The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-16
GERMAN HONOR 7
DRAGGED In DUST
Solemn Promises Made to Bel.
gianS Proved to Be Worse
Than Worthless.
ALL APPEALS WERE FLOUTED
Pathetic and Di5nifed Supplications o!
Municipal Governments Answered
by Rebuke and Heavy Fine
Imposed by General HOPPER.

Ouer the earnest protest Of Cardi |
nal MERCER, heroic head Of tbt
church in Belgium, The terriJitI
plans Of the hajser's high officer
concerning the deportation Of heI
people were carried out The sol
EMMY p!cdgcd toord Of the German
governor general Of Belgium count.
ed as nothing IN tie malignant hatt
ShowH IN the tqiser'S creatures.
Cardinal MERCER attempted to per
Suade the German authorities to ahan-
don their terrible plans for the seizure
of Belgians TO assist in the prosecu
tton OF the war. reminding them OF
their solemn promises in the past:
'Malines, 18th October, 1916.
Mr.. Governor General:
The day after the surrender of Ant
werp the frightened population asked
Itself what would become of the Bel
CLANS of age TO bear arms or who would
reach that age before the end of TIA
occupation. The catreaties of The fa-
thers AID mothers Of families deter
mined me To- question the governor II
Antwerp. Baron son Hueue. who haa
| the kindness TO Teassure me and L.
authorize ne in his name 10 reas~ure
/ The agauized parents. The rumor haG
spread IT Antwerp, nevertheless, thar
I IL Liege. NuMQr. and Charleroi yauua
/ men had been seized and taken hy
\ force 10 Germany. / therefore beg
/ Gel Governor van Eucne 10 be good
! enough to confirm q me in writing TIA,
/ guarantee which hc had given 90 mc
/ orally, To- the effect tnat nothing sim
! liar WoGid happen al Antwerp. II,
1 said 10 me Immediately that the ru
mors concerning t.eportations were
/ without basis and uuheelsat'nGly =,
sent me In writing. aguau. other state
( menls, the following. Young men huy,
no reason 10 fear taat they viii be tu
ken TO Germany. either To be there Ell
! rolled in the army or employed fol
forced labor
This declaration. written an3 sign
ed, WAS publicly transmitted - IT,,
clergy and 10 those Of the faith a.
the province Of Antwerp. as Your excel
I leuey can sco from the document eu
closed herewith dated October 18th
1914. which was read il an the chure h
es
Solemn German Promises Broken.
Upon the arrival of your prvdece~
scr, the late Baron won der Goltz, &
Brussels | had the honor o. presentla
myself at his house aad requested bin
to be- good enough 10 ratlfy for the eG
tire country, without time limit. tn
guarantees which General Won Hucn
had given NE Tor the province Of Ant
werp. The governor general rttaiue
this request ia his possession in orde
to examine Il at His leisure. The fo
: lowing day he was good enough t
! come ia person 10 NalineS 10 bring m
his approval, ana confirmed to me ]
/ the presence Of two aides-de-camp IN
; Of my private secretary, the propis
, that the liberty OF Belgian either
! would he respected
'To doubt the authority of such III
! deriakinga would have been to redet
upon the persons who had made then
and | therefore took steps To allay, /
NIL the means Of persuasion in n
r. power, the anXieties which persisted
:, the interested families.
II Notwithstanding all this. your go
l. crnnent now tears from their home
II workmen reduced in spite Of their c
II forts to state of unemployment, Sc
/ arates them by force from their wiyt
II and children and deports them to {
II envy territory. Numerous workmt
II have already undergone this unhapI
II lot more numerous are those who n
/ threatened with the same acts of vi
II leucc
II Mercier's Moving Appeal.
II "ln the name of the liberty of don
Il Gle and the liberty of work of Belgi.
" citizens; in the name of the inviol
= hility Of families; in the name of me
nj interests which the measures of d
portation would gravely comnromis
in the name Of the word given by t
governor Of the Province of Antwe
aud by the governor general, the il
- mediate representative of the hight
% authority Of the German empire, |
~ spectfuliy beg your excellency to
good enough 10 withdraw the mcasur
- of forced labor and of deportation q
nounced 10 the Belgian workmen, a
to BE good enough to reinstate in tn,
homes those who have already be
,!eported
Your eXcellency will appreciate ht
no painful for me would be the weight
the responsibility that | would Ia
10 bear as regards these families,
the confidence which they have Civ
you through my agency and at my
quest We're lamentably deceived.
,rs 4 persist in believing that this "
NJ not be the case.
- accept, Mr.. Governor General, |
assurance of my very high conside
lion.
ID. ]. CARDINAL MERCER,
arch. of Malines.'
,e4 Municipal governments in Belgil