Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-05
LN#EhANAEaF
GERMANS SEIZE
MORE BELGIANS
Fugitive Declares Many
More Workrnen Are Be 4
ing Enslaved.
Enforced Toiling for Kais-
er's Taskmakers Called
Worse than Slavery.

Washington, Sept. 5.-The following
statement, made public by the state
department, has been made by a Bell
g1an workman, who made his way
across the frontier from Belgium. He
lived near h Dutch frontier and the
s%eacoast. Names are not given, as he
has left relatives behind.
I had to leave the small seaside
place where I had lived since my
childhood, because life became un-
~Dearable. It was slavery, and though
l cannot tell you the means of my
escape, you may imagine a man be-
comes desperate under. such circum-
stances n prefers taking any risks
than serve his country's enemies.
Begin on Small Scale.
The Germans announced at the be-
ginning of January last that every
man or woman from is to 60 would
De compelled to work. They did not
take everybody at once, but once you
had begun work for them you were
never left free again.
They began with the unmarried
men,; the they took the married
ones. They had not yet taken the
they already had done SO in other
places close by.
In order to prevent people escap-
Ing to another part Of the country,
they obliged us all to go to the kom-
mandantur, where our identity cards
and passports we're confscated. AS you,
cannot walk a mile in the army zone
withou showing your papers, we were
practically prisoners.
800 Persons Taken.
Every week an officer with two
soldiers went from house to house
requisitioning more labor. They
ha1 foEnn on. 49, - -l-.
have no doubt the whole village is
forced to work by now.
Inc work was done either on the
spot, where we had to repair and
clean buildings, cut wood, etc., along
the Dutch frontier, where we had to
build trenches and concrete works, or
behind the German lines in the region
OF Westende and Lombaertzide, where
we were mainly employed in build
Ing roads and railway lines.
This was by far the worst place
since we were frequently exposed to
shell fire and to gas attacks. Having
no masks, we We're Obliged to take
shelter when a bell rang to warn us.
When I left there had not been any
casualties among the men of my vii
lage, but l know for certain that at
least five farm laborers from a
~neighboring village, who had been
taken to work behind the lines with
their horses, were killed or died from
their wounds.
Stricken With Disease.
I'VE slept in badly built wooden
hutg. Many of US had to be sent back
with rheumatism; others developed
bronchitis and pneumonia.
We were paid one mark a day, but
as h food was scarce we had prac-
tically to depend on u wages to APP
pease our hunger, so that when we
came back home for one day, every
three weeks, we had practically moth
ine left to bring back with us. Those
who worked closer to their homes
were paid % pfenning per hour, but
received no food; they were allowed
to go back every night.
1t was no use trying to protest. It
only meant more trouble and misery,
prison and blows. One of my friends,
who struggled to escape, was nearly
killed by a bayonet thrust. y
Deported Never Return.
Besides, the Germans are only too
glad if you resist. They have made a
rule to send to Germany any man or
woman who gets more than three
months Imprisonment. And none OF
those. who have been deported has
come back after his time.
Six months g one of my neigh
bors, a widow, who had to protect her
daughter against a German officer, re-
ceived four months for having said or
this occasion that all Germans were
pigs. She was sent to Germany, and
we have heard since that she is oblig.
ed to work in a kommando and has
no hope of returning: before the END
OF the war. This only is a cas- among
hundreds. :
The German tribunals have pro.
vided many Belgian workers for the
fatherIand."