Evening star., 1918-10-15
PEOPLES LAON
MADE HUN SLAVES
Robbed by'Money Leyies and
Forced to Toll During Ger
man Occupation.
FOE INSULTS Mr.. WILSON

Ey the Associated Press.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN
THE LAON AREA. October 14-Gen
Mangin in driving the Germans out OF
Iaon freed the 5000 inhabitants that
remained there from actual slavery
They were not only despoiled of. their
household goods, their money and
other possessions, but they were
robbed of their time.
The different officers commanding
the town pretended that the right OF
'requisition" extended to labor and
accordingly Obliged men, women. and
children to labor tor the German army
in various ways 4hs requisitioned
labor was paid ~ as were requisi-
toned products-in orders upon the
mayor. The town, consequently, paid
for the labor done by its citizens fol-
the occupying forces.
Men and girls were forced to serve
as beaters for German officers on
hunting expeditions. The girls were
also obliged to go to the fields and
gather nettles, from which the Ger
mans made a fabric that served as a
substitute for burlap in making sand
sacks for their trench fortificationS.
No discrimination was made between
persons of different classes and condi-
! tions. All had to bend to the will OF
the invader and accept as pay the
debt of his own town.
Pillage Is Progressive.
The pillage of Laon was progressive
. IT began with the arrival of the frs,
troops, who looted every house and
building that nh hi
the time. Later the pillage extended
TO houses that were inhabite II
reached its height on the departure
OF the general staff of the German
: army commanded by Gen. Won Heer-
1ngen- With the staff disappeared all
the furniture of the city hall The
furniture of private houses was
D.. requlSitioned' sometimes, and some
, times simply taken. Five million eight
! hundred thousand francs in cash was
or 1t under the gUise of war contribu.
uons and part as fines for different
so-called infractionS of the com
/ mandant'S rules.
In 1914 the Germans demanded 5O0,.
> 600 francs; in 1915, a million; in 1916
a million eight hundred thousand; iI
1917, three millions. All these sums
Were demanded in gold. which no,
oelnS Forthcoming, paper money anC
securities were accepted.
When not working for the German
: troops the citizens were deprived OF
all liberty. while the troops quartered
IN their houses took every sort ol
liberty 1T is impossible for any one
who has not suffered in the same way
to understand what We have gone
through" said an aged resident today
But it is worth all We suffered to be
rid of them
Girls and men were taken from
LAon and sent to prison camps ir
Germany and Russia as from othe,
parts of northern France during 1917
They have since been sent home il
accordance with the Berne agreement
but when the. town was evacuated
several hundred young Inen of fight
ing age were carried off with the
mayor and Senator Thermant, who
was taken on the pretexI that he had
accounts to render concerning the
administration of the relief work o,
the American commit: ee. Inhabitants
however. say that Il he real reason was
the Germans feared the senator's
revelations on the floor OF the French
senate.
Insult President Wilson.
One of the crouning acts of the