The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-13
Making Free Workers. -

mere StttllCu 10 De bDlllt ltediu lpi
the appearances, and Il resort to tricks
and subterfuges that resembled the
stupid cunning Of maniaCs. For In
stance, at Roulcrs, which was in the
military district, perhaps even in the
occupation district, when the Belglans,
presenting themselves In the customary
way at the registration bureau, showed
their cards OF identity. the Germans
suddenly stamped the cards, or the
cards of such men AS appeared able to
perform manual labor, with the words
"Freiwillige Arbeiter'- Counter work
err, and having thus easily transformed
them into willing workers sent them to
dig a fourth line trench from Staden
to Ostend. A man from Flanders told
me at the legation that ear by the
scene where they laborCd there was 20
be seen a large sign labeled "Frei-
willigc Arbelter,' This was not de
portation. his was requisition. But
later this effort to make the transac-
ton appear normal and legal was aban-
doued and the contracts were heard
Of 40 more,
The workmen living along the Rou-
lcrs-DiXmude railway line (Which eN.
tends AS far as LarrenD were allowed
to return to their homes every eve
ming. They went to and came from
their place Of work penned up'in flat
cars whose sides were scarcely 20 cent?
meters in height. They were exposed
to all weathers, shivercd from the cold,
were wet to the skin and they made
this journey thus twice IL day. "A
cattle breeder, in taking care of his
live stock" said the men, would not
permit them to travel under such condi-
tons
At first these workmen had been
transported in closed cars, but on the
twentieth Of December a poster an
nounCed that If they continued to de-
face the cars the military authorities
would be forced to have them trans
ported In uncovered cars, II they con-
tinued to deface the cars, But there
had been no complaint Of their defactng
be defaced? There 1t was again, the
subtle lie, that common trick to
threaten punishment for something that
had not been done, something the OR
mains themselves wished to 40. aud the
next day the announced punishment
was inflicted.
The factory where these men worked
for the Germans was situated II very
short distance from the front, The
men toiled there under the fire OF the
| allied armies and several Of them were
wounded, Under these conditions 1t
was evident that the work they per
formed must have served for military
purposes, and, in fact, 1t was said that
they were digging trenches.
Thursday, the 18th of october, and
Friday, tho 18Th, were sinister dates IN
the territory of east Flanders, for the
seizures were begun everywhere II
those days, Two thousand, some said
| $500 men were locked up In the store.
house OF the Societe AnonYne la Ian
Jere La Gautotsc,' a large flax
spinning factory at Client, The mer
were held there by German troops and
the selection was made after a most
cursory examination, The men thus
imprisoned were not all of them un.
employed workmen, some of them were
clerks or small tradesmen, They re-
fused TO work FOR the Germans or tc
sign the proposed contract, They
were kept imprisoned, huddled together
In an insufficient space, with no Sanl-
tary arrangements, no place 10 steer
except the bare and crowded floor
with little or nothing TO eat, once q
day they were X out OF doors toI
exercise under a heavy military guard
An tho white, by means of threats and
every manner Of intimidation, the Ger
mans tried to eXtort from them II MOI
their signatures to the contract, then
consent to work for the Germans. Fin
ally they were shipped off TO Germany
and they, too, went singing La Bra
hancouuo" and DE Leeuw van Nlaan'
dcren.'
rne shops Of Van den Kerkhov,
were "requistioned,' the directors hay.
lng declined to permit theV nlahl u
work for the Germans. Then tho Ger
mans seized the ships n installed
German foremen, hut the men refused
TO work under them, or to work for tn
Germans at all Then, N A German
Improvement on the old system OF tn
lockout, they were locked up and givel
no food. I'm order to force them to wor'
for their conquerors. They were close
ly guarded, but out OF the factory win,
dows they used to drop notes whiCl
their friends picked up and thu
$1,000 IL A.Ir nNfInrlnrg