Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-03-15

| u regime become more and more alarm
Ing from the point Of view of the pub
lie health. tuberculosis has increased
by leaps and bounds; at Bruges the
number Of cases has increased i00t
per cent. All kinds Of epidemics have
claimed numberless victims, especially
among children Of two to ten years OF
age. Loss Of weight Is general The
death rate has greatly increased. In
one week Antwerp reported 104 deaths
as against 81 births; Brussels 81
against II. In some localities the
death rate is three times the normal
rate.
Forced Labor.
The deportatlons In condemnlng to
slavery more than 100000 of our fel-
low-citizens, have still further added to
the general distress. Husbands have
been torn from their wives, and sons
from their mothers; courageous work.
men refusing to allow the labor of their
hands to be used against their country,
have been beaten. subjected to treat.
ment the horror Of which surpasses
anything that has been seen hereto.
fore, and sent back dying, to their na.
tive village. Ten per cent have died
In Germany and many do not long sur.
vive their return to Belgium.
In March, 1917, the kaiser promised
that the deportation to Germany would
cease, but the military authorities are
constantly carrying of men, who are
given hard work, often behind the
'front.' Information from a camp In
Athus (Luxemburg) shows that the
food was so insufficient that the mum.
Der Of those there put to work was
soon reduced to half. In spite Of this,
the same amount Of work was re-
qulred, so that a double task fell upon
those who survived. The sanitary
conditions in that camp are described
as horrible. Abuses are especially fire.
quent In Flanders. Recalcltrants are
sent to dangerous work at the front.
Some Of the men who have been requl-
sitloned try to escape. In such cases
the military authority imposes heavy
fines upon the c0mmunes from which
they come, arrests, In the streets. even
In the churches. men who are held as
hostages and after few days sent to
the front to replace those who escaped.
A man who leaves his home for any
reason Is never sure Of returning to II.
Relatives, women old men and chill
dren are arrested In their houses and
Imprisoned until the return of the fu-
gitives. As disclosed from journals
taken from German prisoners and from
reports received through Holland, even
women and girls are forced to dig
trenches, to repair the roads, and to
do other military works. often under
the artillery fire. In Blankenberghe
and other places boys Of twelve years
Of age are placed at work Of military
Moral sufferinas and Endurance.
Successive attacks were and still are
being made upon the Belgian people
and Its liberties. With impressive
the bishops, headed by Car
dinal MERCER, the constituent bodies,
the notabllities Of the political world,
without distinction Of party, the magls-
tracy, the bar, the universities have
guided the public spirit. There is no
better witness to the bitterness of the
than the sanguinary actlv-
ty Of the exceptional courts created
by the Germans to force the Belgians
10 obedience. German statistics show
that for one year only there had al
ready been more than 100000 convlc-
lions. The judicial drama In which
Miss Cavell persisted Is being constant
" repeated, and not week passes but
that patriots fall before the bullets Of
/ firing squad. On one day at Client.
eighteen, of whom three were women.
we're put to death. The long list OF
martyrs includes hundreds of names
from all classes Of society. from all the
professions, from all ages. men, wom-
IN, and even children. And If the ex-
scutlons have been by hundreds, the
and penal deportatlons
nave been by thousands.