Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-01-17

battlsnelds with that 81 their sona.i
Those who are taken away today.
Do not 60 to perform a glorious duty!
They are slaves In chains wlsa In q
dark exile. threatened by hunger
prison, death. will be called upon to-
perform the most odious work service
to the enemy against the fatherland.
Rights OF Honor and Conscience.
'The mothefs cannot stand by while
such an abomination Ia taking place
without making their voices heard in
protest. i
'They address you In the name Of
the unalterable rights Of honor and
conscience. i,
1T has been said that women are all
powerful suppliants.' !.
Eve have felt authorized by this
saying, Mr.. Minister, to extend our
hands to you and to address to your
country last appeal. .
I'VE trust that in reading these lines
you will feel at each word the unhap.
py heartbeeats Of the Belgian women
and will find in your broad and hui
name sympathy imperative reasons for
Intervention.
only the united will Of the neutral
peoples energetically expressed can
counterbalance that of the German au.
thorities.
This assistance which the neutral
nations can and, therefore, ought to
lend US. will 1t be refused to the op.
pressed Belgians?
BE good enough to accept, Mr.. Min.
lister, the homage Of our most distin.
guished consideration"
(Signed by a number of Belgian
women and "a societies.)
The United States government did
not fail to respond to this touching ap-
peal and to others of similar nature.
The American embassy at Berlin
promptly took up the burning question
Of the deportations with the chancellor
and other representatives Of the Ger
man government. In an interview
with the under secretary of state for
foreign affairs. Mr.. Grew was handed
an official statement Of the German
plans. which is, In translation, as fol.
lows:
German camouhage.
against the unemployed in Belgium,
who are burden to public charity,
in order to avoid friction arising there.
from, compulsory measures are to be
adopted to make them work SO far as
they are not voluntarily inclined to
work, in accordance with the regula.
ton issued May Is, 1916. by the gov.
ernor general. In order to ascertain
such persons the assistance of the mu.
nicipal authorities is required for the
district of the governor general in
Brussels, while in the districts outside
of the general government, /. e., in the
provinces of Flanders, lists were de.
manded from the presidents of the
local relief committees containing the
names of persons receiving relief. For
the sake of establishing uniform pro.
cedure the competent authorities have,
In the meantime. been instructed to
make the necessary investigations re.
garding such persons also in Flanders
through the municipal authorities;
furthermore, presidents of local relief
committees who may be detained for
having refused to furnish such LISTS
will be released"
MIR. Grew pointed out that the depor-
tations were breach Of faith and
would injure the German cause
abroad. In his official summary of the
negotiations which he carried on he
says:
II then discussed in detail with the
under secretary of state for foreign af-
fairs the unfortunate impression which
this. decision would make abroad, re-
minding him that the measures were
in principle contrary to the assurances
given to the ambassador by the chan.
cellor at general headquarters last
spring and dwelling on the effect which
the policy might have on England's at.
titude towards relief work in Belgium.
l said understood that the measures
had been promulgated solely by the
military government in Belgium and
that thought the matter ought at
least to be brought to the chancellor's
personal attention in the light of the
consequences which the new policy
would entail. Herr Zimmerman init
mated in reply that the foreign office
had very little influence with the mill
tary authorities and that 1t was un-
likely that the new policy in Belgium
could be revoked. He stated, how.
ever. in answer to my inquiry, that he
would not disapprove of my seeing the
chancellor about the matter"
Solemn Protest by United States,
The formal protest of the United
States was as follows:
1.-THE government Of the United
States has learned with the greatest
concern and regret Of the policy of the
German government to deport from
Belgium portion of the civilian popu-
lation with the result of forcing them
to labor in Germany, and ia constrained
to protest in friendly spirit but most
solemnly against this action which ia
In contravention of all precedent and
those humane principles of interna-
tional practice which have long been
accepted and followed by civilized ma
tons in their treatment of noncomba-
tants in conquered territory. Further
more, the government Of the United
States Is convinced that the effect of
this DOlicV If nurSuod will ~, oil rrob