The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-16
uments which follow illustrate Belgian

"In the matters of the requisition
made by the German authorities on DC.
tober 20. 1916 (requisition of a list OF
workmen TO be drawn up by the mu.
nicipality)
THE municipal council resolves to
maintain its attitude of refusal.
at further feels it its duty to place
on record the following:
THE city of Journal is prepared to
submit unreservedly to all the exigen.
cies authorized by the laws and Gus
toms of war. Its sincerity cannot be
questioned. For more than two years
it has submitted TO the German occu.
patton, during which time it has LODGE
and lived at close quarters with the
German troops, yet it has displayed |
perfect composure and has refrained |
from any act of hostility, proving
thereby that it is animated by no idle |
spirit of bravado.
''In his declaration dated September |
>, 1914, the German governor general
Of Belgium declared: / ask none to
rcnounce his patriotic sentiments
The city Of Journal reposes con.
| fidence in this declaration, which it Is
bound to consider as the sentiment of
the German emperor, in whose name
| the governor general was speaking. III
/ accepting the inspiration of honor and
/ patriotism, the city is loyal 10 a funda-
mental duty, the holiness of which
must be apparent to any German Off.
/ Ger.
The city is confident that the
straiehtfurwardness and clearness of
this attitude will prevent any misun-
Outstanding arising between itself and
the German array"
Answer Is Lecture and Fine.
Journal, 23rd October, 1916.
'In permitting itself, through the
medium OF municipal resolutions, TO
\ oppose the orders Of the German MILF
tary authorities in the occupied ter
ritory, the city is guilty Of IN uncxam-
pied arrogance and Of a complete mis-
understanding of the situation created
by the state Of war
The clear and simple situation is
in reality the following:
The military authorities order the
city 10 obey Otherw.se the city must
. bear the heavy consequences. as have
. pointed out in my previous explana-
tions.
The general commanding the army
& has inflicted on the city-on account
2 of its refusal up 10 date, TO furnish
the lists demauded--a punitive con
{ tribuljon Of 200o00 marks which must
he paid within the next six days. be-
ginning with today. The general also
Z adds that until such time as all tn,
r lists demanded are in Ills hands. foy
i, every day in arrears beginning with
r. December 81, 1916. ii sum of 20es
f. marks VIII be paid hy The city.
r "HOFrEK. Major General,
"E.appeu- Eommandant."
The Commission Syndicate Of Bel
g gian worklngnen also attempted 10 in
+ duce the German authorities 10 aban
: don their terrible plans. ...
- Recited Wrongs of Workmen.
J. Commission Syndicate Of Belgium,
= Brussels Both Oct, 1915
ITO the Governor General Of Belgium
"Excellency: The measures whIcl
$ are being planned by your admins
i tration to force the unemployed L
work for the invading power. the d
a portation Of our unhappy comrade
IF which has begun In the region of tn
.e etapes, move most profoundly the er
.e tire working class In Belgium.
= THE undersigned, members and rel
.G reSentatIves Of the great central st
: cialist and independent syndicales G
"- Belgium. would consider that they ha
&c not fulfilled their duty did they not e1
IL press to you the painful sentimer
.n which agitate the laborers and conve
~ to you the echo of their touching con
81 plants,
~ They have seen the machiner
taken from their factories, the mo.
Il diverse kind Of raw materials requis
Ut toned, the accumulation Of obstacl,
H. TO prevent the resumption of regull
y work, the disappearance one by one
y every public liberty of which they wei
IN proud
For more than two years the L
" boring class more than any other h;
= been forced TO undergo the most hi
- ter trials, experiencing misery az
u often hunger, while its children /;
. away fight and die, and the paren
u Of these children can never convey
eh them the affection with which the
~ hearts are overlooking.
re Pathetic Appeal Cisregarded.
~ "Our laboring class has endur,
everything with the utmost calm III
the most impressive dignity, represSiI
W its sufIcrings, its complaints and hea'
an trials, sacrificing everything to
~ ideal of liberty and independence. B
VI the measures which have been a
IT, nounced will make the population dra
- the dregs (of the cup) of human st
he row; the proletariat. the poor up
~ whom unemployment has been force
HI citizens of u modern state, are to
eH' condemned to forced labor witho
- having disobeyed any regulation