The Monticellonian., 1918-01-11

reproducing textually the declarations which have been made to us:
 These deportations began towards Easter. The Germans announced that the inhabitants of Roubaix, Tourcoing, Lille. etc. were going to be transport ed into French districts where their provisioning would be easier
 At night, at about two o'clock in the morning. whole district of the town was invested by the troops of oc- equation. To each house was distrib- uted printed notice. of which we give herein an exact reproduction. preserv- ing the style and spelling (See docu- ment, above.)
 "'The inhabitants so warned were to hold themselves ready to depart an hour and half after the distribution of the proclamation
 Each family, drawn up outside the house, was examined by an officer, who pointed out haphazard the persons who were to go. No words can express the barbarity Of this proceeding nor de- scribe the heartrending scenes which occurred; young men and girls took nasty farewell of their parents-a fare well hurried by the German soldiers who were executing the infamous task -rejoined the group of those who were going, and found themselves in the middle of the street, surrounded by other soldiers with fixed bayonets.'
 Hears of despair on the part of parents and children so ruthlessly separated did not soften the hearts of the brutal Germans. Sometimes, how ever, more kind-hearted officer yield ed to too great despair and did not choose all the persons whom he should by the terms of his instructions have separated
 Herded Like Cattle.
 These girls and lads were taken in street cars to factories, where they were numbered and labeled like cattle and grouped to form conveys. In these factories, they remained 12, 24 or 36 hours until train was ready to re move them
 !" The deportation began with the villages of Roney, Halluin, etc, then Tourcoing and Roubaix. In the towns the Germans proceeded by districts
 In all about 30,000 persons are said to have been carried off up to the pres -ent. This monStrous operation has taken eight to ten days to accomplish.
 The reason given by the German oIt h nj They have put forward the following pretexts: provisioning is going to break down in the large towns in the north and their suburbs, whereas in the Ardennes the feeding is easy and cheap
 It is known from the young men and girls. since sent back to their families for reasons of health, that in the department of the Ardennes the victims are lodged in a terrible man. her, in disgraceful promiscuity; they are compelled to work in the fields. It is unnecessary to say that the inhabi- tants of our towns are not trained to such work. The Germans pay them 1.50 m. But there are complaints of insufficient food
 "Barbarity of Slave Drivers"
 They were very badly received in the Ardennes. The Germans had told the Ardennais that these were "volun- teersa who were coming to work, and the Ardennais proceeded to receive them with many insults, which only ceased when the forcible deportation of which they were the victims became known
 Feeling ran especially high in our towns. Never has so iniquitous a measure been carried out. The Ger mans have shown all the barbarity of slave drivers.
 The families so scattered are in despair and the morale of the whole is gravely affected. Boys of fourteen, schoolboys in knicker- lockers, young girls of fifteen to six ten have been carried off, and the de- spairing protests of their parents failed to touch the hearts of the German oa- cers, or rather executioners.'
 "One last detail: The persons so deported are allowed to write home once month; that is to say, even less often than military prisoners
 We do not wish here to enter into the question of provisioning in the in- vaded districts; others, better quali- fled than ourselves, give you, as we know, frequent information. It is enough for us to describe in a few words the situation from this aspect:
 Entire Population in Misery.
 "The provisioning is very difficult; food, apart from that supplied by the Spanish-American committee, is very scarce and terribly dear. People are hungry and the provisioning is in- adequate by at least half our popu- lation is suffering constant privations and is growing noticeably weaker. The death rate, toe, has increased eonsid- erably.
 With all confidence in the sympathy of the government we venture to ad- dress a new and pressing appeal to your generous kindness and far-reach- ing influence in the name of those who are suffering on behalf of the whole country"
 Paris, 10th June. 1916, 8, rue Tait-
 bout"
 (Signed on behalf of various speci- fled organizations by Toulemonde, Charles Droulers, Leon Hatine-Dazin, and Louis Lorthiois.)