Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-06-08
WHITLOCK DEPICTS
BELGIANS' MISERY
Calls Deportation of Natives Zone
of the FouIest Deeds That
History Records"
Won HINDENDURG IS BLAMED
Marshal Quarreled With Won Kissing
Because Latter's Policy Was Mild
Says German Capacity for
laundering Equals That
for Cruelty.

Washington.-The state department
made public a 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
''to 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:
'In order to fully understand the
situation, il 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.
"The Belgians wished to do this
for humanitarian and patriotic pur-
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.
Tempts German Cupidity.
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
Sandstone 100000, believe-of idle
men receiving this dole, distributed
through the communes.
1.-THE presence of these unemployed,
however, was a constant temptation to
German cupidity. Many times they
sought to obtain the lists of the
ohap,ourc (upapnplovodl hut yrara al-
ways foiled by the claim that under
the guarantees covering the relief
work the records Of the COmite 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
1t has had the effect of keeping the
population calm, the authorities never
pressed the point other than with the
burgomasters of the cOmmunes. Final
ly, 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.
"In August Won Hindenburg was ap
pointed to the supreme command. He
is said to have criticized Won Kissing:
policy as too mild; there was a quar-
rel; Won Kissing went to Berlin tC
protest, threatened to resign, but die
not. He returned, and a 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.
1.-THE deportations began in October
in the etape, at Client and at Bruges
The policy spread; the rich industrial
districts of Hainaut, the mines anC
steel works about Charleroi were mex
attacked; now they are Selling mer
In Brabant, even in Brussels, despit,
some indications, and even prediction!
of the civil authorities, that the polio.
was about to be abandoned.
Heavy Penalties Fixed.
During the last fortnight men hav,
been impressed here in Brussels, bu
their seizures here are made evidentl!