The Snowflake herald., 1918-07-05

tOber 70, 1916 (requisition of list Of
WOrkmen to be drawn up by the mn.
nicipality)
The municipal council resolves to
maintain its attitude of refusal.
1T further feels it it's duty to place
on record the following:
The city of Journal is prenared +o
submit unreservedly to all the exigen-
cies authorized by the laws and cus-
toms OF war. Its sincerity cannot be
questioned. For more than two wears
1t has submitted to the German occu-
patton, during which time it has lodged
ana hved at close quarters with the
German troops, yet it has DISPLAYED
perfect composure and has refrained
from any act of hostility, proving
thereby that it is animated by no idle
spirit of bravado.
I'm his declaration dated September
2, 1914, the German governor general
of Belgium declared: 4 ask none To
renounce his patriotic sentiments.'
"The city of Journal reposes con-
fidence in this declaration, which it is
bound to consider as the sentiment of
the German emperor, in whose name
the governor general was speaking. In
accepting the inspiration of honor and
patriotism, the city is loyal to a funda-
mental duty, the loftiness of which
must be apparent to any German Off
Ger.
'"The city is confident that the
straightforwardness and clearness of
this attitude will prevent any misun-
derstanding arising between itself and
the German army"
Answer Is Lecture and Fine.
'TOurnai, 23rd October, 1916.
"In permitting itself, through the
medium of municipal resolutions, to
oppose the orders of the German mill
tary authorities in the occupied ter
ritory, the city is guilty of an unexam-
pied arrogance and of a complete mis-
understanding of the situation created
by the state of war.
"The clear and simple situation is
in reality the following:
"The military authorities order the
city to obey. Otherwise the city must
bear the heavy consequences, as have
pointed out in my previous explana-
tionS.
''The general commanding the army
has inflicted on the city-on account
of its refusal, up to date, to furnish
the lists demanded-a punitive con-
tribution of 100000 marks, which must
be paid within the next six days, be-
ginning with today. The general also
adds that until such time as all the
lists demanded are in his hands, for
every day in arrears, beginning with
December 81, 1916, a sum of 10000
marks will be paid by the city.
'HOPFER, Major General,
ppen-Kommandant"
The Commission Syndicate of Bel
gian wOrkingmen also attempted to in
duce the German authorities to aban-
don their terrible plans.
Recited Wrongs of Workmen.
"Commission Syndicate of Belgium,
Brussels, 30th Oct, 1915.
ITO the Governor General of Belgium.F !
"Excellency: The measures which
are being planned by your admins
tratfOn to force the unemployed to
work for the invading power, the de-
portation of our unhappy comrades
which has begun in the region of the
etapes, move most profoundly the en-
tire working class in Belgium.
''The undersigned, members and rep
resentatives of the great central So
cialist and Independent syndicales of
Belgium would consider that they had
not fulfilled their duty did they not ex-
press to you the painful sentiment
which agitate the laborers and convey
to you the echo of their touching COM
/ plants.
"They have seen the machinery
taken from their factories, the most
diverse kind of raw materials requisi-
toned the accumulation of obstacles
to prevent the resumption of regular
work, the disappearance one by one of
every public liberty Of which they were
proud.
"FOr more than two years the la
boring class more than any other has
been forced to undergo the most Bit
ter trials, experiencing misery and
often hunger, while its children far
away fight and die, and the parents
of these children can never convey TO
them the affection with which their
hearts are overf1Owing.
Pathetic Appeal Disregarded.
"Our laboring class has endured
everything with the utmost calm and
the most impressive dignity, repressing
it's sufferings, it's complaints and heavy
trials, sacrificing everything to ITS
ideal of liberty and independence. But
the measures which have been an
nounced will make the population drain
the dregs (of the cup) of human sor-
row; the proletariat, the poor upon
whom unemployment has been forced,
citizens of a modern state. are to be
condemned to forced labor without
having disobeyed any regulation or