Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-05
$4,000 REDUCED TO
SLAVERY is CLAIM
Belgian Laborers Address an
Appeal to American
Workingmen.
APPRECIATE WORK OF U. s.

By the Associated Press.
PARIS. December 5.-'Tifty thousand
Belgian workfngmen have been re-
duced to slavery by the Germans" de-
clares an appeal to American working
men prepared by Belgian laborers at a
secret meeting In Belgium and COM
municated through q reliable channel
to the Associated Press. The state
ment continues:
'The Germans have reduced 100000
workers to fdleness through the seiz-
ure Of raw materials and machines.
They have plundered Belgium of 1.000.-
100000 francs in money on the pretext
of a war contribution and Of 5000. 000.-
900 francs in provisions through the
medium Of requisitions.
Then under the pretext Of idleness,
which they themselves had provoked.
and of need which arose entirely from
declare that Be1gians must either sign
voluntarily an agreement to serve Ger
many or be deported forcibly for en-
forced labor at 80 pfennigs q day and
their food. The food was of such quail
ity that those who had finally become
so enfeebled that it was impossible to
get more work out of them and were
sent back to Belgium had lost a third
'Tt is thanks to the United States that
the Belgians have not been starved. We
hope, thanks to the United States. that
Belgian workers will not be reduced to
a state of slavery"
Reply to Dutch Protest.
According to Rotterdam dispatch to
the Times, Germany has replied to the
Dutch protest regarding the Belgian
deportations in words which are tan
tamount to saying: Mind your own
business" The dispatch says that a
diplomatic discussion Is proceeding
between the two countries.
The British government in conjunc-
ton with Great Britain's allies has is
sued a declaration regarding the pres
ent state of Belgium" in which protest
is made to the civilized world against
the slave raids'' conducted by the Ger
man authorities in Belgium and a
work of relief which neutrals have
built up is in danger of falling"
Documents received here give the
text of the reply Of Gen. Won Kissing.
dinal Mercier's letter of October 10,
and the cardinals rejoinder of Novem-
Der TO-
Gen. Won Bissing's reply. dated Octo-
Der rs. begins by denying any violation
Of the assurance the German COM
manders gave at the beginning of the
war that no men would be removed
from Belgium, declaring that such re-
movals had been justified by the
clandestine emigration of large num-
bers of young men wishing to join the
Belgian army" He adds: THE Ger
man authorities would have been quite
justified in following the example of
England and France. but they have not
done So
He contends that the employment of
Belgian unemployed in Germany has
nothing to do with the conduct Of the
war. but is purely social and eco
nomic measure.
AMSTERDAM. Holland, December s.
The newspaper Les Nouvelles says the
Germans are beginning to reduce con-
siderably their requirements as to the
number of unemployed to be deported
from Belgium, and that the greater
part of the men who presented them
selves at Liege last week were sent
back to their homes. Only a few men
were taken from the surrounding viii
lagos.
The newspaper adds that apparently
the protests of neutrals have begun to
produce some effect. 1nvalids and boys
of fifteen years who have returned to
Client. Les Nouvelles says. report they
were forced to work on trenches in
the district of scissors and that their
food was bad and their treatment
harsh.