The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1918-08-03
Death RATE IN
BELGIUM IS HIGH
Under German OCCUPATION, III
Treatment and Poor Food
Kill Thousands.
WORSE Than AN EPIDEMIC
Mortality in Civil Life Greater Than
on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Can On
Iy Be Worse, Says legation
One Execution Daily.

Washington.-The existing death
rate in Belgium is as high as at the
time of the most terrible epidemics
and greater than that on the battle
held, due to the extremities to which
German occupation has reduced the
country. In addition, at least one Bel
CLAN daily is executed by the German
authorities, according to statement
made public by the Belgian legation.
The statement came from Havre and
read as follows:
mot taking into account the losses
ON the field of battle Belgium has suf-
Tered heavily in its civilian population
through the invasion and occupation
Of It's territory by the Germans.
Il. Civilians killed during the in
vasion, August-September, 1914-Al-
though we are not yet in possession Of
complete list Of the civilians killed
by the Germans during those fateful
days, we know the number of victims
to be we'll over 5000. For the follow
Ing provinces we have approximate
estimates: Namur, more than 1900 {:
Luxembourg about 1900; Liege, more
than 1000; Brabant, 1917; Hainaut,
about 800. Most of these victims fell
In the towns where, under pretext of
the existence Of sharpshooters, Ger
man fury knew no limits. Dinant
counted 6O6 victims; Andenne, more
than 200; Tamines, more than 400 ;
Louvain, 210; Aerschot, about $50
Namur, about Is.
Deportees' Death Rate High.
~. Among the deportees the NOR
tality resulting from privations, i'll
treatment, undertaking, etc., exceeds
largely the normal percentage of
deaths. Some, too, have met death on
the battle fields, where the Germans
forced them to do auxiliary work. If
we possess ample information about
individual places and undeniable tes-
timony on the broken health of the re-
turned deportees in general, we are,
however, unable to quote figures.
20. The electrified wire which makes
the Belgians prisoners in their own
country accounts for great number
of victims, especially among young
people, who try to escape in order to
Join the army, or among couriers, who
try to smuggle news In or out Of Bel
GUM. In less than year, between
August, 1915, and July, 1917, 100 per-
sons were electrocuted. Since then
the average number Of victims has in
. creased, owing to the Strengthening Of
the guards and the putting up of new
wires.
~. The death penalty, pronounced
by the German military courts for
crimes of patriotism, levies a heavy
toll on the population. It is estimated
that each day one Belgian at least suf-
fers the supreme penalty.
"The unsatisfactory food situation,
due to the requisition of the home
grown foodstufrs and the sinking of
many relief ships, the use Of insult
able substitutes, the lack Of fuel, as a
result of the exploitation by Germany
for her own consumption, and for ex-
portation, of the Belgian coal fields,
has dangerously increased the death
rate.
deaths from hunger and cold are
not unusual, but it is mostly indirectly
that the undertaking of the popula-
ton causes numerous premature
deaths, for, through lack Of physical
strength, many people are subject to
ricketts, or pretuberculosis, and so be-
come unable to resist slight illness
which, under normal conditions, would
not prove fatal. AS to the bad effect
of unsuitable substitutes, it will SUI
fee to recall the diseases contracted
by the deportees through the use OF
raw rutabagas and the paralysis OF
the brain and Of the marrow or the
special kind Of jaundice provoked by
the use Of lupin seeds as q substitute
for coffee berries.
White Plague Prevalent.
1.-THE death rate all over Belgium,
but especially In the large towns, is
as high as at the time of the most
terrible epidemics. A Brussels paper,
appearing with the consent of the Ger.
man censorship, admits that there are
more civilian dead from lack Of sui:
ficient food than Belgian soldiers fall
en- on the battlefield On the other
hand, report on the Work Of the
War Orphans in Belgium shows that
In 1917 there were fewer orphans Of
soldiers fallen in the war than of civ
ilians killed during the same period
and Of deportees dead in consequence
of their deportation. sr.
cardiac affections and cerebral
hemorrhages account for the greater
part Of the deaths, tuberculosis, espe
cially under the form Of tubercular
meningitis, for almost as many. Ty.
phoid fever, caused by the occupying
army, has occasionally levied heavy
toll on the civilian population.
'"The situation in 1918 can only grow
worse; it is undeniable that the ply
steal standard of the nation is lower
ing dangerously and that the effects
OF the German occupation on the
health Of the people will make them
selves felt for long time after thu
war.