The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-25
BELG|AnS SUFFER HORRORS.
GERMANS TEACH ENEMIES THE
HELLISHNESS OF STRIFE.
Report by Brand Whitlock, United
State Minister TO Belgium, Shows
to What Extent TeutOns Carried
Their Brutality in Removal of Bel
CLAN Citizens te Force Them to
Work.

Washington, April 21.-A bitter IN.
dictment Of German brutality in the
deportation of conquered Belgians fol
forced labor, written from behind the
German lines by Brand Whitlock
American minister to Belgium, was
made public tonight by the state de-
partment. 1t came in a confidential
report last January when the United
Sttaes was vainly protesting to Berlin
against the treatment of the helpless
people, but the department did not
dare publish it at that time or until
Mr.. Whtilock was safe on French soil.
The report begins with a story t
what happened Immediately after the
army overran Belgium. OF arrange
ments by the Belgian government to
continue the wages Of civilians thrown
out Of work and Of the corquerors'
determination to put these men to
work for them.
I'm August, Won Hindenburg was
appointed to the supreme command"
says the report. HE is said to have
criticised Won Bisslug's policy as too
mild. There was a quarrel; Won Bis
sing went to Berlin to protest, threat
ened to resign but did not He re-
turned and German official hero
said that Belgium would now be sub
1ected to q more terrible regime
would learn what war was. The
prophesy has been vindicated.
"The deportation began in October
In the Etape. at Ghent and at Bruges
The policy spread; the rich industrial
districts Of Hainault, the mines and
steel works about Charleroi were next
attacked. Now they are seizing men
In Brabant, even in Brussels, despite
some indications and even predictions
Of the civil authorities that the policy
was about to be abandoned.
"As by one Of the ironies of life,
the winter has been more excessively
cold than Belgium has ever known
and while many Of those who pre-
sented themselves were adequately
protected against the cold many of
them were without overcoats. The
men shivering from cold and fear, tho
from weeping wives and chill
iren. the barriers Of brutal uhlans
all this made the. scene pitiable and
one.
The rage, the terror and despair
excited by the measure all over Bel
gium were beyond anything we had
witnessed since the day the Germans
poured into Brussels. The delegates
OF the commission for relief in Bel
GUM, returning to Brussels, told the
most distressing stories Of the scene
of cruelty and sorrow attending the
seizures. And daily. hourly almost.
since that time. appalling stories have
been related by Belgians coming to
the legation. 1t Is impossible for us
to exercise all possible tact in dealing
with the subject at all and secondly,
because there Is no means of COM
munication between the occupations
gebiet and the estappengebiet.
"The we'll known tendency of sen.
sational reports to exaggerate them
selves. especially in time Of war and
In q. situation like that existing here
with no newspapers to serve as q
daily clearing house for all the ru-
mors that are as avidly believed as
they are eagerly repeated, should of
course be considered. but even if a
modicum Of all that is told is true
there still remains enough to stamp
this deed as one Of the foulest that his
tory records.
II am constantly in receipt of re-
ports from all over Belgium that tend
to bear out the stories one constantly
hears Of brutality and cruelty. A mum.
ber OF men sent back to Mons are said
to be in a dying condition, many of
them tubercular. At Malines and at
Antwerp returned men have died,
their friends asserting that they have
been victims of neglect and cruelty. Of
cold. of exposure. of hunger.
II have had requests from the burg
omasters Of ten communes from La
lauvier asking that permission he OBJ
tanned to send to the deported men In
Germany packages OF food similar to
those that are being sent to prisoners
Of war. Thus far the German au-
thorities have refused to permit this
except in special instances and return
ing Belgans claim that even when
such packages are received they are
used by the camp authorities only a.
another means Of coercing them tC