The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-01-18

uldbu. ne - Sulu " iiuFS NAAtANiNNA
Won Blssing's policy as too mild; there
was quarrel Won Kissing went to
Berlin to protest, threatened to resign,
but did not He returned, and Ger
man official here said that Belgium
would now be subjected TO more ter
rible regime--would learn what war
was. The prophecy has been vindlcat-
ed. Recently was told that the dras-
tic measures are really Of Ludendorf's
Inspiration; do not know. Many Ger
man officers say so"
II Won Kissing had opposed the pol
Icy Of deportation when his own judg-
ment was oyerruled, he consented to
become the devils advocate" and de-
Tended the system in public. Espe-
cIally instructive is the following con-
yersation reported by Mr.. +. g. Wal
colt:
II went to Belgium to investigate
conditions, and while there / had OPP
pOrtunity to talk one day with
Governor General Won Kissing who
died three or four weeks ago, man
seventy-two or seyenty-three years
old, man stepped In the system
born and bred to the hardening Of the
heart which that philosophy develops.
There ought to be some new word
coined for the process that mans.
heart undergoes when 1t becomes
STEPPED in that system.
II said to him, Governor, what are
you going to do If England and France
stop giving these people money to pur-
chase foOdT
Won Kissing Relied on Starvation.
Gle said, We have got that all
worked out and have had 1t worked
out for weeks, because we have ex.
pected this system to break down at
any time
'He went on to say, Starvation will
grip these people in thirty to sixty
days. Starvation is compelling force,
and we would use that force to compel
the Belgian workingmen, many of
them very skilled, to go to Germany
to replace the Germans, so that they
could go to the front and fight against
the English and the French
"'As fast as our railway Transport
tatlon could carry them, we would
transport thousands of others that
would be fit for agricultural work.
| across Europe down into southeastern
Europe, into Mesopotamia, where we
have huge, splendid irrigation works.
All that land needs is water and II
will blossom like the rose.
"The weak remaining, the old and
the young, we would concentrate oppo-
site the firing line, and put firing
squads back of them, and force them
through that line, so that the English
and French could take care of their
own people
at was a perfectly simple, direct
frank reasoning. 1t meant that the
German government would use any
force In the destruction of any people
not its own TO further its own ends. -
Frederick @. Walcott, In National Geo
graphical Magazine. May, 1917.
A brief general view Of the character
| of the deportations can perhaps be
gained best from the report of Minis
ter Whltlock.
"The deportations began in October
in the Etape, at Client, and at Bruges
as my brief kilograms indicated. The
policy spread; the rich Industrial dis
tricts of Hainault, the mines and stee
works about Charlerol were next at
tackled; now they are selling men II
Brabant, even In Brussels, despite
some indications and even predictions
OF the civil authorities that the polio!
was about to be abandoned.
TThe etapes were the parts of Bel
GUM under martial law, and included
the province of western Flanders, par
of eastern Flanders, and the regiol
OF Journal. The remainder of the oc
cupied part Of Belgium was undo
civil governmental
Pltlable and Distressing Scene.
',During the Inst fortnight men hay
been impressed here In Brussels, bu
their seizures here are made EVIDENT
with much greater care than In tn
provinces. with more regard for tn
appearances. There was no public al
nouncement OF the intention to depor
! hut suddenly about ten days ago cel
? tain men In towns whose names ar
on the list OF chomeurs received sun
! mons notifying them to report at on
OF the railway stations on given day
! penalties were fixed for failure to r
E spond to the summons and there W.
) printed on the card an offer of emplo,
: ment by the German government, {
g ther In Germany or Belgium. On Z
/. first day out OF about 1900 men o
dered to present themselves at Z
!, Care du Midi about $50 responde
: These we're examined by German phi
9 slclans and 800 were taken. The
!. was no disorder, large force
$ mounted Uhlans keeping back q
n crowds and barring access TO the st
S ton to all but those who had be-
y summoned to appear. The COMM
sion for relief in Belgium had secur
n permission to give to each deport
n man a loaf Of bread, and some Of {
n eommunes provided warm clothing [
tha,s, who had none and In addition