Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-12-20

+. G. Walcott, member of the
United States food administration, and
during the time America was feeding
the civilian populations of Belgium,
Serbia and northern France an assist
ant Of Mr.. Hoover In these invaded
countries, has pictured In graphic
way the conditions he found among
the people 1t was his duty to help.
After describing the terrible condi-
tons in Poland In 1915, the millions
that were dying Of starvation, the
hundreds of thousands Of defenseless
people that had been ruthlessly cut
down by the sword Of the German con-
Queror. he says:
In that situation, the German COM
mander issued a proclamation. Every
able-bodied Pole was hidden to Ger
many to work. If any refused, let no
other Pole give him to eat, not so
much as mouthful. under penalty of
German military law.
This rs the choice the German gov
eminent gives to the conquered Pole.
to the husband and father Of starv-
ing family: Leave your family or die
or survive as the case may be. Leave
your country which is destroyed, to
work In Germany for its further de-
struction. II you are obstinate. we
shall see that you surely starve.
Staying with his folk, he Is doomed
and they are not saved; the father and
husband can do nothing for them. he
only adds to their risk and suffering.
Leaving them. he will be cut Off from
his family, they may never hear from
him again nor he from them. Ger
many will set him to work that Ger
man workman may be released to fight
against his own land and people. He
shall be lodged In barracks, behind
barbed wire entanglements, under
armed guard. He shall sleep on the
bare ground with single thin blan-
ket. He shall be scantily fed and his
earnings shall be taken from him to
pay for his food.
That is the choice which the Ger
man government offers to proud
sensitive, higll-strung people. Death
or slavery.
When.a Pole gave me that proclama'
ton, / was boiling. But l had to re
strain myself. / was practically the
only foreign civilian In the country
and wanted to get food to the people
That was what l was there for and
must not for any cause jeopardize the
undertaking. / asked Governor Gen
eral Won Beseler, "Can this be trueT
"Really, I cannot say" he replied
~ have signed SO many proclamations
ask General Won Kries."
So asked General Won Krles. "Gen
eral, this Is civilized people. Cal
this be trusr'
Eyes," he said. ut Is true"--with 81
air OF adding. Why not2
I dared not trust myself to speak
turned to 20. "Wait," he said. An
he explained to me how Germany
official Germany, regards the state
subject peoples.
1t is hard for US to Imagine such
condition In America as Mr.. Walcot
has described as existing In Hun-rit
den Poland, and yet that Is just whs
would exist should our boys, and til
bows of our allies, now fighting
France fail to defeat the soldiers
this murder empire. This fair coui
try of ours would be made into Gle
man province; our people would .
the slaves of the Junkers Of German
subject to the beastly whims Of II
officers Of the German army. In
war In which America has ever e.
gagged have the stakes been so gree
as In this present conflict. Should W
by any chance, lose; should the Hu
by any chance. win; our liberties, o
happiness. everything Americans no
dear, would be lost.