The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-19

. -. S"hgA ~ Nv 1910 ny 4i hllA " O.
lock. under the title Memories Of Bel
glum Under the German Occupation. -
All rights reserved. Copyrighted in
Great Britain, Canada and Australia.
All rights reserved for France, Belgium,
Holland. Italy, Spain, Russia and the
scandinavian ~cOuntries.)
There was always a vague mystery
In that dark region OF which we spoke
as the 'etape" (the military district :
the word had come to have al evil con
notation far removed from its ordinary
SlgnitlCattOn. There was no commune
cation between the "etape" and our
part Of the world, and even we privi-
legged ones heard Of what was going on
behind that tragic veil only from the
gossip n the rumors the delegates
Of the C.. r, b. brought to town on
their weekly visits to headquarters in
the Rue des Colonies.
My " impression OF the slave drive
going on there was vague; all / knew
was that workmen, intelligent, alive,
full OF wit and humor and hope and
amoition-precisely like the men in
those crowds at home to whom / had
so often made political speeches-were
being seized, herded together like ami
mails, imprisoned in vile Corrals, paved
over and kicked and m~anhandled like
beasts In the market place, and that
then they disappeared In swiftly pass
Ing trains, in the darkness and sting
Ing cold OF the night, dropping notes
now and then for some nance COM
patriot to pick up by the wayside, sing
ing La ~Brabanconne' and the Lion
Of Flanders"
Now and then men who had some
how crossed the line between "etape"
n occupation district would bring in
the Tumors that were whispered in all
that region where the hideous terror
spread.
At Lausse and in the country round
20 MN ala NAAN n-I-g--w - 49,
seen working In the trenches, In the
communes OF the canton OF F'rasme the
men to be deported had beer selected
at random. At Jamapes the entire
male population was summoned by
proclamation to appear, and the Ger
mans took unfortunately clerks,
Workmen, students and merchants. The
men from Flanders and the district of
journal were sent toward France; the
men from Renaix were sent to Nor
tagne, IN France, those from Wiers, to
Lequesnoy. Boatmen taking m~acadam
TO the north OF France said that they
mad seen BelgtanS there employed in
dlHchargtng the macadam. In order to
obtain the signatures Of these men to
contracts, the Germans had told them
that they would be sent away immed-
lately II they refused to sign, but that
II they accepted the conditions they
would be given several days respite.
Then we felt the hideous thing draw
nearer. The slayers had crossed the
hne; they we're plying their trade in
the occupied district. Early in No
yember they were operating in the
Hainault. On the 9Th of that month
they were seiKing men at lseRsineB.
Here there was no pretense any more
OF combining the seizures to the unem-
plOyed. h Germans took not only
boys, II they were big and strong, but
men over go years of age. The greater
number OF the men were workers from
the quarries, but even the office men
o. banks and factories were seized.
The head clerk at the station and his
brother, both railway workers, were de-
ported.
The town was first surrounded by
troops, and the business Of choosing
the men for deportation took place in
the school. From the school they were
taken directly to the trains which
were to bear them away. The number
OF mon taken from Lesslnes proper,
not including those taken from the
nearby communes, was over 1000. The
notice was posted on the walls OF the
town, and every man, including priests
himself,
Mr.. Gregory, the director Of the C.
X. H., had at once organized a service
by which the men sent away were
given what comforts were possible
under tho circumstances. The Ameri-
cans distributed blankets, clothing.
caps n mittens, n enough food to
last several days. The delegates were
instructed to be present and render
any service they could, and Mr.. Will
lam Italian Tuck and Mr.. John Gade,
delegates Of the c. X. b, In the prov
lnce Of Hainault, went over to the
commune OF st. Ghislain on the morn
ing of the goth Of October to witness
the selections, to prevent the seizure
Of the employees OF the G, N. and the
{, Il, Il, and to distribute food to those
who were deportcd. They came back
sick with horror and full OF rage at the
medieval barbarities they had wit
nessed--so much 80 that, after what
he saw, Mr.. Tuck resigned from the
commission, left Belgium, and entered
tho British army to fight against such
cruelty and oppression,
About two thousand mon summoned
from all the neighborlng communes had
been assembled at st, Ghislain. The
women had followed them in tears, and
NJ the point where the selections were
made Lines of soldiers kept the women
back by their bayonets. No effort was
made to distinguish the unemployed.
indeed, the Germans did quite the re-
verse, showing a decided preference for
carpenters and blaoksmiths. The men
CHOSEN were not allowed ever to speak
10 their wives or waiting fa~milies-only
a ~despairing glance Of farewell, a wave
Of the hand perhaps, to the women sob
bling and writgIng their hands there in
the cold, while the indifferent soldiers
bayonots. Then. through Si" limos nos" OF 's soir
dierA, the men were marched off to the
long line OF freight cars on the siding.
The following day, the It'll Of Novem-
her, IT was the turn OF the men OF Jur-
DISC. The selections were made by en-
ploying that formula which waR 80
much Hike the cruel chance Of a blind
fate: "rechts, links" the officer cried,
and the men passed either TO the right
or to the left-to freedom or to bond
age, No account WAS taken OF their
condition or of the condition Of their
families or dependents, 70 effort was
made to ascertain whether or not the
men were unemployed, they we're asked
no questions. Farmers were taken even
place In the fields, and some Of the
men left young children or wives alone
at home.
Al Qulvrain, on the goth Of October,
the men were convokcd with those OF
the commuheA OF Thulin, Elongos, Bal
eleux, Hensies and Mo~ntroeul-sur-
Hnlne, Those who obeyed were hud-
died In tho inner courtyard Of the boys
middle school, and kept waiting there
for hours In the cold rain and wind.
Priests, school teachers and lnstruC-
tors, employees OF the Communes, police
men, postmen, customs officials and the
employees Of the c, n. and the {, r. Il.
were called first and libMatcd without
difficulty as were a number Of the sick
and aged, though old mon were hustled
about with the usual brutality
Tho witness who described II was I'M
able to determine by what factor the
choice was made It had no relation to
unemployment. for many who were
there and always had been employed
farmers, students, the manager of n
factory and others whom no knew
were seized, All day long n train had
hoen waiting at the station, and dur
Ing tho afternoon, In their separate
groups, the men thus impressed were
marched Off to the cattle cars,
The press gang operated at Ninove
on the 18th Of November, and ] had
the story from n mRn who lived there,
Those who had not presented them
eclvA In response to tho summons were
dragged out OF their beds at night.
even the sick were not spared, A man,
the father uf three children, who was
III, had TO get up, No down into tho
airenl and 70 OF WITH tho anldInra