Evening star., 1916-12-24

a herd of slaves. Three DEGREES from
prepared the way for the execution
which IL still being enforced. Under
date of August 15. 1915. a first decree
imposed forced work on the idle. hut
it added the work was TO be executed
In Belgium. and that non compliance
would be adjudged by Belgian tribunals.
second decree. dated May ., 1916. re-
serves the right of the German author
tiles to supply work to the idle and
threatens fine OF three years i'm
prisonment and 10000 marks on any
body executing or ordering to he exc
cuted work not approved OF by tho
general government of occupation.
Judgment OF infract heretofore ad-
judged by Belgian tribunals was passed
to German tribunals A third decree.
dated May Is. 1915. authorized tho
governors. military comma nders and
the chiefs of ACCOMPLISHMENTS to order
that the unemployed he conducted bv
force TO the places where they must
work"
Now it is no longer a question OF
forcible working in Belgium, hut in
Germany. and for the benefit OF the
Germans. An appearance of plausibil-
ity to these measures of violence, it
was stated in the public press that tho
unemployed constituted a danger to
public order and burden on official
benerolence. To this Cardinal Mercier
replied October 1S in letter addressed
the governor general and the head OF
the political department:
You are well aware that public order
is in no wise threatened and that all in
fiuences. moral and civil. would sup
port you spontaneously were it in dan
ger. The unemployed are not a burden
on official benevolence. il is not from
YOUR funds that they receive assist
ance.
In his reply. the governor general
no longer urges these two first con-
siderations. but he alleges that "doles
TO the unemployed from whatever
source they may come at present must
finally be a charge upon our finances
and that IT is the duty of a good At-
ministrator to Tighten such charges:
prolonged unemployment would caus.
our workmen to lose their technical
proficiency and that in the time OF
peace to come they would be useless
to industry"
There are other ways of providing
for the maintenance OF professional
skill among Belgian
Maintenance work people. remarks
MI, Cardinal Mercier. such
@AooAeM' as leaving to Belgian
industry its machinery and accessories,
it's raw materials and its manufactured
goods which have passed from Belgium
into Germany. And it is neither to the
quarries nor to the lime kilns to which
the Germans themselves declare they
will send our unemployed that our
specialists will go to complete their
professional education.
The naked TRUTH adds Cardinal
Mercier. "is that every deported work
man is another soldier for the German
army. He VIII take the place of
German workman who will be made
into a soldier. Thus the situation
which we denounce to the civilized
world may be reduced to these terms:
Four hundred thousand workmen have
been thrown out Of work by no fault
of their own and largely on account
of the regime of the occupation. sons.
husbands and fathers of families, they
bear their unhappy lot without Inur-
muring. respectful of public order; ma
tional solidarity provides their most
pressing wants: by dint OF unselfsh
thrift and self-denial they escape ex-
treme destitution. and they await with
dignity and in mutual anection
, which our national SORROWS have in
tensifed the end of our common or
deal
Replying to the inquiries OF the
United States government concern!hg
Mercier's protest and appeal to the
world over Belgian deportations, the
German government asserts thst us
action is in accordance with the princi-
pies of international law. Moreover.
the following paragraphs which ap-
pear in the Norddeutsche Allgemeine
Zeitung cannot fail to create bad inn
preston in the capitals of the neutral
the United States. Spain. Holland,
Switzerland and the Vatican. The para
graphs in question read thus; ,
The German government highly de-
campaign Of her enemies the conditions
have been completely distorted in the
United States.
.1The German government finally feels
obliged to point out the fact that me
deportation of the German population
from parts of Germany and from Ger
man colonies occupied by hostile troops
especial1y the deportation OF women,
children and old persons from E~aS'erh ~
Prussia to Siberia. has SO far as known
here given to neutral states no lncen-
tive to take steps with the respective
governments similar to those now
taken toward Germany"
Germany's response has reused public
opinion to a high pitch of indignation,
as testified by the
Mass Meeting mass '"ee,,"S ,,,, III >a,,,
in New York. YORK. on Friday
night. December Is. when 3.ooo persons
protested against Germanys action IN
the matter of the deportation OF BEL
gian citizens.
The meeting was convoked to respond
to the appeal of Cardinal Mercier. the
true sense of which had failed to reach
the public until the morning of 'ecem-
her Is. important because As known II
touched to the depths all true Ameri-
cans. irrespective of party, race or re-
t5,b an a u,ijck notice from Mr.. Fred
erick W. Whitridge. was filled with
mauifestants eager to pronounce in favor
Of brave Belgium. ,.
Rev pr Manning of Trinity thur'i''
who presided in presenting senator
Root said that there was none no,s