The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-31
GERMAN HONOR
DRAGGED IN DUST
Solemn Promises Made to Bel
Qians Proved to Be Worse
Than Worthless.
ALL APPEALS WERE FL0UTED
Pathetic and Dignlfled suppiicatlens Of
Municipal Governments Answered
by Rebuks and .Aea*y Fine
Imposed by General HOPPER.


by Rebul<s and Hea~y Fine
Imposed by General Hopfsr.
Over the earnest protest Of Cord'-
nal Merc;er, heroic head of tho
church in Belgium, the terrible
plans of the Eaisers high officers
concerning the deportation Of tho
people were carried out. The SOL
emnly pledged word Of the German
governor general of Belgium count
ed as nothing in the malignant hate
shown by the kaisers creatures.
Cardinal Mercier attempted to per
suade the German authorities to aban-
don their terrible plans for the seizure
Of Belgians to assist In the prOsecu-
ton Of the war. reminding them Of
their solemn promises In the past:
''Malines, 10th October. 1915
"AIr. Governor General:
ssThe day after the surrender Of Ant.
werp the frightened population asked
itself what would become Of the Bel
gians Of age to bear arms or who would
reach khsk age before the end Of the
occupation. The entreaties Of the Ia
TIERS and mothers Of families deter
mined me 20 question the governor Of
Antwerp, Baron Won Huene. who had
the Kindness 70 reessure- me and to
authorize me In his name to reassure
the. asoni1ed parsntA Tho rumoe had
spread at Antwefn neverthe1ss4 tnat
at Lieee, Namur; and Charieed younS
men had been seised and taken by
force to Germany. I thefef0f6 beg
ged Governor Won Hue0s to be good
enough to confirm to me In writing the
guarantee which he had given to me
orally, to the effect that nothing sim
liar would happen at Antwerp. He
said to me Immediately that the ru-
mors concerning dep0rtations were
without lbasis. and unhesitat1ngly he
sent me in writing, among other state
ments, the following: Young men have
no reason to fear that they will be tn
ken to Germany, either to be there en-
rolled In the army or employed for
forced labor
"This declaration, written and sign
ed, was publicly transmitted to the
clergy and to those Of the faith OF
the province Of Antwerp, as your excel
lency can see from the document en-
closed herewith, dated October 18th.
1914, which was read In all the church
e..
Solemn German Promjees Broken.
"Upon the arrival Of your predeces-
sor, the late Baron Won der Colts. at
Brussels had the honor Of presenting
myself at his house and requested him
to be good enough to ratify for the en-
tire country, without time limit. the
guarantees which General Won. Hueae
had given me for the province Of Ant
we9r Tho governor general retalned
this request In his possession IN order
- sxnmins e ct his leisure. The fol-
lowing day be was good enough to
come In person TO Malineg 70 bring me-
his apppoval. and conArmsd to me- In
the presence Of Two aides eside-camp and
Of my private 1ecfetasy. the prouasa
that the nbeety Of Belgian dtisaas
would be respected.
TO doubt tAe authesity a sacA m
dertakines wouid have been to reaect
upon the persons who had made them.
and therefore took steps to allay. by
III the means Of peesuasion n my
power. the anxieties which persisted h
the interested families.
Notwithstanding all thiA your gov.
eminent now tears from. thelr. homes
workmen reduced in spite Of their ef-
forts to 6 state Of Unemployment. sep
arates them ~ force from their wives
and children and deports them to en-
emy territory. Numerous workmen'
have already undergone this unhappy
lot; more numerous are those who are
threatened with the same acts Of vio-
flence. !,
aeereler's Moving Appeal
'In the name Of the liberty Of domi-
Gle and the liberty Of work Of Belgian
citi1ens; In the name Of the inviola.
bility Of families; in the name Of NOR
al interet0 which the measures Of de-
portation weuld gravely compromise; /;
In the name Of. the word given by the
governor OF the Province Of Antwerp
and by the governor general the Inn
mediate representative OF the highest
-adtheEity Of the German. empire I re-
spec{1dlly beg your excellency to be
good enough to withdraw the measures
Of forced labor and Of deportation an
nouneed to the Belgian workmen, and
to be good enough to reinstate In their
'.c.::.es those who have already been