Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-02-28

gium than for any other belllgerent."
Old Men and Boys Taken.
The news dispatches indicate that
the deportation and forced labor of
Belgians still c0niilue. In a dispatch
from Havre New York Evening Post,
September 13, 1917 it Is stated: ''The
removal of the civilian population of
Belgium continues, according to ad-
vices received here The town of ROu-
lers, Immediately behind the battle
line In Flanders, has been evacuated
completely. Ostend Is being emptied
gradually, and two thousand persons
already have been sent from Courtrai."
In another dispatch. from Havre
(Washington Post, September "a, 1910
1t is stated that "the German military
authorities at Bruges, Belgium, are
conscriptlng forcibly all the boys and
men of that city between the ages of
fourteen and sixty to work in munltion
factories and shipyards. The rich and
poor, shopkeepers and wOrkmen, all
are being taken, only the school teach
ers, doctors, and priests escaping"
German Officer Rebuked Men.
The following "Order of the Day"
shows how the town Of IIuy escaped
the fate Of so many Belgium and
French towns. Drunken German SOL
diers were frightened and began to
shoot men and burn houses. The
commanding officer condemned this be-
cause II was not done by his order and
because two German soldiers were
wounded. II Is evident that massacres
and arson were permitted only when
commanded by the officers.
Last night shooting affray took
place. There is no evidence that the
Inhabitants of the towns had any arms
in their houses, nor Is there evidence
that the people took part in the shoot
ing on the contrary, ii seems that the
soldiers were under the influence Of
alcohol, and began TO shoot in sense
less fear Of Il hostile attack.
"The behavior Of the soldiers during
the night, with very few exceptions,
makes scandalous impression.
"lt is highly deplorable wh.n officers
or noncommissioned officers set houses
on fire without permission or order OF
the commanding, or, as the case may
be, the senior officer, or when by their
attitude they encourage the rank and
file to burn and plumber
"The miserable behavior of the men
caused noncOmmissiOned officer and
private to be seriously wounded by
German bullets.
MAJOR Won BASSEWITZ."
Report Of Minister WhltIock.
"0ne interesting result of the depOr-
tnttOns remains to be noted, result
thnt once more places In relief the
German capacity for laundering, al
most as great as the German capacity
for cruelty. Until the deportations
were begun there was no intense ha-
tired on the part of the lower classes,
!. e., the workingmen and the peasants.
The old Germans of the Landsturm
had been Quartered in Flemish homes;
they and the inmates spoke nearly the
same language; they got along fairly
well they helped the women with the
work. the poor and the humble having
none OF those hatreds of patriotism
that are among the privileges Of the
upper classes. II is conceivable that
the Flemish population might have
existed under German rule; it was
Teutonic in its origin and anti-French
always. But now the Germans have
all that.
"They have dealt a mortal blow to
any prospect they may ever have had
Of being tolerated by the population
Vt Flanders; in tearing away from
nearly every humble home In the land
/ husband and Il father or a son and
brother they have lighted a fire OF
latred that will never go out; they
ave brought home TO every heart In
he land in way that will impress
IS horror indelibly on the memory of
hree generations, realization Of
,hat German methods mean. not, as
nth the early atrocities, In the heat
{ passion and the first lust of war,
ut by one of those deeds that make
ne despair of the future OF the hui
IAN race, deed coldly planned, studi.
usly matured, and deliberately and
Systematically executed, deed SO
ruel that German soldiers are said
, have wept in its execution, and so
onstrous that even German officers
re now said to be ashamed.
"WHITLOCK."
Mr.. Hoover's Conclusions.
Mr.. HoOver's mature conclusions on
10 German practices In Belgium,
hch he wrote for the pamphlet is
leu by tne committee On puDlc ln-
reinforce the detailed evil
,nce already presented:
September, 1917.
have been often called upon for
atement Of my observation of Ger
an rule In Belgium and northern
'ance.
| have neither the desire nor the
Iequate pen to picture the scenes
lich have heated my blood through
e two and a half years that have
ent In work for The relief of these
100000 people.
The sight of the destroyed homes
d cities, the widowed and father
IS, the destitute, the physical misery