The daily Alaskan., 1918-02-18
BELGIANS FORCED
 TO AID GERMANS
KaiSer'S Officers Showed Open Disregard of Interna-
 tional Law.
WORKMEN SEIZED AS SLAVES
Cardinal MereIsr Moved to Bitter Con- demnation of Acts of German Au- thorltles Which Aroused Detes-
 tatIon of Chrlstendom.

Contrary to rules laid dotUn oy the Hague Convsntion, and all pTrH- ciplsS of civilized varfare, German authorities forced BeIgians to Gid them in the prosecution Of the '0ar' The committee on public informra- ton giUsS the facts concerning these atrociouS deeds in pamphlet recently made public, from Ohich WS take the fOllowing:
 October 12. 1915. the German author ities took long step in the develop ment of their policy of forcing the Bel gians to aid them In prosecuting the war. The decree of that date reveals the matter and openly disclOses q con tempt for International law.
 Article l. Whoever, without reason, refuses to undertake or to continue work suitable to his occupation, and in the execution of which the military administration Is interested, such work being ordered by one or more of the military commanders, will be liable to imprisonment not exceeding one year. He may also be transported to Ger many.
 Tn voklng Belgian laws or even in ternational conventions to the con trary, can, in no case, justify the re- fuSal to work.
 Article 9. Any person who by force, threats. persuasion, or other means attempts to influence another to refuse work as pointed out in Article 1, Is liable to the punishment of imprison- ment not exceeding five years.
 Article 8. Whoever knowingly by means of aid given or in any other way abets a punishable refusal to work, will be liable to q maximum fine Of 10000 marks, and in addition may be condemned to years imprisonment
 If communes or associations have rendered themselves guilty of such an offense the heads of the COmmunes VIII be punished.
 Article 4. In addition to the penal ties stated in Articles l and 3, the Ger man authorities may, in case of need, impose on communeS, where without reason, work has been refused, a fine or other coercive police measures.
 This present decree comes Into force immediately.
 "Der EtappeInspekteur
 WON UNGER,
 "Generalleutnant.
 "Ghent, October F, 1915" "Slavery," Said Cardinal Mereler. 1 Cardinal Mercier's brief comment Is as follows: "The injustice and arbi- | trartness of this decree exceed all that could be imagined. Forced labor col lectlve penalties and arbitrary punish ments. all are there. IL Is slavery, nei- ther more nor less"
 l Cardinal Mercier was in error, for the German authorities were able to imagine much more terrible measure. In October, 1916, when the need for an additional labor supply in Germany had become urgent, the German gov II ernment established the system of forced labor and deportation which has aroused the deteStation of Chris tendon. The reader will not be misled by the clumsy effort of the German au- thorlties to mask the real purpose Of the decree.
 "I. People able to work may be compelled to work even outside the place where they live, in case they have to apply to the charity of others for the support of themselves or their dependents on account of gambling, drunkenness, loafng, unemployment or idleneSs.
 III. Every inhabitant of the country l Is bound to render assistance In case of accident or general danger, and also to give help in case of public Calami- ties as far as he can, even outside the place where he lives; in case of retu- sal he may be compelled by force.
 I'll. Anyone called upon to work, under Articles l or II. who shall re- fuse the work, or to continue at the work assigned him, will Incur the pen alty of imprisonment up to three years and of fine up to 10000 marks, or one or other of these penalties, unless severer penalty Is provided for by the laws In force.
 If the refusal to work has been made in concert or In agreement with several persons, each accOmplice will be sentenced, as If he were Q ring leader, to at least a weeks imprison- ment.
 "IV. The German military authori- ties and military courts will enforce the proper execution of this decree. THE QUARTERMASTER GEN
 ERAL, SAUBERZWEIG.
 "Great Headquarters, Sd October, 1916"
 Military Rulers Responsible. The responsibility for this atrocious program rests upon the military rulers of Germany, who had labored so zeal ously to infect the army and the people with the principles of ruthless ness. It is significant that the decree of October 8, 1916 followed hard upon