The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-12-10

~ tho Commission for Relief in Bel.
GUM returning 20 Brussels. told the
most distressing stori~ Of the scenes
Of communication between The ooeu-
neirureA. And daily. hourly almost.
nlno. that time appalling stories
have bern related by BolgiAnH 70 inc
legation.
Brrwrri-s Inspected
s'r, 10 Impossible for Us 10 verify
than. first because IL 10 necessary
for us TO exercise all possible tact In
dealing with tho subject a; all. and
secondly. because there II no neanA
OF communication between the occu.
pa,ions-Goblet and the E,appen'
Gebiot-
characterization ~v~rywh~re In
Belgium is difficult. the yleind rail
ways Scarcely Operating any more
because OF the lack of oal. while All
the horsoa have bean taken Tho
people who arc forced to go from
one village 20 another must DO 90
on foo, or in vans drawn by the fcw
miserable horses that are left The
wagons OF tho brcwcrica. tn. one In
s,i,ution that tho Germans have
scrupuiousiy respected. are hauled
by oxen"
Tho well known tendency % sen.a-
,ional reports TO cragKerate them
selves. whitiock points out. gives &C.
casion for great prudence In belicT-
Ing r,lmor. but he adds that even " =
modicum Of all that " told IL true
there stili remains enough TO stamp
this deed as ono Of the fouiest that
history records.
4 am constantly IN receipt of w.
ports from ali over Belgium that
tend 20 bear out tho stories ono con.
Htantiy hears Of brutality and cruel.
". A numbcr of man scnt back TO
Mons are said 20 10 In n dying condi.
tons. many OF them tubercular. At
Maiino- and Antwerp returned men
have died. their friends as-ert;ng
that they have been victims OF neg.
iect and cruelty. OF cold. OF exposure.
of hunger"
whitlock and tho Spanish and
Dutch ministers protested against
tho deportation OF men who were at
work already. because they clearly
did not como within tho brutal Ger
man order that all unemployed men
should BE- deported. The Spanish -
ration lodged protests concerning
about 700 men day. and the Dutch
about as high M 1900. Whitlook at
that time estimated that loo. 900 per.
sons had been deportcd. OF whom
only 1000 were returned.
Huns Cruel Blundcrs
Belgian burgomasters asked Whit.
lock Co obtain permission TO send
package. OF food TO tho deported.
similar 10 those sent to prisoners OF
war. but except In special instances.
this was refused.
whitlock concludes his report as
follows
"Ono interesting result Of the dc
portations remains TO he noted. re
suit that once moro places I'm relief
the German capacity for laundering.
almost as great ms tho German capa.
city for cruelty. Until the deporta-
tons were begun. there was no in.
tense hatred on the part OF the low.
or classes. that In. tho workingmen
and the peasants. The old Germans
Of the Landsturm had been quar-
tered In Flemish homes: they and the
inmates spoke nearly the Same Ian
ruage: they got along fairly well:
they helped the women with the
work. the poor and the humble hav.
ing none OF those hatreds OF patriot.
ism that are among tho privileges OF
the upper classes
Fires Of Hate Lighted
"Tt ~ conceivable that the Elem.
ish population might have existed
under German rule. Il was Teutonic
In It's origin and nntl.Fronch always
But now the Germans have
changed all that. They have dealt
mortal blow TO any prospect they
may ever have had Of being toler.
atcd b, the population of Flanders;
in tearing away from nearly every
humble home In the land n husband
and father or son and brother,
they have lighted fire Of hatred
that will never 70 out; they have
brought home Ia every heart I'm the
land In u way that VIII impress It's
horror indclibIy ON the memory Of
three generations. realization Of
what German methods mean, not.
n with the early atrocities. In the
heat Of passion and tho first lust of
war. but by one OF those deeds that
make one despair Of the future of
the human race. deed coldiy
planned, siudiously matured and
deliberately and systematically exc
cuted. u deed 80 cruel that German
soldiers are said 10 have wcpt In Its
execution. and al monstrous that
even German officers are now said
a.. la ashamed"