The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-01-18
KaIser's Officers Showed Open
Disregard Of Interna-
tIonaI Law.
woRKMEN SEIZED AS SLAVES
cardIasl Mereler Moved TO Bitter Con-
demnatlon Of Acts Of German Au-
thorltIes Which Aroused Detes-
tation Of christendom.

Contrary 10 rules laid doWn by
the Hague convention, and all prifl-
ciplss of civilized warfare, German
authorities forced Belgians to aid
them IN The prosecution Of The wdr.
The committee on public informa-
ttoH gives The facts concerning
thess atrociols deeds in pamphlet
recently made public, from which zoe
take The following:
October ~, 1915, the German author
titles took long step In the develop
tnent Of their policy Of forcing the Bel
CLANS 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 /. Whoever, without reason,
refuses 10 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, viii be linble to
imprisonment not exceeding one year.
He may also be transported to Ger
many.
"In yolxlng Belgian laws OF even In
ternational conventions to the con-
trary, can, I'm no case, justify the re-
fusai 20 work.
Article 2. Any person who by force,
threats. persuasion, or other means
attempts TO influence another TO refuse
work as pointed out In Article l, is
liable to the punishment of imprison-
ment not exceeding five years.
article 3. Whoever knowingly by
means OF aid given or in any other way
ahets a punishable refusal to work,
Will be liable TO maximum fine Of
| 10000 marks. and In addition may be
condemned to u years imprisonment.
"If communes or associations have
rendered themselves guilty of such an
ofrense the heads of the communes will
be punished.
Article 4. In addition 10 the penal
Ties stated IN Articles ! and 8. the Ger
man authorities may, in case Of need,
1 impose on communes, whore without
reason. work has been refused, fine
or other coerclve police measures.
"rhls present decree comes into
force Immediately.
der Etappelnspekteur.
won UNGER,
"Generalleutnant.
"Ghent, October 10, 1915"
"slavery," Said Cardinal Mercler.
Cardinal Mercier's brief comment Is
as follows: "rhe injustice and arbl.
trt.riness Of this decree exceed all that
could be imagined, Forced labor, col
lectiye penalties and arbitrary punish
ments, all are there. II Is slavery, mel
Their more nor less"
Cardinal MERCER was in error, fol
the German authorities were able L
imsgine a much more terrible measure
In October 1916 when the need fol
an additional labor supply in German,
had become urgent, the German gov
ernment established the system o
forced labor and deportation whicl
has aroused the detestation OF Chris
tendon. The reader will not be mlsle,
by the clumsy effort of the German au
thorities to mask the real purpose o
the decree.
IL. People able 70 work may b.
compelled TO work even outside tn
place whore they live, Ia case the
have 20 apply to the charity OF other
for the support Of themselves or thei
dependents on account Of gambling
drunkenness. loatiug, unemployment 0
ldlrueSs.
] ell Every inhahlpnt Of the countr
Is bound to render assistance In cas-
of accident or general danger, and mis-
: 10 give help IN case OF public ealam
ties as far as he can, even outside IN
T place whore he lives; IN case of ref,
sal he may be compelled by force.
= "III. Anyone called upon 10 wor
!, under Articles / or II. who shall r
e fuse the work, or to continue at Il
: work assigned him, will incur the pc
il atty Of Imprisonment up 70 three yen
and of fine up 10 10000 marks,
&c one or other Of these penalties, unle
a severeF penalty Is provided for
IS the laws IN force.
. "tf the refusal 20 work has be,
II made Ia concert or In agreement wi
several persons. each accompllce W
" be sentenced. as II he were rim
:. leader. 10 at least weeks imprlsu
n. ment
n. "Iy. The German military autho
ID ties aud military courts win enfor
"a The proper execution OF this decree.
~rHE QUARTERAfASTER gle
ERAI4. SAUBERZwEIG.
~ ~Great Headquarters, Sd octob
- 1Qi6s
Military Rulers Responsible.
The responsibility for this atroelo
program rests upon the military rul,
on OF Germany, who had labored SO re
IN ously 20 infect the army and /
- people with the principles Of ruthle
.er ness. Ii is significant that the dec
lat Of October 3, 1916 followed hard M
the elevation OF Hindenburg 70 the
ms preme command with Ludendorf as
Ed. chief OF stafT In his long report
Id January &c 1917, Minister Whit,