The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-02-22
GERMAN HONOR
DRAGGED IN DUST
Solemn Promises Made to the Bel
gians Proved to be Worse
Than Worthless

TtUt III 6TCt6T, HbTOkC H6LU OF the
church IN Belgium, the terrible
plans of the kajser,S high officers
concerning the deportation of the
people Were carried out. The SOL
EMMY pledged word of the German
governor general of Belgium count
ed as nothing IN the malignant hate
shoWn By the kaiSer's creatures.
Cardinal MERCER attempted to per-
suade the German authorities to aban-
don their terrible plans for the seizure
of Belgians to assist in the prosecu-
ton of the war, reminding them of
their solemn promises in the past:
''Malines, 10Th October, 1916.
'Mr. Governor General:
1.-THE day after the surrender of Ant
werp the frightened population asked
itself what would become of the Bel
gians of age to bear arms or who would
reach that age before the end of the
occupation. The entreaties of the IA
theirs and mothers of families deter
mined me to question the governor of
Antwerp, Baron, Won Huene, who had
the kindness to reassure me and to
authorize me in his name to reassure
the agonized parents. The rumor had
spread at Antwerp, nevertheless, that
at Liege, Namur, and Charleroi young
men had been seized and taken by
force to Germany. / therefore beg
ged Governor Won Huene to be good
enough to confirm to me in writing the
guarantee which he had given to me
orally, to the effect that nothing sim
liar would happen at Antwerp. He
said to me Immediately that the ru-
mors concerning deportations were
without basis, and unheSitatingly he
sent me in writing, among other state
ments, the following: Young men have
no reason to fear that they will be ta-
ken to Germany, either to be there en-
rolled in the army or employed for
forced labor
"This declaration, written and sign
ed, was publicly transmitted to the
clergy and to those of the faith of
the province of Antwerp, as your excel
lency can see from the document en-
closed herewith, dated October 18th,
1914, which was read in all the church
eS.
Solemn German Promises Broken.
"Upon the arrival of your predeces-
sor, the late Baron Won der GoltZ, at
Brussels had the honor of presenting
myself at his house and requested him
to be good enough to ratify for the en-
tire country, without time limit, the
guarantees which General Won Huene
had given me for the province Of Ant
werp. The governor general retained
this request in his possession in order
to examine it at his leisure. The fol-
lowing day he was good enough to
come in person to Malines to bring me
his approval, and confirmed to me, in
the presence of two aides-de-camp and
of my private secretary, the promise
that the liberty of Belgian citizens
would be respected.
''To doubt the authority of such I'M
dertakings would have been to reflect
upon the persons who had made them,
and therefore took steps to allay, by
all the means of persuasion in my
power, the anxieties which persisted In
the interested families.
Notwithstanding all this. your gov
eminent now tears from their homes
, workmen reduced in spite of their eff
forts to state of unemployment, sep
arates them by force from their wives
and children and deports them to en-
envy territory. Numerous workmen
have already undergone this unhappy
lot; more numerous are those who are
threatened with the same acts of vio-
i1ence.
Mercier's Moving Appeal.
eIn the name of the liberty of domi-
Gle and the liberty of work of Belgian
citizens; in the name of the inviola-
bility of families; in the name of NOR
al interests which the measures of de-
portation would gravely compromise;
in the name of the word given by the
governor of the Province of Antwerp
and by the governor general, the inn
mediate representative of the highest
authority Of the German empire, re-
spectfully beg your exceIlency to be
| good enough to Withdraw the measures
of forced labor and of deportation an
4
TO be good enough to reinstate in their
homes those who have already been
| deported.
''Your excellency will appreciate how
| painful for me would be the weight of
the responsibility that would have
| to bear as regards these families, if
the confidence which they have given
you through my agency and at my re-
| quest were lamentably deceived.
81 persist in believing that this will
| not be the case.
accept, Mr.. Governor General, the
assurance of my very high considera-
| ton.
sd. J. CARDINAL MERCER,
arch. of. MalineS."
/ Municipal governmentsjfn Belgium
appealed to the German authorities TO
observe their promises. The two doc
/