The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-01-03
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING IN OLD HOME
Summary Of the Most Important Hap
penings In the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

Assertion that the action of the Ger
man government in the deportation of
Belgians is absolutely in accordance
with the principles of international law
is made in the concluding sections of
Germany's reply to the inquiries of the
United States concerning this subject.
These paragraphs read as follows:
The unemployed (Belgians) sent to
Germany shall be distributed from CEN
trail receiving places. Thence they
VIII be sent to places where they shall
be engaged in agriculture and indus
trial establishments. OF course. they
Will be excluded from occupations to
which a hostile population. according
TO international law. cannot be coerced.
ii the American government attaches
Importance to 1t, member of Its en-
bassy ut Berlin will, with pleasure, be
permitted to obtain information about
the conditions under which these per-
sons live by personally visiting them.
The German government highly de-
piores that, by the slandering press
campaign of her enemies, the condi-
tons explained above have been COM
pletely distorted in the United States.
The German government finally feels
obliged to point out the fact that the
deportation of the German population
from parts of Germany and from Ger
man colonies occupied by hostile troops
mas, as far as known here, given to
neutral states no incentive to take
steps with the respective governments
similar to these now taken toward Ger
many"
An Amsterdam dispatch TO the Lon
don Times says that the Berlin Vos-
SiSche Zeitung announces that an agree
ment has been reached between Hoi-
land and Germany regarding the ex-
portation of foodStutfS identical to that
existing between Holland and England.
The correspondent says it is really, If
not technically, an agreement between
Germany and England whereby both
may obtain food from Holland The
Times correspondent interprets this as
meaning that Dutch ships carrying
food to England will not be molested
by German submarines or seized by
destrOyers. He adds: at is part of
wide agreement" and says that the
understanding with Holland provides
for the payment of foodstuffs by Ger
man treasury notes and bank as
signats.
The Greek troops who surrendered
to the forces of Field Marshal Won
Mackensen, in Kavala, Series and
Drama some time ago and were
brought to GOerlitz, are enjoying their
sojourn in Germany greatly. AS they
are not treated as prisoners of war,
they retain their arms and can leave
their barracks at will to mingIe with
the population of the city. All of the
Greek guests" the men as well as
the officers, are prO-German and hope
that their country may yet enter the
war on the side of the Teutonic allies.
In this case, they want to fight for
their king with the German troops in
Macedonia and they keep themselves
in trim by drilling at least five hours
daily.
A German submarine returned to its
base after 55 days at sea, without en-
tering harbOr or receiving outside as
Sistance. The weather generally was
bad. The details of the close escape
of the submarine which sank the Brit
ish steamer Caledonia also are an
nOunced. Hhe Caledonia attempted to-
ram the submarine. and so nearly sue
ceeded that the periscope tube was
bent, and the submarine was forced to
remain submerged for an hour until
repairs were made.
Berlin workers in the various trades
will not be drawn into the government
service or called upon under the new
home army law until February, accord
ing to an announcement by General
Groener, head of the war bureau, to
the Berlin chamber of trades. Cen
eral Groener further stated that when
1t was necessary to call upon the
trades their representatives would be-
consulted in regard to drafting work
erS
The Munchen Neueste Nachrichten
says that S12.0OOOOO was willed by
Kaiser Franz Joseph of Austria-Hun-
gary from his private fortune for a.
fund for the benefit of wounded sol
diers, invalids and relatives of men
killed in the war. Two daughters and
one granddaughter receive $4.OOO,OOO
each. The remaining 100000 of the
late emperor's private fortune was di-
vided among various legatees
The question of fuel supply is be-
coming the most serious economic prob
lem throughout Europe each month, ac-
cording to Swiss newspapers. The out
put Of German mines is said to be nor
NAL, but the principal towns and fac
tories, especially at Berlin, are said to
be short of fuel because of lack of
transportation facilities. The Germans
have cut down shipments of coal TO.
Switzerland by 80 per cent and If the
situation is not relieved, train service
on Swiss railroads must be reduced
one-half. 1t Is believed the situations
in Italy is worse.
The total German casualties for No
vember are 166,176 officers and men.