The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-02-28
Urged That Inhuman Deporta-
tons Be Stopped Because of
Effect on Neutrals.
GERARD SUMS UP SITUATION
"Germans Will Stop at Nothing, and
the Only Thing They Respect Is
FORCE" - Huns Capacity for
Cruelty Told by Whitlock.

deportations of the people in Bel
qium and France, socialist deputies
in the reichstag protested against
the continuance Of the practice. Am
bassador Gerard'S evidence shows the
extent of the horror.
In the Norddeutsche Algemeine
Zeitung of December 2, 1916, the fol-
lowing protests against the deporta-
tion of Belgians to work in Germany
appeared, made, respectively, by So
cialist Deputy Haase and Deputy Dit
mann, members of the reichstag:
thousands of workmen in the oc-
cupled territory have been compelled
to forced labor; we earnestly ask the
government to restore to these work
men their liberty, especially in Bel
GUM. In truth, we (the Germans) find
no sympathy in neutral countries; even
the pope has made protest against
this procedure, and several neutral
states have done the same. Common
sense itself demands that we abandon
this procedure which moreover is in
opposition to the Hague convention to
which we have agreed"
'In opposition TO the secretary of
state, must recall that when former
ly the Belgian worl1men who had fled
to Holland returned to Belgium, Gov
ernor General Won Kissing promised
that these Belgian worlImen would UNI
der no circumstances be deported to
Germany This reassuring promise
has not been kept"
Ambassador Gerard's interesting tes-
timony appears in his recent book:
Ambassador Gerard's Evidence.
Inc president during my visit to
America in 1870 impressed upon me
MS great interest in the Belgians de-
ported to Germany. The action of Ger
many in thus carrying a great part Of
the male population of Belgium into
virtual slavery had reused great indig-
nation in America. AS the revered
Cardinal Farley said to me a few days
before my departure, You have to go
back to the times of the Modes and
the Persians to find a like example of
whole people carried into bondage.
"AIr. Grew had made representations
about this to the chancellor and, on my
return, l Immediately took up the
question.
81 was informed that 1t was mill
tary measure, that Ludendorf had
feared that the British would break
through and overrun Belgium and that
the military did not propose to have a
hostile population at their backs who
might cut the rail lines of communl
cation, telephones and telegraphs, and
that for this reason the deportation
had been decided on. I was, however.
told I would be given permission to
visit these Belgians. The passes, new
ertheless, which alone made such visit
ing possible were not delivered until a
few days before left Germany
Belgians Forced to Make Munitions.
Several of these Belgans who were
put to work in Berlin managed to get
away and come to see me. They gave
me a narrowing account of how they
had been seized in Belgium and made
to work in Germany at making NUM-
tons to be used probably against their
own friends.
81 said to the chancellor, There are
,BeIgians employed in making shells
contrary to all rules of war and the
Hague conventions He said, I dc
not believe it. I said, My automobile
is at the door. I can take you, in foul
minutes, to where 30 Belgians are
working on the manufacture of shells.
But he did not find time to go.
Americans must understand tina
the Germans will stop at nothing t.
win this war, and that the only thinI
they respect is force" James w. &c
rard My Four Years in Germany, 1917
PIP. 3951-52.
A similar point of view is expresses
in an article entitled "Vae Victis
from the Hungarian newspaper News
} zawa of Budapest Quoted in X. G. Os
siannilsson. Militarism at Work In Be
GUM and Germany, 1917, PIP. 53-54.)
Mixed Hungarian Opinion.
Mechanical skill, and especial
qualified mechanical skill, is for tn
, moment a more important factor tina
t usual, and as 1t must be obtaine
where it can be obtained, Belgium ha
had to suffer in accordance with tn
old saying which always holds good
Vac victis (woe to the vanquished
In Poland mechanical skill and tn
arms which exist there are mobilize
under the glorious and fortunate ban
= ners Of Poland;' in Belgium under I'll
banner of necessity"
a.. The question remains: fl
what kind of work will the German
use the Belgians? . every kind
work in Germany is war work. whet
p er it is called agricultural or indu
trial work. AS the deported Belgian
have not given their consent, their III
! is contrary to international law. al
the policy of the Germans in Belgiu
. and Poland is equally to be deplore
instead of aiming a. bringing us nea
r peace, 1t serves to embitter our o
Nonents and to arouse more hatred I