Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-15
DEPORTATION OF
BELG|ANS MAY END
RELIEF MEASURES
Germany Declares Destitute
All Able Bodied Persons
Receiving Aid
THESE ARE DEPORTED
AND PLACED AT WORK
America Desires Only To Re-
ieve Suffering Among
the Destitute

Washington, Nov. 15.-Fear was ex-
pressed in Washington today that the
relief OF destitute Belgium by America
may be seriously interfered with, per-
haps actually brought to an end.
The fear grew out of the admission
that deporting of Belgians into Ger
many had reached such scale that the
state department has taken the matter
| up with the German government. The
German policy, 1t is understood has
been to declare destitute any able
bodied Belgians VINO accept relief sup
plies and put them to work TO relieve
the strain on public charity. This
course, officials here believe today, may
result in England and France asking
that the United States relief work stop.
since it apparently plays into the hands
Of the German government.
Charge Grew at Berlin has been di-
rceted to take the matter up personally
with Chancellor Won BethmaDn- HOll-
veg, telling the latter that deportations
of the Belgians were certain to affect
neutral opinion. Grew had reported to
the state department the effect Of dis
cussions of the subject with Under See
retary of Foreign Affairs Zimmerman
| The latter is said TO have told Grew
that so many Belgians had refused to
work that policy Of compelling them to
work had been adopted.
Effect on Neutrals Bad
The instructions to Grew were not
planned today, but q memorandum ex
| pressing the opinion Of this government
based on two main arguments:
hn t,,k af 10
The unfortunate effect they would
have upon neutral nations, particularly
the people of the United States.
! The information on which the memo
randum was based was received by the
department solely from American dip
lematic and consular officials In Bel
gium.
The department action was taken
on its own initiative, not on representa-
tions from any allied government. The
state department hopes for an early and
favorable outcome of the negotiations
The United States representations
were made as "the representative or
the Belgian government in German oc-
cupied Belgium, high state depart
ment official said today?.
However anxious this government
| might HdNt Dttll W uhNN oboh hoIAc
sentations on the ground of humanity,
il is not so likely we would have done
so were we not representing Belgium s
Interests officially he said. "The
practice of deportation is, in itself, not
necessarily without International prece-
dent to sanction it. II is often more
the purpose and methods employed
which cannot be condoned from the
standpoint Of humanity
The allies are expected TO take the
view that in compelling BeIgians 20
work, Germany is seeking 10 release
lust that many Germans from necessary
labor and to add them TO the fighting
forces. The United States it was off
cially declared, is acting independently
Reports that this country would JOIN
with Spain, Holland or the vatisan IN
protesting were declared untrue. In
maintaining independence in it's pro-
test the United States is carrying out
q policy adopted for relief work IN
Syria, Poland and Armenia.
l In trying 10 obtain cessation OF
forced labor and return TO Belgium
of already exiled citizens, the United
s ates is doing what il did for French
women of Lille, who We're deported 10
Germany Americas efforts will result
in the return of the women, 70 IS stat
! ed.