, 1918-01-31
x.Iser's Officers Showed Open
Disregard Of Interna-
tionaI Law.
woBkMEN SEIZED AS SLAVES
..,dlrsl mercIer Moved to Bitter Con.
d.nnation Of Acts Of German Au-
,borlties Which Aroused Detes-
tatIon Of chrlstendom.

Contrary to rules htd doWn oy
he Hague contention. and all prir-
cpls of civilised warfare, German
authorities forced Belgians to aid
them in the prosecution of the
The committee on public informa-
ton gives the facts concerning
these ~dtrocious deeds in a pamphlet
recently made public, from pkich we
take the following:
October IL, 1915, the German author
tiles took a long step in the develop
ment of their policy Of forcing the Bel
sIans to aid them in prosecuting the
war. The decree of that date reveals
the matter and openly discloses a con-
tempt for international law.
"ArtIcle 1. Whoever, without reason,
refuses to undertake or to continue
work suitable to his occupation, and in
the execution of which the military
administration is interested, such work
being ordered by one or more Of the
military commanders, will be liable to
imprisonment not exceeding n year.
He may also be transported to Ger
many.
'In voking Belgian laws or even in
ternatiOnal conventions to the con-
trary, can, in no case. Justify the re-
fusal to work.
article 2. Any person who by force,
threats, persuasion, or other means
attempts TO influence another to refuse
.ua.t- 90 rotntnJ ont In rftola 10
liable 10 the punishment of imprison-
ment not exceeding five years.
article 8. Whoever knowingly by
means of aid given or in any other way
abets a punishable refusal to work,
will be liable to a maximum fine of
10000 marks, and in addition may be
condemned to n years imprisonment.
"If communes or associations have
rendered themselves guilty Of such an
Offense the heads of the communes will
be punished.
Article 4. In addition to the penal
ties stated in Articles 1 and 3, the Ger
man authorities may, in case of need,
Impose on communes, where without
reason, work has been refused, a fine
or other coercive police measures.
"Thls present decree comes into
force Immediately.
der Etappeinspekteur,
"vON UNGER,
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
"Ghent, October 10, 1915"
slavery" Said Cardinal Mercier.
Cardinal Mercier's brief comment is
as follows: ''The injustice and arbi-
trariness Of this decree exceed all that
sould be imagined. Forced labor, col
lective penalties and arbitrary punish
ments, all are there. 1t is slavery, nei-
Their more nor less"
Cardinal Mercfer was In error, for
the German authorities were able to
Imagine n much more terrible measure.
In October, 1916, when the need for
an additional labor supply In Germany
had become urgent, the German gov
eminent established the system of
forced labor and deportation which
has aroused the d%etestation Of Chris
tendon. The reader will not be mlsled
by the clumsy effort of the German au-
thorities to mask the real purpose of
the decree.
u. People able to work may be
compelled to work even outside the
place where they live, in case they
nave to apply to the charity Of others
Tor the support Of themselves or their
dependents on account of gambling,
nru%nkenness, loafing, unemployment or
ldleness.
I'll. Every inhabitant of the country
Is bound to render assistance in case
OF accident or general danger, and also
10 give help in case of public calami-
hes as far as he can, even outside the
place where he lives; in case of refu-
sal he may be compelled by force.
iii. Anyone called upon to work,
under Articles I or II, who shall re-
luse the work, OF to continue at the
WORK assigned him, will incur the pen
atty of Imprisonment up to three years
and of a fine up to 10000 marks, or
one or other of these penalties, unless
q SeNerer penalty is provided for by
the laws in force.
II the refusal to work has been
made In concert or In agreement with
several persons, each accomplish will
De sentenced, as II he were a ring
leader, to at least a weeks imprison-
ment.
Nv. The German military authori-
ueS n military courts will enforce
ue proper execution of this decree.
The QUARTERMASTER GEN.
ERAL, SAUBERZWEIG.
treat Headquarters, Sd October,
1915"
Military Rulers Responsible.
M responsibility for this atrocious
program rests upon the military rulers
VI Germany. who had labored 80 zeal
ouSly to infect the army and the
people with the principles of ruthless