The Wrangell sentinel., 1918-07-18
GERMAN HONOR
DRAGGED IN DUST
Solemn Promises Made to BEL
qians Proved to Be Worse
Than Worthless.
ALL APPEALS WERE FL0UTED
Pathetic and Dignified Supplications of
Municipal Governments Answered
by Rebuke and Heavy Fine
Imposed by General HOPPER.

Orer the earnest protest of Cara.
nal MERCER, heroic head of the
church In Belgium, the terrible
plans Of The kaiser's high officers
concerning The deportation Of the
people were carried out. The sol
emnly pledged uord Of the German
governor general of Belgium count
ed Is "othiag IN Me indignant hate
shoun by the Laiser'S creatures.
Cardinal MERCER attempted to per
suadr the German authorities to aban-
don their terrible plans for the seizure
of Belsians to assist i'll the prosecu-
ton of the war, reminding them Of
their solemn promises in the past:
'Nfalines, 10Th October, 1916.
"Mr. Governor General:
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 OF who would
reach that age before the end of the
occupation. The entreuties of the fiji
Tiers and mothers Of families deter
mined me to question the governor of
Antwerp, Baron Won lIuene. who had
the Kindness TO reassure me and To
authorize HE in his name to reaSsure
the agoniZed parents. The runor had
spread at Antwerp, nevertheless, that
at Liege, Nalnur, and Charleroi young
men had been seized and taken by
force to Germany. | therefore beg
ged Governor Won Iuene 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. lie
said to me Immediately that the ru-
mors concerning deport0tions were
without basis. and unhesitatingly he
sent ne in writing, among other state
ments, the following: Voting lneH have
no reason to fear that obey will be ta
ken to German, 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, Us Your excel.
lency can see from lhe document en-
closed herewith. dated October 10th,
1911, which was read IN all the church
es.
Solemn German Promises Broken.
upon the arrival of your predeces
b. l.. ~ OF
Brussels had the honor of presenting
myself Mt his house and requested him
to be good enough to r;.tify for the Oh.
tire country. without line limit. the
guarantees which General Won Huene
had given ME f.. the province of Ant
werp. The governor general retained
this request in his possession in order
to examine ii at his leisure. The fol-
lowing day he MAS good enough to
come in person 80 lIalineS TO bring ire
his approval, and confirmed TO me. i'll
the presence of two ailes-de-camp and
of my private secretary, the promise
that the liberty of Belgian citizens
would be respected.
"To doubt the authority of such UNI
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
worklnen reduced in spite Of their eff
forts to Il state ri unemployment, sep
arates them by force from their wives
and children and dcpoias them TO en-
envy territory. Numerous worknen
have already undergone this unhappy
lot more numerous are those who are
threatened with the same acts Of vio-
lence.
Mereiers Moving Appeal.
"In the name of the liberty of domi-
-cile and the liberty Of work of Belgian
citizens; in the name of the inviola-
bility of families; in the name Of NOR
nj 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 inl-
mediate representative of the highest
authority of the German empire, re-
specifully beg your excellency to be
good enough to withdraw the measures
of forced labor and of deportation All
nounced to the Belgian workmen, and
to be COED enough to rejnstate. 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 I would have
to bear as regards these families, if
the confidence which they have given
yon through my agency and at my re-
quest were lamentably deceived.
II persist in believing that this will
not be the case.
accept Mr.. Governor General, the
assurance of my sery.high considera-