The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-06-14
Under German Occupation, ~
Treatment and Poor Food
Kill Thousands.
WORSE THAN AN EPIDEMIC
Mortality in Civil Life Greater Than
on BattIefieId-Situaticn Can On
Iy Be Worse, Says Legation
One Execution Daily.

Washington.-Th existing death
| rate in Belgium is az high as at the
time of the most terrible epidemics
and greater than that on the battle
| field, due 10 the extremities to which
German occupation has reduced the
country. In addition, at least one Bel
gian daily is executed by the German
authorities, according to statement
made public by the Belgian legation
| The statement came from Havre and
read as follows:
mot taking into account the losses
on the field of battle Belgium has suf
fered heavily in its civilian population
through the invasion and occupation
of its territory by the Germans.
81. Civilians killed during the i'm
vasion. August-September, 1914-Al-
though we are not vet in possession of
complete list of the civilians killed
by the Germans during those fateful
days. we know the number of victims
to be Well over 5000. For the follow
ing provinces we have approximate
estimates: Namur. more than 1880;
Luxembourg about 1900; Liege. more
than 1000; Brabant S97; Hainaut.
about 300 Most of these victims fell
in the towns where. under pretext of
the existence of sharpShooters. Ger
man fury knew no limits. Dinant
counted COG victims; Andenne. more
than 200; Tamines, more than 400:
Louyain, 210; Aerschot. about $50;
Namur. about 80.
Deportees' Death Rate High.
go Among the depOrtees the NOR
tally resulting from privations, Ill
treatment undertaking, etc. exceeds
largely the normal percentage of
deaths. Some, too. have met death on
the battle fields. where the Germans
forced them to do auxiliary work. If
we possess ample information about
individual places and undeniable tes-
timony on the broken health of the re-
turned deportees in general. we are.
however. unable to quote figures.
"3. The electrified wire which makes
the Belgians prisoners in their own
country accounts for a great number
OF victims, especially among young
people, who try to escape in order 70
join the army. or among cOuriers. who
try to smuggle news I'm or out of Bel
GUM. In less than year. between
August, 1916, and July. 1917. 16O per
sons were electrOcuted. Since then
the average number of victims has In
creased. owing to the strengthening of
the guards and the putting up of new
wires.
81. The death penalty, pronounced
by the German military courts for
crimes of patriotism, levies heavy
toll on the population. 1t is estimated
that each day one Belgian at least suf-
fers the supreme penalty.
''rhe unsatisfactory food situation.
due TO the requisition of the home
grown foodstuffs and the sinking Of
many relief ships, the use of insult
able substitutes, the lack of fuel as a
result of the exploitation by Germany
for her own consumption. and for eX-
pOrtation, of the Belgian coal fields,
has dangerously increased the death
rate.
Deaths from hunger and cold are
not unusual, but ii is mostly indirectly
that the underfeeding of the popula
ton causes numerous premature
deaths, for. through lack of physical
strength, many people are subject to
ricketts, or pretuberculOsis, and so be-
come unable to resist slight Illness
which, under normal conditions. would
not prove fatal. As to the bad effect
of unsuitable substitutes, 1t will suf-