The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-03-22
Forced Labor.

The dcp0rtatiOns In condennlng to
slavery more than 100000 Of our fei-
low-citlzens, have still further added to
the general distress Husbands have
been torn from their wives, and sons
from their mothers; courageous work
men refusing to allow the labor OF their
hands 10 be used against their country
have been beaten, subjected to treat
ment the horror Of which SURPRISES
anything that has been seen hereto
fore, and sent buck dying, to their ma
tive village. Ten per cent have died
in Germany and many do not tong sur
viye their return 10 Belgium.
In March. 1917 the kaiser promised
that the deportation to Germany would
cease. but the military authorities are
constantly carrying Off men, who are
given hard work. often behind the
front Information from camp in
Athus uuxemburg) shows that the
food was so insufficient that the num-
Der Of those there put 10 work was
soon reduced TO half. In spite of this,
the same amount Of work was re-
quIred. so that double task fell upon
those who survived. The sanitary
conditions In that camp are described
as horrible. Abuses are especially fire.
quent In Flanders. Rccalcitrants are
sent to dangerous work at the front.
Some of the men who have been requi-
sitioned try to escape. In such cases
the military authority imposes heavy
fines upon the communes from which
they come, arrests, In the streets, even
In the churches, men who are held as
hostages and after few days sent to
the front to replace those who escaped.
A man who leaves his home for any
reason Is never sure of returning to 1t.
Relatives, women. old men and chill
dren are arrested in their houses and
until the return of the flu.
gitives. As disclosed from Journals
taken from German prisoners and from
reports received through Holland. even
women and girls are forced to dig
trenches, to repair the roads, and to
do other military works, often under
the artillery fire. In Blankenberghe
and other places boys of twelve years
of age are placed at work of military
character.
Moral Sufferlngs and Endurance.
Successive attacks were and still are
being made upon the Belgian people
md It's liberties. With impressive
the bishops, headed by Car.
dinal Mercler. the constituent bodies,
the nOtabllltles of the political world,
without distinction Of party, the magls-
tracy, the bar, the universities have
guided the public spirit. There is no
better witness To the bitterness of the
struggle than the sangulnary activ-
ity OF the exceptional courts created
by the Germans to force the Belgians
to obedience. German statistics show
that for one year only there had al
ready been more than 100000 cOnvlc-
lions. The judicial drama In which
Miss Cavell persisted is being constant
ly repeated, and not week passes but
that patriots fall before the bullets Of
n firing squad. On one day at Client,
eighteen, OF whom three were women,
were put to death. The long list of
includes hundreds OF names
from all classes Of society, from all the
professions, from all ages, men, wom-
en-. and even children. And If the ex.
ecutions have been by hundreds, the
inprtsonments and penal depOrtations
have been by thousands.