The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-12-25
BITTER DAYS
FOR BELGIUM
Misery of the Afflicted People Set
Forth i'm the Letter of Cardinal
Mercier
ASSOCIATED Press)

New York, Dec. 25.-Cardinal Mer-
cier's protest against the deportation
of Belgians to Germany, only brief
excerpts of which came in the cable
dispatches, has been received here by
the Associated Press in its full text,
as follows:
"Malines, November 7th, 1916.
Every day the military authori-
ties deport from Belgium into Ger
many thousands of inoffensive citizens
to oblige them there to perform fore
ed labor.
GAS early as October 10Th we sent
to the governor general a protest, a
copy of which was handed to the
representatives of the Holy See, of
Spain, the United States and Holland,
in Brussels, but the governor general
replied to it that nothing could be
done.
"At the time of our protestation,
the orders of the occupying power
threatened only the unemployed; to-
day every able-bodied man is carried
off, pell-mell, assembled in freight
cars, and carried off to unknown
parts, like herd of slaves. The en-
emy proceeds by regions. Vague
rumors had come to our ears that ar
rests had ben made in Tournau, Client
and Alost, but we were not aware of
the conditions under which they had
been made. Between October oath
and November End, it occurred in the
region of Mons, Quievrain, Saint
Guislain and Jemappes, in punches of
800 to 1900 men a day. The next,
and the following days, it occurred in
the ACCOMPLISHMENT of Nivelles. Here
is a speciment of the announcement
concerning the proceedings:
"'By order of the Kreischef every
male person over II years old, shall
present himself, Place Saint Paul, in
Nivelles, on November 9Th, 1916, at 8
o'clock belgian time) 9 o'clock (cen-
trail time) bringing with him his iden-
tifcation card and eventually his card
from the meldeamt.
"tOnly small handbaggage is per-
mitted.
Those not presenting themselves
will be forcibly deported into Ger
many and will besides be liable to a
heavy fine and to long Imprisonment.
'Ecclesiastics, physicians, lawyers
and teachers are exempt from this
order.
"'The mayors will be held response
Bile for the proper execution of this
order which must be brought immed-
lately to the knowledge of the inhab-
itants.'
Between the announcement and the
deportation there is an interval of
only "a hours,
"Under pretext of public works to
be performed on Belgian soil, the oc-
cupying power had attempted to OBJ
tain from the communities the lists
Of working men out of work. Most of
the communities 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,
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
noncompliance will be adjudged by
Belgian tribunals.
"a second decree, dated May End,
1916, reserves the right of the Ger
man authorities, to supply work to
the idle and threatens fine of three
years Imprisonment and 10000 marks
impossible on anybody executing or
ordering to be executed work not ap-
proved by the general government.
"Uhder the same decree, the right
to Judge infractions which had re-
manned with the Belgian tribunals,
passes from the Belgian to the Ger
man tribunals.
"a third decree, dated May 18th,
artillery will be allowed to work on