The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-06-13
WHITLOCK DEPICTS
BE ! | [ MISERY
Calls Deportation Of Natives zone
]! of the FouIest Deeds That
History Records"
Won H|NDENBuRG IS BLAMED

Because latter's Policy Was Mild
Says German Capacity for
7 eiunderino Equals That
s for Cruelty.
Washington.-The state department
made public q report from Brand
Whitlock, written at Brussels in JAN
uary, when he was the American min
lister to Belgium, in which he describes
the terrible effects of the German pol.
icy of deporting Belgians to Germany
to compel them to work there. Since
the beginning of the war In Europe,
this is the first report from Mr.. Whit
lock that the state department has per.
mitted to reach the American people.
Allowing for all exaggeration, Mr.
Whitlock says there remains enough
Ito stamp this deed as one'of the foul
est that history records"
Statements made by Minister, Whit
lock suggest that Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg was responsible for the
deportation policy. He was said to
have criticized as too mild the rule of
General Won Kissing, the military gov.
ernor Of Belgium, and sent Won Bliss.
ing to Berlin with the intention Of re-
signing. When Won Kissing returned
the reign of terror in Belgium began.
The report from Mr.. Whitlock reads
as follows:
SIN order to fully understand the
situation, it is necessary to go back
to the autumn of 1914. At the time
we were organizing the relief work,
the Comite National-the Belgian re-
lief organization that collaborates with
the commission for relief In Belgium
proposed an arrangement by which the
Belgian government should pay its
own employees left in Belgium, and
other unemployed men besides, the
wages they had been accustomed to re-
ceive. ~ ~" y.F
''The Belgians wished to do this
for humanitarian and patriotic pQr-
poses; they wished to provide the I'm.
employed with the means Of livelihood,
and, at the same time, to prevent their
working for the Germans. N"E1'|'" r..
..... Tempts German cupidity. "#'a.i.
1.-THE policy was adopted and has
been continued in practice and on the
rolls of the Comite National have been
borne the names of hundreds Of thou.
sands-some 100000, I believe idle
men receiving this dole, distributed
through the communes. "a ~ I:
,"The presence Of these unemployed,
however, was a constant temptation to
German cupidity. Many times they
sought to obtain the lists of the
chomeurs (unemployed), but were al
ways foiled by the claim that under
the guarantees covering the relief
work the records Of the C0mite Ma
tional and its various sub-organiza.
tons were immune. Rather than risk
any Interruptions of the ravitaille.
ment, for which, while loath to own
any obligation to America, the Ger.
mans have always been grateful, since
It has had the effect of keeping the
population calm, the authorities never
pressed the point other than with the
burgomasters of the communes. Final
", however, the military party, always
brutal and with an astounding ignor-
ance of public opinion and Of moral
!, sentiment, determined to put these
!. idle men to work. .'.. lag
I'm August Won 'tndenburg was ap.
pointed to the supreme command. He
is said to have criticized Won Bissing's
policy as too mild; there was quar-
rel; Won Kissing went to Berlin to
protest, threatened to resign, but did
not. He returned, and German Of
fetal here said that Belgium would
now be subjected to more terrible
regime, would learn what war was.
The prophecy has been indicated.
"The deportations began in October
in the etape, at Client and at Bruges.
The policy spread; the rich industrial
districts of Halnaut, the mines and
steel works about Charleroi were next
attacked; 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.
Heavy Penalties Fixed.
"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
appearances. There was no public an
nouncement of the intention to deport,
but suddenly about ten days ago, GER
tain men in towns whose names are
on the list of chomeIrs receiving sum-
mons, notifying them to report at one
! of the railway stations on a given day,
penalties were fixed for failure to re-
spond to the summons and there was
printed on the card an offer of en-
ployment by the German government,
either in Germany or Belgium.
ION 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
sicians and 300 were taken. There was
no disorder, a large force of mounted
uhlans keeping back the crowds and
-