The sun., 1916-12-05
RELIEF WORK FOR
BELGIUM IN PERIL
British Government Issues
Warning That System
May Re Abandoned.
NJ IS BLAMED
Declaration Says Invaders In
tend to Turn Contributions
to Their Own Use.

LONDON. Dec. 1.-THE British Govern
ment. In conjunction with Great Britain'-
allies. has issued a declaration regard
ing Tire present state Of Belgium" In
which protest il made to the civilized
world against the slave raids con-
! Quoted by the German authorities In BEL
gium n = warning IA given to the
world that THE work Of relief which nett
trails have built UP is In danger Of fall
ing
The document after reciting the as
sistance the Entente Allies have given In
the past In the work Of relief In BEL
GUM says:
The Allies stipulated that the Ger
mans should draw no advantage from
the operations Of the neutral commits
sion: that they should not seize i'm
ported or native supplies and ,hat the
distribution Of relief should not be used
for the purpose Of coerclns Belgian
workmen against their consciencee
These conditions. which the Germans
were pledged to obey. ave been fire.
Qucntly violated.
Personal Freedom violated.
Now. however, the Germans have
abandoned all p%retence OF re ,pecting
personal freedom In Belgium. They
have deliberately ordered the suspension
OF the public relief works supported
by the commission and openly aimed at
creating unemployment. which furnishes
them an excuse for de%portations. They
have become themselves the organizers
and cooperators In man hunts. which
thAx. t>l>AA AnaA,Au ~. A-.-->t>
Africa. The machinery Of Belgian In.
dustry Is o totally destroyed. II eN-
ports OF Belgian foodstuffs have again
begun on a large scale.
The Allies must therefore warn the
world OF what Ia about to AXE place.
The central empires. as their own situa-
ton grows more desperate. intend to
tear up every guarantee on whic the
work OF the relief commission rests.
They intend to cast aside all their prom.
ises and use Belgian foodstuffs n Bel.
sian to support their own falling
strength.
Relief Work IN IA nser.
THE work Of relief which the neutrals
have built up for two years Is about to
lose its foundation and II in danger OF
falling.
Inc AlIlee DO not intend to change
their policy or desert the oppressed .
lation OF Belgium In this most critical
moment Of the var but as 1t will be i'm
possible for the relief work to continue
II Its basic guarantees are destroyed
they appear to the civilized world. not
on their own behalf. but on behalf OF
innocent civilians. who cannot protect
themselves. to see that this great work
OF International benevolence and CO.
operation. which has grown up amidst
the wal and for which the Allies have
advanced money. shall not be endan.
gered by treachery or destroyed by vio-
lence.
But they remind the world that the
German policy which stands revealed In
being carried out not only In Belgium.
but In North France and all the occupied
territories. The Allies pledge themselves
not to seek In the future. any more than
In the past. any advantage from the
operations Of this purely neutral commls-
sion"
Cardinal Mercier's Protest.
Documents received here give the text
Of the reply Of Gen. Won Kissing. Military
Governor of Belgium. to Cardinal Mer-
cier's letter Of October 10 and the
Cardinals rejoinder Of November 10.
v Will birSlIk y reply, udteu OC'O-
her rs. begins by denying any violation
OF the assurance the German c0mman l.
ers gave Mt the beginning of the war
that no men would he removed from Bel
Riun,, declaring that such removals had
been justified by the ~clandestine emil
grafton OF large numbers OF young men
wishing to join the Belgian army" Hc
adds: The German authorities would
have been quite justified in following the
example OF England and France. but
they have not done So"
Contending that the employment Of
Belgian unemployed In Germany has
nothing to do with the conduct of the
war. but is purely IA social aud economic
measure. Gen. Won Kissing says;
Great Britain's merciless economic
isolation OF Germany bears equally on
Belgium II deprives her OF raw ma.
terials and prevents the export Of manu-
features. and thus deals a vital blow.
leaving masses OF the people unemployed
and bringing a state of public calamity
to Belgium"
The Cardinals Reply. .
Replying on November 10. Cardinal
Mercier recalls the promise made by
Baron Won Hlehne. and subsequently
confirmed by Baron Won der Goltz. ana
says:
The undertaking was explicit and en-
,lrely without time limit that young
,eople have nothing to fear that they
nay be sent to Germany either to be
enrolled In the army or employed at
forced labor
This engagement has been violated
every day a thousand times for fifteen
days
In answer to Gen, Won Blssing's
charge that England and France have
done such things. Cardinal Mercler re-
minds him that he should looh to those
countries for revenge. not toward a
peaceful and disarmed population. The
Cardinal then denies tlat the Belgian
woTkers menaced public order. saying
1--WE million Belgians and some hundred
Americans are wondering witnesses ~
the dignity and impeccable patience of
our working classes"
Effect On the War.
Cardinal MERCER says that IL. as Won
Kissing declares, such labor has nothing
to do with the conduct OF the war. prop.
erly speaking, II has something to do
VIII the war, properly speaking
FOR" he continues. even IL a Bel
gan does not take up arms, he releases
the and OF a German workman who
will take them up"
The letter concludes as follows.
Two years z they say there was
death. there was pillage. there was burn
Ing. But It was war. To-day IL ia no
longer war. II IL cold calculation, de-
sired destruction, imposition of might
over right. the humiliation OF man In
6AhAnnA NJ