The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-01-25
SOCIALISTS SAW
GERMANY'S ERROR
Urged That Inhuman Deporta-
tons BE Stopped Because of
Effect on heutraIs.
GERARD SUMS UP SITUATION
"oermans viii Stop at Nothing, anu
the Only Thing They Respect Is
Force" Huns Capacity for
Cruelty Told by Whitloek.

Aroused By the indignation shown
By the Whole world over the ruthless
dsportations of the people in Bel
GUM and France, socialist deputies
in the rsichstag protested against
the continuance of the practice. Am
bassador Gerdrds Evidence ShoWs the
extent of the horror.
In the Norddeutsche AIlgemeine
Zeitung OF December 2, 1916, the fol-
lowing protests against the deporta
ton Of Belgians TO work in Germans
appeared, made, respectively, by So
cialist Deputy Haase and Deputy Dit
mann, members of the reichstag:
Thousands of workmen in the &C.
cupied territory have been compelled
to forced labor; we earnestly ask the
government to restore TO these work
men their liberty, especially in Bel
GUM. In truth, we (the Germans) find
no sympathy in neutral countries even
the pope has made a protest against
this procedure, and several neutral
states have done the same. Common
sense itself demands that we abandon
this procedure which moreover IS in
opposition to the Hague convention TO
which we have agreed"
in opposition TO the secretary of
| state, must recall that when former
| ly the Belgian workmen who had fed
to Holland returned to Belgium, Gov
ernor General Won Kissing promised
| that these Belgian workmen would I'M
/ der no circumstances be deported to
Germany. This reassuring promise
has not been kept"
| Ambassador Gerard's interesting tes-
timony appears in his recent book:
Ambassador Gerard's Evidence.
/ Inc president during my visit ~
America in 1870 impressed upon me
MS great interest In the Belgians de
ported to Germany The action of Ger
many in thus carrying great part Of
the male population Of Belgium into
virtual slavery had reused great indig-
nation in America. AS the revered
Cardinal Farley said to me a few days
before my departure, You have TO 90
back to the times Of the Modes and
the Persians to find a like example Of
whole people carried into bondage
"Mr. Grew had made representations
about this to the chancellor and, on my
return, I Immediately took up the
question.
Il was informed that it was a mill
tary measure, that Ludendorf had
feared that the British would break
through and overrun Belgium and that
the military did not propose to have q
hostile population at their backs who
might cut the rail lines of eommun.
cation, telephones and telegraphs, and
that for this reason the deportation
had been decided on. was, however
told l would be given permission 10
visit these Belgians. The passes, new.
ertheless, which alone made such VISIT.
ing possible were not delivered until q
few days before left Germany.
5eIeians Forced to Make Munitions.
Several of these BeIgians who were
put to work in Berlin managed TO gel
az anu AoAAAE ~ SEC mt A4AEt saw
me a narrowing account of how they
had been seized in Belgium and Tuadt
TO work in Germany at making NUM-
, tons TO be used probably against theil
own friends.
81 said TO the chancellor. There ar,
Belgians employed in making shell:
contrary TO all rules Of war and tht
Hague conventions He said. I d.
not believe it. I said, My automobil,
, is at the door. I can take you. in foul
minutes, to where 80 Belgians ar,
! working on the manufacture of shells.
But he did not find time to go.
Americans must understand tina
the Germans will stop at nothing t
win this war. and that the only thini
they respect is force. James w. &c
rard. My Four Years in Germany, 1911
PIP. S951-52.
A similar point OF view s expressed
in an article entitled "Vae victis
from the Hungarian newspaper News
zawa of Budapest tquoted in K. G. Os
siannilsson, Militarism at Work in Bel
GUM and Germany, 1917. PIP. 53-54.l
Mixed Hungarian Opinion.
. Mechanical skill, and especial,
+ qualified mechanical skill. is for TIL
: moment a more important factor thar
usual. and as II must he obtainet
, where it can be obtained. Belgium ha
J had to suffer in accordance with tn
! old saying which always holds good
! Vac victis (woe to the vanquished)
, In Poland mechanical skill and tn
arms which exist there are mobilizet
under the glorious and fortunate ban
ners of Poland : in Belgium under tn
e banner Of necessity"
4 g. The question remains: fo
! what kind of work win the German
/ use the Belgians? every kind o
: work in Germany is war work. wheth
er 1t is called agricultural or indus
trial work. As the deported Belgian
have not given their consent, their us
4 Is contrary TO international law. an
= the policy of the Germans in Belgium
T and Poland is equally TO be deploret
: Instead OF aiming at bringing US neal
- err peace. IL serves TO enbItter our OF