Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-17
Continued from Last Issus)

word had come TO have an evil con
notation far removed from its ORD!
nary siEnification. There was ES
communication between the "etape'
and our part of the world. ana ever
we privileged ones heard OF VIVA
Nwas going on behind that tragic vel
only from the gossip and the runner.
the delegates OF the - X. B. DrouSh'
j TO town on their weekly VISITS 1
headquarters in the Rue deS COLONIES
Nv own impression OF the slaN'
drive going on there was vague -
j knew was that workmen, lnteiH
cent. alive, full of wit and humoi
and hone and ambition-preclSelN
like the men in those crowds at MONS
10 whom 1 had so often made polit'
herded together like animals. I'M
Drisonad In the vile corrals, paWeet
over and kicked and m3nhanuled ilh,
beasts in The market place, ana tiial
then they disappeared IN sWiLIls
passing trains, in the darkness ais
, Singing cold of the night, dropplnS
notes now aud then for some chahS'
comna triot TO pick up by the way
side singing La Brab3nconne' an
the Lion OF Flanders.
Now and then men who had some
how crossed the line between etapc
and occupation district would brlng
m the rumoTs that were Whispered ~
al that region where the Mucous
terror spread
At Iauase and in the country
round il WAS said tn [ BelglanS han
been seen working IN the JrencnsS
I'm the communes OF the canton OF
FraSme the men to he deported ma
bgen selected at random. At jam
apes the entire male population
was summoned by proclamation -
appear. and the Germans took m
discriminatory clerks. -workmen, stu
dents and merchants. The meI
from Flanders and the district OF
ToTIrnai were sent toward France
the men from RenaiN were sent lo
Mortagne. in France; those IRON
Wiers. 20 LcqueSnoy. Boatmen TAX
Ing macadam TO the north of France
said that they rad seen belsl a ans
there employed I'm discharging the
macadam. In order TO obtain the
signatures of these men to contracts
the Germans had told them that
they would be sent away lmn'e-
diaJely il they refused TO sign, Du,
that III they accepted the conditions
thew would be given several uaNs
Tlen we felt the hideous thins
draw. nearer. The SlaVerS had cross
cJ the line; they were plying tnSll
trade In the occupied district. Early
i'm November they were operating ~
The Hainault on the sixth OF that
month they were Selling men at Les
Here there was no pretense any
more of continuing the seizures 20 me
unemployed. The Germans took nor
onIv boyz, il they were big and
strong. but men over sixty year
of age The greater number of the
men were workers from the quarrles.
but even the office men OF bailkS
and factories were seized: Inc n eAI
clerk at the station and his brothec'
both railway workers, were deported.
The town was first surrounded DE
troops. and the business of choosing
the men for deportation took place "a
the school. From the school they
were taken directly TO the trans an
which were to bear them away. Inc
number of men taken from Lessipes
proper. not including those taken
from the nearby communes. was over
two thousand. The notice was posted
on the walls of the town, and every
man. including priests and civil au-
thorities. had to present hlmseH.
Mr.. Gregory. the director OF the I.
p 3. had at once organized service
by which the men sent away were
given what comforts were possiDle
under the circumstances. The AmeTI-
cans distributed blankets, clothinS'
caps and mittens, and enough food 20
last several days. The delegates were
instructed TO be present and render
anv service they could. and Mr.. VIII
liam Italian Tuck and Mr.. john Gaue'
DELEGATES Of the G. R. Is. in the prov
iuce OF Hainautl. went over 10 the
commune of st. Ghislain on the morn
ing of the goth of October TO witness
the selections. to prevent the SEIZURE
Of the emnIoyes of the G. y. and the
c. r r, and TO distribute food 10
those who were deDOrted. They came
hack sick with horror and full of rage
at the medieval barbaTities they had
witnessed--so much so that, after
what he saw. Mr. Tuck resigned from
the commission. left Belgium. and en-
tered the British army TO night
against such cruelty and oppression
About two thousand men summon
ed from all ueighOOring communes
had been assembled at st. GhiSlaln
The women had followed them IN
tears. and at the noint where ere Sc
iectiOns were made lines OF soldlefs
kent the women back by their baNo-
nets. No effort was made to distin-
Puish the unemDlo-ed: indeed, the
Germans did quite the reverse. show
ing a decided preference Tor carpen-
tiers and blackSmithS. The men chOs-
en- were not allowed even to speak 10
their wives or waiting familieS-only
a deSpairing glance OF farewell.
wave Of the hand perhaps. TO the
women sobbing and wringing their
hands there IN the cold. while the in
different soldiers in gray kept them
back with their havonetS. Then
throueh lines OF soldiers. the men
were marched OFF TO the long line OF
freight cars on the siding.
The following day. the 9TH OF NO
Veuber. IL was the turn OF the meH
OF JuTbise. The selections were made
bv employing that formula which was
so much like the cruel chance OF 2
blind fate: "rechts. links" the officer
cried and the men PASSED either e
the right or to the left-to freedom
OF To bondage. No account was taken
Of their condition or Of the condition
Of their families or deDendents: nc
effort was made to ascertain whether
or not the men were unemployed
they were asked no questions. Farm
ers were taken even when they had
no one TO take their place in the
fields. and some Of the men left young
children or wives alone at home.
At Quivrain, on the 26th Of Octo
J Der. the men We're convoked witt
, those of the conmunes of Tbulin
I ElOnges. Baisieux, Hensies and Mont
! roeul-Sur-H8ine. Those who obeycS
were huddled i'm the inner COURTYARD
g OF the boys middle school, and KEEP
2 waiting there for hours in the cold
: rain and wind.
I Priests, school teachers and in
Z structors. employees of the com
Q munes. policemen. postmen. custom:
: officials and the employees of the c
: y. and the G. II. +. were called frs
and liberated without difficulty. a,
. were a number of the sick and aged
though old men were hustled abou
with the usual brutality.
The witness who described IL wa
Z unable to determine BY what facto
the choice was made; il had no rcla
b. ton 10 unemployment. for many wn'
e were there and always had been EN-
nj a - F-rn-
y ager OF q factory and other IS whom
:. ne knew-were seized. All day Ions
2 train had been waiting at the sta
= ton. and during the afternoon, IL
? their separate groups. the men thus
: impressed were marched of TO tn
i Cattle-CarS.
!. The press gang operated AT Nihov,
c On the sta of November. and ! h5'
the story from d man who live
. there:
h Those who had not presented them
selves in response to the summons