Bisbee daily review., 1916-11-15
Diplomat Ordered to Investi- gate Compulsory Labor Plan Recently Adopted in Crush ed Nation by Germans.
RELATIONS MAY BE
 STRAINED BY ACTION
Civilians Forced to Work in Order that Teutons May Leave Positions and Go On Firing Line, Is Report.
(By Review Leased Wire.)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14-Deporta- tion of Belgian civilians into Germa- ny for forced labor has reached such serious proportions that American Charge Drew, at Berlin, has been di- rected by the State Department to take the matter up personally with Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg. The charge was requested to say that such deportations could not but have most unfortunate. effec. on neu tral opinion. particularly in the Unit ed States, which has the welfare of the Belgian civilian population very much at heart.
 The instructions, it was learned to- day, grew out of long report from Charge Grew ir which he stated that | he had discussed the situation infor-
 mally and unofficially with Under l Secretary of Foreign Affairs Zimmer- man. The latter admitted that defii
 nite policy had been adopted to en- | force the labor of Belgians in cases | where they would not work voluntari- " on the ground that so many refused ' to work as to make the strain on pub | lie charity intolerable.
 Pledges Are Violated
 ! The deportations are viewed here not only as violation of international
 law but in a degree as violation of l Germany's assurances to Ambassador l Gerard last June. which though relat- | ing to the 20,000 French women and girls deported from Lille, Roubaix and | Tourcoing, are felt to be applicable | to the Belgium situation. At that | time, when Ambassador Gerard had | gone to general headquarters in ! France to discuss the attack on the | Sussex with Emperor William, all the American relief headquarters in north | ern France were called into confer
 ence and assurance given by the Ger
 mans that no further deportations
 would be made.
 Reports from Rome that the United States has joined or will join the Vat
 ican, Spain and the Netherlands in a joint protest is declared to be untrue. Public Appeal Made
 The deportations are regarded by | some officials here as an attempt to | -elease German workers for the firing line by replacing them with Belgians.
 More than any other one thing this is
 expected to increase the bitterness of | the allies toward Germany and their ! desire for peace through a crushing victory. Foreign Minister Beyens and
 Cardinal Mercier of Belgium have is sued public appeals to the neutral na- ions to effect a cessation of deporta- | tions. England also is deeply con | cerned.
 Reports as to the execution of the leportations vary in detail but not in | principle Those who go to Germany | are made to sign a general free-will
 contract under which they are assur-
 d good food. salary. guarantee Of
 "are for their families and freedom Of | correspondence with them. Those | ~efusing to sign are said to be coerced
 when possible through Imprisonment f this is unsuccessful in securing sig
 'atures, the labor is compulsory at 30
 Jennings day without provision for
 antilles or permission to correspond
 Presidents Are Jailed
 The deportations assumed the'r
 'ost systematic form when. on Octob
 IT 10. the German governor-genera'
 -as reported to have requested the
 resident of the Comites Rationale de
 Secours. under penalty of imprison
 nent. to furnish lists of all Belgians (Continued on Page 9