The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-30
bELG|ANS FORCED
TO AID GERMANS
Kaiser's oii;cars Showed Oren
Disregard OF ;rtecaa-
terra! Law.
:I.2kVE,! SEIZED fss SLAVES

C,srr':ca: MERCER Mo"-i - sitter Cor
| dtli.,e,icl er k,.:ss u Gerf"a, Az
| ,n.,-.t,ee xsr.;ca tfuuset Detes-
t5t.vn Of chris-end,'n.
Contrcry 10 ru'.s ,ciJ @own By
Tic Eagus cc"rcni'on, cna al! pr'a'
cip'cs Of Civilized morfcTe. Germa"
authorities forcel Gelg;a"s to a'a
ihf,; ~ the prosecution Of the war
committee OF pa0Iic inforn'G'
qires the tccts concerning
:'rocious Gee3s IN a pamphlet
rcccnt1y made public, from wh'ch az
| ;n7.2 TIE fo7lowing:
October 10, 1915, the German author
tiles took long step in the develop
ment Of their policy of forcing the Be-
gians 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 one year
He may also be transported to Ger
many.
"In voking Belgian laws or even in
| ternati0nal conventions to the coz
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
work as pointed out, in Article 1, Is
liable to the punishment Of imprison'
ment not exceeding five years.
"Article 3. Whoever knowingly by
means Of aid given or many other way
| abets a punishable refusal to work
| will be liable to maximum fine OF
/ 10000 marks, and in addition may be
condemned to years imprisonment
1T communes or associations have
rendered themselves guilty of such IN
| offense the heads of the communes will
be punished.
"Article A. In addition to the penal
ties stated in Articles / and 3, the Ger
| man authorities may, in case OF need
| impose on cOnmunes, where withcu'
reason. work has been refused. tine
or other coercive police measures.
"This present decree comes into
force Immediately.
der Etappeinspekteur,
"vON UNGER,
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
"Ghent. October u, 1915"
"Slavery," Said Cardinal Mereier.
| Cardinal Mercicr's brief comment Is
| as follows: "The injustice and arbi
| trariness Of this decree exceed all thai
could be imagined. Forced labor, col
| lcctive penalties and arbitrary punis..
inents, all are there. 1t is slavery, nei'
| Their more nor less"
Cardinal MERCER was in error, fol
! the German authorities we're able tt
| imagine much more terrible measure
In October, 1916, when the need fol
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 detestation of Chris
! tendon. The reader will not be mislee
by the clumsy effort of the German au'
| thorities to mask the real purpose OF
| the decree.
Il. People able to work may be
compelled to work even outside thu
place where they live, In case they
have to apply to the charity Of Others
for the support Of themselves or theil
dependents on account Of gambling
drunkenness, loaflng, unemployment OF
idleness. aasG W L3s
I'll. Every inhabitant Of the country
Il, bound to render assistance In case
of accident Or general danger, and alst
| to give help in case Of public calami'
ties as far as he can, even outside tne
place where he lives: in case Of refu
sal he may be compelled by force.
sII. Anyone called upon to work
under Articles or II, who shall re
fuse the work, or to continue at tn
work assigned him, will incur the pen
atty Of Imprisonment up to three years
and Of fine up to 10000 marks. OF
one or other Of these penalties, unles.
4 severer penalty Is provided for b,
the laws In force
III the refusal to work has beef
made n concert or IN agreement Will
several pefsonA each accomplish VII
be sentenced, - II he were . ring
leader, 70 at least . weeks impeison
me0t.
nv. The German military authori
lies and military courts win enforce
| the proper execution Of this decree.
1.-THE QUARTERNASTER GEN
ERAL, SAUBERzWE10.
sGreat Headquarters, ID October
1918"
Military Rulers nesponsibie.
The responsibility for this atrocioul
| A. v,>fvat0 UrS upHloF1