The Wrangell sentinel., 1918-06-13

enrolled into the army or to be EN-
ployed at forced labors.
"f2) II individual infractions of po-
lice regulations are committed, the
authorities will institute search for
the responsible authors and will pun
ish them. without placing the respOn-
sibilty on the entire population.
"(3) The German and Belgian nu
thorities will neglect nothing 10 see
that food Is assured to the popula-
ton"
These promises were not kept, as
Cardinal MERCER and his colleagues
show by abundant evidence in the ZAP
peal to Truth"
"On March Odd. 1915. ut the arsenal
at Luttre the German authorities post
ed IA notice demanding return to work.
On April Dist, 200 w0rkmen were call
ed for. On April 9th soldiers went
to fetch the workmen from their
homes and take them to the arsenal.
In the absence of workman, n men,
Der of the family was arrested.
Workmen Imprisoned on Trains.
"HoWever. the men maintained their
refusal to work because they were
unwilling to cooperate in acts of war
! against their country
"On May 18th, ~ workmcn detained
in prison Mt Nivelles were tried mt
Nous by a court martial, 'On the charge
of being members of Il secret society,
having for its aim to thwart the carry
Of mill In
They We're condemned to imprison-
ment.
"On May Sth, 1913, As workmen
were shut up in freight car and
taken 10 Germany.
ION May 18th. 45 men were deport-
cd TO Germany.
"On May 18th fresh proclamation
announced that the prisoners would
receive only dry bread and water, and
hot food only every four days. On
May 22d three cars with 10f work.
men were sent toward Charleroi."
"a similar course was adopted at
Malines. where by various methods
of intimdatio the German authori
ties attempted to force the workers ut
the arsenal to work on material for
the railways, us If IL were not plain
that this material would become war
material sooner OF later.
Stopped All Traffic in MaIines.
"On May Both. 1915 the governor
general announced that he would be
/ obliged to punish the town of Malines
and its suburbs by stopping all COM
;nePcial traffic if by 10 Il. III. on
Wednesday, June 2d, 800 workmen
had not presented themselves for work
at the arsenal.
"0n Wednesday. June I'd, not a
single man appeared. Accordingly, @
complete ,stoppage took place Of every
vehicle within radius of several kilO-
! meters of the town.
"Seyeral workmen were taken by
force and kept two or three days at
i the arsenal.
1.-THE commune Of SweyeEhm .(WeSt-
ern Flanders) was punished in June,
1915, because tine 35C Workmen at the
private factory of NJ. Bekaert refused
to make barbc, wire for the German
army.
'"The following notice was placard-
! ed at Menin in July-August, 1918:
by order: From today the town will
no longer afford aid of any descrip-
tiOn-including assistance to their
families, wives, and children--to any
operatives except those who work
regularly at military work. and other
A ,th on.
eratives and their families can hence
forward not he helped in any fashion,
Punished for Refusal to Work.
"Similar measures We're taken in
October, 1915. at 2rlebekeleZ-Court
raj, Bisseghem, Lokeren, and Mons.
From Harlebcke 20 inhabitants were
transported TO Germany. AT Mons.
in NJ Lenoir's factory. the directors.
foreman. and 81 w0rkmen We're i'm
.prisoned for having refused to work
in the service of the German army. NJ.
ILenoir was sentenced to five years I'M
prIsonment the five directors to Il
wear each, six foremen to six months,
and the 81 workmen to eight weeks.
! "The general government had re-
! course also 10 llltUTtcl llttiiDiS VI
.compulsion. 1t seized the Belgian
Red Cross, confscated its property,
and changed its purpose arbitrarily.
ut attempted to make itse,f master OF
the public charities, and to control the
national aid and food committee.
off we were TO cite In extenso the
decree of the governor general of Aug
ust 4th. 1915, concerning measures in
tended 10 assure the carrying out OF
works of public usefulness, and that
! OF August 10th. concerning the unein-
ployed, who. through idleness, refrain
from work. 1t would be seen by what
tortuous means the occupying power
attempts to attack at once the mas
.ters and the men,"
Fines Imposed Without Reason.
The German authorities were not
satisfied with one inlpoverishing levy.
In November, 1915. one month before
the expiration of the twelve-month
period fixed for the levy. they decreei
! thut the contribution of 4O,0OO,WW