Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
GERMAN BRUTALITY
BITTERLY INDICTED
c Minister whitIock Tells Story
of Inhuman Treatment of
Helpless BeIgians.
DEPICTS PITIABLE SCENES

A bitter indictment of German brutal
ity in the deportation of conquered Eel
gians for forced labor, written from be
hind the German lines by Brand Whit
lock. American minister to Belgium. was
made public last night by the state De
partment 1t came in confidential re-
port last January. when the United
States was vainly protesting to Berlin
against the treatment of the helpless
people. but the department did not dare
publish 1t at that time or until Mr.. Whit
lock was safe on French soil.
The report begins with a story of what
!, happened Immediately after the German
army overran Belgium, OF arrangements
by the Belgian government to continue
the wages of civilians thrown out of
work and of the conquerors determine
ton to put these men to work for them.
Mr.. Whitlock's Narrative.
In August Won Hindenburg was ap-
pointed to the supreme command. He is
said to have criticised Won Bissing's
policy as too mild: there was a quarrel;
. Won Kissing went to Berlin to protest.
threatened to resign, but did not. He re-
turned. and a German official here said
that Belgium would now be subjected to
more terrible resfme, would learn what
war was The prophecy has been vim
dicated.
= The deportations began in October in
the Etape. at Client and at Bruges. The
policy spread: the rich industrial dis
tricts OF Hainaut the mines ard steel
works about Charleroi were next at
tackled. now they are Selling men in
Brabant. even in Brussels. despite some
indications and even predictions of the
civil authorities, that the policy was
about to be abandoned
During the last fortnight men have
been impressed here in Brussels. but
their seizures here are made evidently
with much greater care than in the
provinces. with more regard for the APP
pearances. There was no public an
nouncement of the intention to deport.
but suddenly about ten days ago
tain men in towns whose names are
: on the list of chomeurs received sum
mons notifying them to report at one
of the railway stations a given day:
penalties were fixed for failure to re-
.fspond to the summons and there was
printed on the card an offer of employ
ment by the German government. either
In Germany or Belgium.
= Total Of $50 Respond.
''On the first day. out of about 1900
men ordered to present themselves at
!, the Care du Midi. about $50 responded.
= These were examined by German ply
-Fsicians and 800 were taken. There was
no disorder. large force of mounted
Uhlans keeping back the crowds and
barring access to the station to all but
those who had been summoned to APP
c4pear. The commission for relief in
Belgium had secured permission to give
:. to each deported man loaf of bread
and some of the communes provided
warm clothing for those who had none
Z and in addition a small financial allow
ance- AS by one of the ironies of life,
the winter has been more excessively
cold than Belgium has ever known it.
and while many of those who pre-
= scented themselves were adequately pro-
%tected against the cold. many of them
were without overcoats. The men shiv
ering from cold and fear. the parting
, from weeping wives and children. the
barriers of brutal Uhlans. all this made
the scene a pitiable and distressing one.
1T was understood that the seizures
would continue here in Brussels, but
Thursday last. bitter cold day. those
that had been convoked were sent home
without examination. 1t is supposed
that the severe weather has moved the
Germans to postpone the deportations.
= Rage, Terror and Despair.
The rage. the terror and despair ex-
cited by this measure all over Belgium
were beyond anything We had wit
messed since the day the Germans
poured into Brussels. The delegates of
the commission for relief in Belgium,
returning to Brussels. told the most
distressing stories of the scenes of
cruelty and sorrow attending the
seizures. And daily, hourly almost.
been related by Belgians coming to the
legation. 1t is impossible for us to
verify them; first. because it is neces-
sary for to exercise all possible
tact in dealing with the subject at all,
land secondly. because there is no
rmeans of communication between the
Occupations Gebiet and the Etappen
Gebiet. Transportation everywhere in
Belgium is difficult. the vicinal rail-
ways scarcely operating any more be-
cause of the lack of oil. while all the
horses have been taken. The people
who are forced to go from one village
to another must do SO on foot in vans
drawn by the few miserab horses that
ARE left. The wagons of the breweries.
the one institution that the Germans
have scrupulous.y respected. are HAILED
by ..r oxen v.,, know, tendency ss,s,
: t!onat reports 20 exaggerate themselves
. especially IN time of war, and in a
situation Like that existing here, with
no newspapers to serve as a daily clear
ing house for all the rumors that are
AS avidly believed as they are eagerly
repeated. should. of course, be consid-
cred. but even II madicum of all that
IL told is true, there still remains
! enough to stamp this deed as one of the
foulest that history records.
Reports From Every Section.
Il am constantly in receipt of reports
from all over Belgium that tend to
bear out the stories one constantly
hears of brutality and cruelty. num-
Der of men sent back to Mons are said
20 be in dying condition, MANY of
them tubercular. At Malnes and at
Antwerp returned men have died. their
= friends asserting that they have been
victims of neglect and cruelty, of cold.
8 OF exposure, Of hunger
Il have had reports from the burgo-
masters of ten communes from La
Louviere. asking that permission be 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 authori-
ties have refused TO permit this ex-
cept in special instances, and returning
Belgians claim that even when such
= packages are received they are used
4 by the camp authorities only as an
other means Of coercing them to sign
the agreements TO work
1t is said that in spite of the liberal
= salary promised those who would sign