The Dermott news., 1918-01-10

reproducing textually the declarations which have been made to us
 "'These deportations began towards Easter The Germans announced that the inhabitants of Reuhaix, Teureoing, Lille. etc, were going to he transport ed into French districts where their provisioning would be easier.
 "'At night. at about two o'clock in the morning, whole district of the town was invested by the troops of oc- cupation. To each house was distrib- uted printed notice, of which we give herein an exact reproduction, preserv- ing the style and spelling (See docu- ment, above.)
 "'1he inhabitants so warned were to hold themselves ready to depart an hour and half after the distribution of the proclamation.
 Each family. drawn up outside the house. was examined by an officer. who pointed out haphazard the persons who were to go. No words can express the barharity of this proceeding nor de- scribe the heartrending scenes which t'N s'bilS anu SiAi' '''" nasty farewell of their parents-a fnre- well hurried by the German soldiers who were executing the infamous task -reioined the group of those who were going. and found themselves in the middle of the street. surrounded by otber soldiers with fixed bayonets.'
 Hears of despair on the part Of parents and children so ruthlessly separated did not soften the hearts of the brutal Germans. Sometimes, how ever Il more kind hearted officer yield ed to too great despair and did not choose all the persons whom he should by the terms of his instructions have separated
 Herded Like Cattle.
 ""rhese girls and lads were taken in street cars to factories. where they were numbered and labeled like cattle and grouped to form conveys. In these factories. they remained l2, 2i or 36 hours until train was ready to re move them
 "'The deportation began with the villages of koney. Halluin. etc, then Tourcoing and Roubaix. In the towns the Germans proceeded hY districts.
 "'ln all about 3o00 persons are said to have been carried off up to the pres ent This monstrous operation has taken eight to ten days to accomplish.
 ".The reason given by the German authorities is q humanitarian CD one. Il 1 ffafy pretexts: provisioning is going to breat down in the urge towns in the north and their suburbs. whereas in the Ardennes the feeding Is easy and cheap,
 "'lt Is known from the young men and girls, since sent back to their families for reasons of health, that in the department of the ArdeHnes the victims are lodged In terrible man. Her. in disgracefuI promiseutty; they are compelled to work in the fields. IL is unnecessary to say that the inhabi- tants of our towns are moi trained 10 such work The Germans pay them l Cd m But there are complaints of insufficient food.
 "6arbarty Of Slave Drivers"
 ""fhey were very badly received In the Ardeunes The GcrInuns had told the Ardeuuais that these were ''yolun- teers" who were coming to work, and the Ardennais proceeded to receive them with many insults, which only ceased when the forcible deportation of which they were the victims became known
 "'Feeling ran especially high In our towns Never has so iniquitous measure been carried out. The Ger mans have shown all the harbarity of slave drivers.
 The families so scattered are in despair and the morale of the whole population k gravely affected. Boys of fourteen, schoolboys in knlcker- lockers. young girls of fifteen to six ten have been carried or. and the de spairing protests of their parents failed to touch the hearts of the German off cers. or rather eNecutioners.'
 one last detail: The persons so deported are allowed to write home once month that is to say. even less often than military prisoners.
 We do not wish here to enter Into the question of provisioning in the in vaded districts; others, better quail fled than ourselves. give you. as we know. frequent information. It is enough for us 10 describe in few words the situation from this aspect:
 Entire Population In Misery
 The provisioning is very difficult: food, apart from that supplied by the Spunsh-American committee. is very scarce and terribly dear People are hungry and the provisioning is in- adequate by at least half; our popu- lutiou k suffering constant privations