference of
1899, which was adopted by all the bel
| ligerent nations, and particularly by the
43d article of the convention. But this
is still more frivolous and unfounded
plea, which. | am not surprised to see
the chancellor himself in his conversation
with Secretary Grew took no notice OF
and did not adopt.
article 43 says nothing on the sub
ieet, but simply requires the occupant OF
territory under military authority 'to
take all steps in his power to re-establish
and insure, as far as possible, public or
der and safety Surely that does not
require him to tear the inhabitants of
that territory by force from their homes
and their families, to exile them to
foreign country, and there reduce them
to slavery and compel them to take the
places of laborers who will recruit his
own hostile army. And the next article,
a. expressly declares that any compul-
sion OF the population of occupied terri
tory TO take part in military operations
against its own country is prohibited
"But the vice chancellor has forgotten
the whole spirit of the conference OF
1899, which declares in its preamble that
animated by the desire to serve the in
terests of humanity and the ever in
creasing requirements of civilization and
thinking it important, with this object,
to revise the laws and general customs
of war; either with the view of defining
them more precisely, or of laying down