El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-09-07
BELGIAN5 LOYAL
BUT SUFFERING
All Efforts of Germans to
Break Spirits Fail; Hague
Convention Useless.

SARATOGA Springs, y 7, Sept =
The story Of three years Of German
violation OF the covenants Of The
Hague convention, during the Teu-
tonic occupancy Of Belgium since the
world war began, was told briefly
TODAY bv Castor de Leval, Of the bar
Of Brussels. 10 members Of the Amer
lean Bar association, IN convention
here.
The imposing Of excessive fines
the punishment by death and impris-
onment Of Belgian men and women
and children fundamentally accused o.
treason and lesser crimes, and the de-
ro-tafion Of his cOmpatriots into
slavery were discussed by A-I. oe
I,avaI from legal viewpoint
PeopIe Loyal Despite sutferlnGs.
Notwithstanding, All the su1Lerlns
and tyranny 10 which the pes -
population has been suDJecteu' .e
sneaker asserted, the people are -
patriotic now as when II tne eaI4y
Deriod OF the war they stemmeu me
German flood at Liege.
NO matter how much the Germans
have advertised their victories alu
how powerfully their military system
has Impressed the Belgian popula-
lion" he said, that population IS just
as hoDeful as during the 1irst Gay
that the cause OF CIVILIZATION VI
triumph. and that tyranny VIII be
C-usbed because they know tnal
r5~hr Isl the only might, and that the
Lord has said Blessed are they Wnlcn
hunger ana thirst after righteous
ness for they shall be filled
SeuRrafe Flemish and WalloonE-
since the very beginning tney ttle
Cermansl cajoled the Flemish popu-
Ia-ion." he said. They tried to make
n believe that Germany was helping
their aSoirations TO free themselves
Of the troublesome Wal4oons. 4Ae4
told them that, owing 10 the German
efforts. these Walloon alu ~ -. -
elements were to be set aside ana the
Flemish population emerge rlcneI'
freer with its own language IN the
sBut the people did not listen 10
these siren songs. 50 the Germans
added compulsion 70 persuasion, ana
BY their new law made one country
Of the WauoOns and one country q
the Flemish. hoping. OF course, thar
after the war the Flemish population
at any rate would be a stepping stone
Tor Germany TO further conquest
But this separation is only on
Daper. and is not and viii never oe
completely obtained All the chleIs
Of Belgian departments have re-
signed rather than carry out sucn IN
structions and the Germans are now
sending TO German prisons the cnle1s
Of those departments
Tribute 10 America.
M de Leval paid tribute 70
Americas aid 10 his country ana
especially 60 Brand WhIlock, former
minister TO Belgium. His name, ne
said. will 90 down IN history, al
ding. I know that in no other eoun-
try Of the world so much as in Amer
lea. in this country OF freedom and I
justice. dc the sufterinEs OF the BEL
t-iars arouse sympathy You nave
Aaved Belgium from starVatlon; anu /
till the end Of time there viii be IN 1
each village Of Belgium memorial
nut I'D TO remind future generations 4
that il the Belgian race has not died
out honor for its preservation IS que
TO the citizens of free and generous
America
MERCER a Living Flag.
NJ &c Leval paid tribute also 70
cardinal MERCER. Who he said stood !
IN the country like living rag OF
Belgium. like a religious king, and
from all the world he received the I
homage due 10 his courage and /
genius"
Abiding to The Hague convention, |
Mr.. de LevaI quoted Article 80 which
states that the military authority
when occupying an enemy country
viii respect the laws OF that country
an absolute necessity
What is an absolute necessity
Mr. de LeVai continued "Un1ortun-
ately. The Hague convention gives no
definition and the speeches OF rs
members throw little light on the
subject
Necessity Made in Germany. i
The Germans have given to 'abso- ]
lutte necessity . wonderful extension.
II a law is required by which ma
r.H a HnHHH IN
be used by a German manufacturer /
for no matter what kind OF Work /
useful TO the German empire, II IS |
soon found an absolute necessity 10 /
empty a Belgian to replenish Ger /
man factory. II a German politician /
thinks that a certain rule imposed /
on Belgium viii have some political /
force in Germany in a quarter OF i
century. that rule viii be established i
IN Belgium by absolute necessity
4 Belgium courts seem too fair 10 /
The Germans 10 be relied upon when I
be an absolute necessity to modify |
the rules Of those courts and 20 bring /
before a special court, made IN Ger 4
many all questions in which such /
interest is concerned
Hague Convention VnIueIesH.
when tested by the facts, in Bel
GUM, The Hague convention. at any /
rate in this matter. proved almost
Faiueless- It IS very nice TO say that \
the occup ant shall not m sffy the ex-
listing law Of the occupied territory /
except in case Of absolute necessity. I
But, as I have already asked, what is /
absolute necessity It NAV be q /
moral, or rather immoral il nav be Z
a legal or Illegal It may be an eco !
uomic necessity; Il may be a political I
or a military necessity. Who is to 4
decide? Who is TO be the Judge Of 4
this most perplexinE issue2
"ImpOtent Hague conventions ex
claimed 3Ir. de LevaL IF the GENTLE
men who sat around the diplomatic ]
tables at The Hague. when drafting I
the rules by which the civilized na-I
tons bound themselves 10 be governed I
in war. could hear all the sarcasm. an /
the blame that was laid BY suffering I