The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-13

him to the employment bureau, seized
the books and took him back to prison
where, without trial, he was condemn
ed to remain for % days and to pay a
Tine Of 5000 marks, or, in default, TO
spend % days longer in prison.
The German police were then sent to
The homes OF the chomeurs whose
names were on the lists, to summon
them to appear. WoTkmen or men who
appeared capable of working, were |
seized Unfortunately in the streets
II at the office, where all men be-
tween the ages Of l6 and IS were com
PEELED TO report at intervals. AS rap
idly as groups Of 100 men were assem-
bled, they were put under guard, con
Quoted to the barracks, and on the fol-
lowing day shipped OFF in the tramway
toward Meerbeek, near the Dutch
frontier. All along the way people gath
cred, women weeping, until German
guards dispersed them.
The Germans were constructing
trenches just then along the Dutch
frontier, in fear, it was supposed, of a
British invasion from that direction,
The men refused to work in these
trenches. Then they were imprisoned
In Il large building and told that those
who would not work could not eat.
Some Of the men, after two days with
out food, surrendered; others held out
longer. The same thing occurred in
all the near Bruges.
B~urgomaster Royce. however, not
wtthstanding the fact that he was =
professional mayor, did not succeed
very well in directing the municipal af-
fairs Of Bruges. 1t was not the sam
thing to govern a Belgian population as
to govern a German population, which
does as it Is told to do, Like some
other cities | might mention, Belgian
cities are not SO easily governed, and
after "A week he imported professional
"burgomaster gave up and the Brugas
municipal authorities were recalled to
their posts and the city condemned tC
pay a fine Of 400, 900 marks.
About oct. 1 tho authorities of the
city OF Journal, in the province Of
ilainault, and the authorities Of each
Of the 81 Communes In the district
known az the Journalists. received an
Identical order to turn owe the lists Of
ChOmeurs,
They all refused. Gen. HOPPER, who
was the district commander, then de-
manded Of each m its electoral
list, and used this list, together with
the records Of the registration bureaus,
to ''requisltion' all labOrers, whether
october, Gen. HOPPER in a notice an
nounced that these men had been de-
ported. There were about 500 of them.
On the twenty second Of October, be
cause Of the attitude of the municipal
authorities Of Journal, Gen. HOPPER
issued another order commanding the
Inhabitants Of the city to remain in
doors from 6 O'clock In the evening to
7 o'clock in the morning. The following
day Gen. HOpffer was out in another
poster ievying a fine of 200, 900 marks
on the city Of Tournai for the failure
of It's authorities to hand over the lists
Of unemployed, and a further fine of
20, 900 marks daily was exacted until
the lists were surrendered,
The whole region Of the Journalists
uag In ruua tarrpr and dAenarafa
Their own men were being constantly
seized and all the while trains we're
passing filled with men who, during
the stops at the stations, told the
Journalists who were standing by and
who talked with them that they were
being taken not to Germany, but to
Under the constant and excessive ex-
actions Of Gen. HOPPER the city author
itiea of Journal were In a most diff
fiCult position. They would not yield
to the menace, and they knew not
which way to turn to obtain the funds
for the fines that were the penalty
Of their resistance, They could only
refuse again to surrender the lists anc
formally notify their Unsuitable tyran'
that they had no more money witt
which to pay the tribute he so mer.
cilessly exacted. And even their firm
position could not protect their citi'
zcns. The lists seemed to be more g
matter OF pride than OF necessity u
the Germans, for the seizures went Of
uninterruptedly,
The terrible press-gangs in field gray
were busily at work Mr., Pate told ne
that by the fourth OF November 25,0ON
men had been taken, They were or
dered first to work at Ramegnies-Ch
near Journal, where ar aviation field
was being constructed, and when they
refused they were sent toward thu
front in France, and there they were
left without food. Hunger indeed wa'
a weapon constantly employed. Tht
Germans took $50 French workmen tt
work on that aviation field at Rameg
MES China tragic place, by all ac-
counts-whom they starved into &C.
cepting the conditions they imposed.