Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-14

cier's protest against the deportation Of
Belgians to Germany, only brief ex-
cerpts Of which came in the cable dis
patches, has been received here by The
Associated Press in its full text, as
follows:
MALINES, November 7th. 1915.
Every day the military authorities
deport from Belgium into Germany
thousands Of inoffensive citizens to OBJ
lige them there to perform forced la
Dor.
LAS early as October 18th we sent to
the Governor General protest, a copy
Of which was handed to the representa-
tives Of the Holy See, Of Spain, the
United States and Holland. in Brussels,
but the Governor General replied to
1t that nothing could be done.
AT the time Of our protestation, the
orders of the Occupying Power
threatened only the unemployed; to-
day every ablebodied man Is carried
off. pell-mell. assembled in freight
cars, and carried off to unknown parts,
like a herd of slaves. The enemy pro-
ceeds"by regions. Vague rumors had
come to our ears that arrests had been
made In Tournau, Client and Alost,
but we were not aware of the condi-
tons under which they had been-made.
Between October oath and November
End, 1t occurred in the region Of
Mons. Quievrain, Saint Guislain.
Jemappes. in punches of 500 to 1900
men a day. The next and the follow
ing days, it occurred in the Arrondiss-
ment of Nivelles. Here is a specimen
OF the announcement concerning the
proceedings:
BY order Of the Kreischef every
male person over II years old, shall pre-
sent himself. Place Saint Paul in Nj
velles, on November Sth, 1916, at 8
O'Clock belgian time) o'clock (Cen-
trail Time) bringing with him his iden-
tification card and eventually his card
from the Meldeamt.
Only small handbaggage is per-
mitted.
those not presenting themselves
will be forcibly deported into Germany
ana Will besides be liable to a heavy
fine and to long imprisonment.
'Ecclesiastics, physicians, LAWYERS
and teachers are exempt from this or
der.
The mayors will be held respons-
IDLE for the proper execution of this or
DER Which must be brought immediate-
ly to the knowledge Of the inhabitants.
Between the announcement and the
deportation there Is an interval of onIv
"A hours.
Under pretext Of public works to be
performed on Belgian soil, the Occupy
ing Power had attempted to obtain
from the communities the lists of work.
Ing men out of work. Most of the COM
munities proudly refused
Three DEGREES from the General
Government prepared the way for the
execution which is in force today.
, Under date Of August 18th, 1915, a
first decree imposes, under penalty Of
imprisonment and fine, forced work on
the idle, but adds that the work is to
be executed in Belgium, and that nom
compliance will be adjudged by Belgian
Tribunals.
"A second decree, dated May End,
1916, reserves the right of the German
authorities, to supply work to the idle
and threatens fine Of three years i'm
and 10000 marks impossible
executed work not approved of by the
General Government.
Under the same decree, the right to
judge attractions which had remained
with the Belgian tribunals, passes from
the Belgian to the German tribunals.
"A third decree, dated May 18th, 1916.
authorizes the Governors. the military
commanders and the chiefs of arron-
easements to order that the unem-
ployed he conducted by force to the
places where they must work. This
was already forcible working, although
in Belgium.
Now it is no longer a question of
forcible working in Belgium, but in
Germany, and for the benefit Of the
Germans.
10 give an appearance Of plausibil-
ity to these violent measures, the Oc-
cupying Power insisted in the German
Press, both in Germany and Belgium,
on these two pretexts: the unemployed
constitute danger to public order, and
burden on official benevolence.
ITO this we replied in a letter adj
dressed to the Governor General and
to the head Of the Political Depart
ment. on October 18th, as follows:
You are we'll aware that public or
der is in no wise threatened and that
all influences. moral and civil, would
support you spontaneously were it in
danger.
The unemployed are not a burden
on official benevolence, it is not from
your funds that they receive assist
ance'
In his reply the Governor General
no longer urges these two first consid-
erations, but he alleges that 'doles to
the unemployed from whatever source
they may come at present, must finally
be charge upon our finances, and that
It Is the duty Of good administrator
to tighten such charges; he adds that
prolonged unemployment would cause
our wcrkmen to lose their technical
proficiency, and that in the time of
peace to come they would be useless to
True, there were other ways in
which our finances might have been
protected. We might have been spared
those war levies which have now
reached the sum of One Billion Francs,
and are still mounting up at the rate
If 40 millions a month; we might have
been spared those acquisitions in kind,
which amount to several thousands Of
and are exhausting us.