The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-04-18
SOCIALISTS saw
GERMANY'S ERROR
Urged That Inhuman Deporta-
tons Be Stopped Because Of
Effect on NeutraIs.
GERARD SUMS UP SITUATION
.oermsns VIII Stop at Nothing, ana
the Only Thing They Respect 10
roree" - Huns Capacity FOR
Cruelty Told by Whltloek.

HfOuStu W tHt HhdtVHhttOH MOWH
h the uhole world orer the ruthless
deportdtions Of the people IN Bel
qium and France, socialist deputies
in the reichsiag protested against
the continuance Of the practice. AM
bassador Gerard's epidence shows the
ertent Of The horror.
In the Norddcutsche Allgemeine
Zeiung Of December ., 1916. the fol
lowing protests against the deporta-
ton Of Belgians to work In GERMANY
appeared, made. respectively, by So
clallst Deputy IIaase and Deputy Dit
MANN members OF the reichstng:
thousands of workmen In the oc-
cupied territory have been compelled
to forced labor; we earnestly ask the
government 60 restore tn these work
men their liberty, especially in Bel
GUM. In truth we (the Germans) find
no sympathy In neutral countries even
the pope has made n protest against
this procedure. and several neutral
states have done the same Common
sense Itself demands that we abandon
this procedure which moreover Is In
opposition 10 the Hague convention 10
which we have agreed"
an opposition 10 the secretary Of
state. ! must recall that when former
~ the Belgian workmen who had fed
20 Holland returned 10 Belgium. Gov
ernor General Won Kissing promised
that these Belgian workmen would I'M
der no circumstances be deported TO
Germany. This reassuring promise
has not been kept"
Ambassador Gerard's interesting tes-
timony appears In his recent lnok:
Ambassador Gerard's Evidence.
Inc president during my visit TO
America in 1870 impressed upon me
ms great interest IN the Belgians de
ported 20 Germany. The action Of Ger
many In thus carrying great part OF
the male population OF Belgium Into
virtual slavery had reused great indig
nation in America. As the revered
Cardinal Farley said 10 me few days
before my departure. You have TO go
back 20 the times Of the Modes and
the Persinns 20 find like example Of
whole people carried into bondage
"Mr. Grew had made representations
about this 20 the chancellor and, on my
return. Immediately took up the
question.
II was Informed that II was n mill
tary measure. that Ludendorf had
feared that the British would break
through and overrun Belgium and that
the military did not propose 70 have n
hostile population AZ their backs who
might cut the rail lines Of commun.
cation. telephones and telegraphs. and
that for this reason the deportation
had been decided on. ! was. however,
told | would be given permission 10
visit these Belgians. The passes new
ertheless. which alone made such visit
ing possible were not delivered until n
few days before left Germany.
Belaians Forced TO Make Munitions.
Several Of these Belgians who were
put 10 work In Berlin managed TO get
away and come 10 see me. They gave
me narrowing account OF how they
had been seized In Belgium and made
20 work In Germany at making NUM-
tons 10 be used probably against their
own friends.
II said 10 the chancellor, There are
Belgians employed In making shells
contrary To all rules Of war and the
Hague conventions He said L dc
not believe It. said, My automobile
Is nj the door. I can take you, in -four
minutes. TO where 30 Belgians are
working on the manufacture OF shells.
But he did not find time 20 go.
Americans must understand that
the Germans will stop at nothing 10
win this war. and that the only thing
they respect Is force."-James W. Ge'
rard. NV Four Years I'm Germany. 1877
PIP. 3951-52.
A similar point of view is expressed
in an article entitled "vae Victis'
from the Hungarian newspaper News
zawa Of Budapest QUOTED In X. q. Os
siannilsson. Mllitarism ut Work In Bel
GUM and Germany, 1917, PIP. 63-54)
Mixed Hungarian opinion.
mechanical skin. and especially
qualified mechanical skin, is for the
moment more important factor thar
usual, and as II must be obtained
where Il can be obtained. Belgium has
had TO suffer In accordance with thu
old saying which always holds good
Vac victls (woe 10 the vanquished)
In Poland mechanical skill and thu
arms which exist there are modified
under the glorious and fortunate ban
ners OF Poland : in Belgium under th'
banner Of necessity"
"a. The question remains: fo
what kind Of work will the Germans
use the Belglansl E. every kind o
work In Germany Is war work, wheth
err Il Is called agricultural or indus
trial work. AS the deported Belgian
have not given their consent, their us
Is contrary TO international law. an'
the policy OF the Germans In Belgium
and Poland Is equally 10 be deplored
Instead OF aiming at bringing us near
er peace, II serves TO embitter our OF
ponents and 10 arouse more hatred %