Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-10


and mothers are able to issue to bid last farewell
form their captves into troops of forty and fifty,
thrust them by force into military wagons; the To-
comotye has steam up and soon as the train is
filled superior officer gives the signal for departure
Behold another Thousand lgians reduced to slavery
and without trial or sentence condemned to the Sc
verest punishment of the penal code, only second to
the penalty Of DEATH namely, deportation They know
not where they going nor for how long; all they
know is that their work is to benefit the enemy.
From several by cajolery and others by threats
they extort undertaking to work, which they dare
TO call voluntary.
There is no doubt they enroll the unemployed;
but, on the other hand, they recruit in great mum
bers--in the case of the arrondissement of Mons,
quite fourth-men who have never been unemployed
and belong to trades of very different categories--
butchers BAKERS master taors brewers electricians,
farmers; they take even young men, college and uni
versitv students, these attending the higher
schools.
Yet two high authorities of the German empire
had expressly guaranteed to us the liberty of our
fellow countrymen.
On the day following the capitulaton Of Antwerp
the distracted population was filled with alarm re-
garding the lot of the Belgians of military or of
those who would reach that age before the end of
the occupation. Baron Huene, military governor
of Antwerp, authorized me to reassure in his name
the distressed parents. Nevertheless report
circulated at Antwerp that at Liege, at Namur,
at Chareroi, young men had been taken and forciby
carried off to Germany, begged the Governor to be
good as to confirm in writing the verbal pledges
he had given He replied that the rumors rea-
tive to the deportation void of foundation and he
gave me, without hesitation, this declaration in
writing, which was read on Sunday, October 13, 1914
in all the parish churches of the province of Ant
werp: young men need have no fear of being taken
of to Germany either to be enrolled in the army. or
to be there employed in compulsory labor
Plea to V0n der GoItz
Immediately on the arrival of Baron der
Goltz Governor General at Brussels, went to re-
quest him to be good to ratify for the country
at large without limit of time the pledges given by
Governor Won Huene for the province of Antwerp.
The Governor General retained my petition in his
hands to examine it at his leisure. The following
day he kind enough to bring to Malines in per-
his approval and renewed in the presence of two
aides decamp, and private secretary the promise
that Belgian citizens liberty would be respected
In my letter of October 1 last to Baron Won Bliss
ing after recalling the understanding to bv his
predecessor, concluded as follows "Your Excellency
will understand how painful the burden of my respon-
shility will become in the eyes of Belgian families
if the confidence reposed in you by my intervention
and at my instance should be rudely shaken"
The Governor General answered. "The employ
ment of Belgians out of work, in Germany which has
begun only after two years of warfare, differs
sentiallv from the internment of men fit to bear
arms The measure has no relation to the conduct of
the properly called but has been brought about
by social and economic causes"
Just as though forsooth the engagements of
nldl OF HonOF were, ike a lease, subject TO re-
vision at the end of one two years, and though
the declaration issued in 1914 did not expressly ex-
clude alike the operations of and forced labor
as though finally every Belgian workman who takes
the place of German laborer does not contribute to
replensh the depleted ranks of the German army.
We, shepherds of these sheep snatched from us
by brute force, harassed at the idea Of the
moral and religious isolation which they will have
TO endure, mpotent witnesses Of the sorrows and dis
may of SO many homes broken up or threatened with
this calamity, we turn toward these souls whether
believing or unbelieving, who in the allied or neu-
tral countries or even in enemy lands, entertain
respect for the dignity of man.
When Cardinal Lavigerie undertook his campaign
against slavery Pope Leo XIII, blessing his mission
said to him. "Opinion is more than ever today the
ruling power of the world; it is upon it you must
act. You will conquer only by force of opinion"
May divine Providence deign to give to some one
to some authority phrase pen, to cause men to
flock to our humble Belgian standard for the aboli-
uon of European slavery.
Honor before all things (Nihi praeferendum
honestati)
Signed on behalf of the Belgian bishops .
D.J CARDINAL MERCER
Archbishop of Malines
'We unable to communicate with the Bishop
of Brussels