The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-04-25
BRUTALITY IN BELGIUM
German Atrocities Described by
Brand Whitlock.


ter indictment OF German brutality
in the deportation of conquered Bel
gians for forced labor, written from
behind the German lines by Brand
Whltlocll, American Minister to Bel
GUM has been made public by the
State Department.
Ii came in confidential report
last January when the United States
was vainly protesting to Berlin
against the treatment of the helpless
/ people. but the department did not
consider it taetful to publish it at
that time or until Mr.. Whitlock was
safe on French soil.
Won Kissing TOO Mild"
| The report begins with story of
what happened Immediately after the
German army overran Belgium, Of
arrangements by the Belgian Govern
ment to continue the wages OF civil
ians thrown out of employment by
thc conquerors determination to put
these men to work for them.
In August, Won Hindenburg was
appointed to the supreme command"
says the report. He is said to have
criticised Won Bissing'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 a German official here
said Belgium now would be subjected
what war was. The prophecy has
been indicated.
I THE deportations began in October
in the etape at Client 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 Selling
men in Brabant even in Brussels, de-
spite home indications and even pre-
dictions 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 ever has known il. and
while many OF those who presented
themselves were adequately protected
against cold. many OF them were
without overcoats The men SILVER
ing from cold and fear. the parting
from weeping wives and children, the
barriers OF brutal uhlans, all this
made the scene pitiable and dis
tressing one.
Spread Terror Over Belgium
The rage. the terror and despair
excited by this measure all over Bel
GUM We're 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 scenes
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 verify them. first. because it is
necessary for US to exercise all DOS
sible tact in dealing with the subject
at all, and secondly. because there is
the 0ccupalionsgebiet and the Eta
pengebei,
The well.known tendency of SEN |
sational reports to exaggerate them, |
selves especially in time Of war, and |
III Il SANAAtAbAi INT lAldl t|AlStiltS AiIf u l
with no newspapers to serve as a |
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 |
history records.
Il am constantly in receipt of re-
ports from all over Belgium that tend
to bear ont the stories one constantly
hears of brutality and cruelty A
number 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.
Germans Wouldn't Pass Food.
81 have had requests from the Bur
gomasters OF ten communes from La
Louviere asking that permission be
to send to the deported men
in Germany packages of food similar
to those that are being sent to prison
ers Of war Thus far the German au
thorities have refused 10 permit this
except in special instances, and re-
turning Belgians claim that even
when such packages are received they
are used by the camp authorities only
as another means of eoercing them to
sign the agreements to work.
ut is said that in spite of the lib
eral salary promised those who would
sign voluntarily no money has as yeti
been received in Belgium from work