Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-19
BELGIANS DEPORTED
BY THE THOUSANDS
In Many Places ALI Males Over
II Summoned to Appear
Before Authorities,
WOMEN STORM THE TRAINS

no hague Via LOHuoHJ, NOV. TO- q
The number OF Belgians deported
by the Germans up to date, according
to information given the Associated
Press today from a reliable source, q
apparently is between 10000 and
10000, and they are being deported
at the rate of about 1000 daily.
Antwerp. it was said, has been CON-
mandcd to furnish $4,000. which prob
ably is not more than 10 per cent of
its able-bodied population, but the
commune of Lessines las lost more
than 1000, representing virtually ev-
cry able bodied man, excepting Off
Gals.
People Terrorized.
The entire Belgian population, the
narrator said, is terrorized because
the people realize they are entirely
helpless Crowds of hysterical wom-i
en- and children gather at the railway
and recruiting stations, and many
women at Janlappes threw themselves
on the rails TO prevent the departure
of train OF emigrants and had to be
iorcihly removed by German soldiers.
The men are frequently loaded into
cattle cars and spend one or two days
on the journey, They are strongly
determined to refuse to work, believ-
ing that If they are not employed in
military works, they will be compelled
to replace Germans and be forced to
work directly or indirectly against
the Belgian army and its allies. The
| deported men, in trains passing
through Liege, are declared to have
been heard singing the Marseillaise
and other patriotic airs.
Tied to Posts.
The newspaper reports case near
Vallencienes of sixty Frenchmen, who,
impressed by the Germans, refused to
work and are declared to have been
tied to posts for forty-eight hours
until half of them tainted from hard
ships and hunger.
Many prominent Belgians are reg
ported not to have hesitated to risk
their liberty by the strongest of pro-
tests to the German authorities against
the deportations. Various official
bodies have drafted resolutions of pro-
test and the senators and deputies OF
Antwerp and Hainault provinces have
taken especially strong action In the
premises and are said to be daily ex-
pecting deportation.
Neutrals in Belgium, especially the
ministers, are receiving many appeals
to try and induce their governments
to intervene. The newspaper La Libre
Bclgique, which has maintained wide
circulation throughout Belgium for
more than year, despite the efforts
of the Germans to discover its authors
and suppress the sheet, has published
special number containing an appeal
to the neutral nations.
Must Bring Books.
The officers deputed for the enroll
ment OF the workmen are said to pay
visits to various towns and order the
assembly at the railway stations OF
virtually all males, under heavy penal
ties for refusal to comply. The word
ing of the notices varies in the differ
ent sections of Belgium and northern
France. One notice posted in north
ern France gives assurances that the
men will not be employed under con-
tinuous fire. The Antwerp order noti-
fes students to bring their books and
musicians their instruments. The au-
thorities promise the men good wages
and liberty to remit money from Ger
many to their families in Belgium. All
Of them are offered an opportunity to
sign voluntary agreement to work.
| They are informed, it was stated, that
if they refuse to sign they will be
treated worse, but virtually all refuse
to do so.
Unfit Eliminated.
Wherever the males assemble for
deportation doctors examine them and
the physically unfit are eliminated, to-
gether with municipal and relief Off
cials. Those without regular employ
ment are the first selected for deporta.
ton.
The principal object of the deporta-
tons, it was said, appears to be to Sc
cure skilled workers. Men regularly
employed have been enrolled from
several communes. A large number
was taken at Jamappes from factories
which were running and we're self
supporting. and bank employees were
impressed at Mons.
Despite the statements credited to
German officers that the deported
men will not be employed in military
work, the Belgians are declared to
fear the contrary, as it has been re-
ported that large bodies of men have
been taken to northern France and
employed in cutting timbers for
trenches and that others in northern
Belgium have been forced to dig
trenches.
Want 100000.
London, Nov. H.-Thirty thousand
Belgians already have been deported
to Germany, according to information
received here through official chan
nels. Reports from the same source
say the Germans plan to take some
100000, judged from the order issued
in number of cities for all males
over II to report for inspection.
The municipal council OF Journal
has formally declined to accede to
the German demands, the reports say,
protesting that hitherto it had
acquiesced to all German orders.
General HOPPER thereupon imposed
a fine of 100000 marks, it is added,
for the refusal of the council to fur
nish list of male inhabitants, with
a further fine of 10000 marks daily
as long as the council refused to give
the list.
All Over II, Summoned.
A circumstantial report from the
Mons district says that the en-