Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-24

the Germans end by extortng a external consent
to system of compulsory labor their soul abhors,
and then by dstortng this forced acquiescence into
free act they enroll them in the list of voluntary work
ers, class they not bound to restore to their
homes. Is this not odous enough? But let no one
any longer trust in their sincerity when they an
under certain conditions of lamblike mildness
and with the silent approval of occupied Belgium the
termination of deportation.
All the world knows that spies in the service of
enemy military power punishable with death
and we do not think of blaming the Germans for
putting down real spying. But when ignorant, simple
people count the trains that pass through their vii
lage station and then at the end of the week send
the total number to comrade who is foolishly be-
ieved to be in correspondence with the English army,
when they found boasting of their prowess in
the conviction that they have saved their country,
is it not criminal to condemn them by patches of eight
twelve or eighteen on charge of espionage? And
when out of list of fifteen suspects of this kind three
pardoned two out of twenty, who are sent as
matter of to penal servitude for life ought
one to reckon it mercy or cruelty?
am coming to the end of this long account most
Holy Father, but it was needful to make it complete
else risk misunderstanding.
I omitted to state that the Belgian hierarchy is
unanimous in condemning separatist administration
and "activism" In regard to this the sentiments of
all known to me and I can assure you they are
unanimous.
In taking practical steps it is ordinarily very diff
concert. Questions arise Unexpectedly and demand
instant solution. Journeys very tiresome and
slow, and intercourse by sealed letters impossible.
With the Bishops of Client, Bruges and Tournay all
communication is severed. can only keep in CORE
spondence with my colleagues of Namur and Liege
The moment the problem of education boards for the
normal schools arose | sent messenger to eXpound
my views to these colleagues. The Bishop of Namur
agreed with at once the Bishop of Lege hesitated
chiefly for local reasons. At Lege, in fact, the
liberals wanted either radical cear-cut solution
submission to the Decree and the bishop justly feared
lest masters and mistresses trained in the neutral r-
religous) schools should fill the vacancies created in
the free (religous schools owing to absence of cer-
titled teachers trained in colleges At Client ex-
aminatons had already begun when the question was
raised in the provinces of Brabant and Antwerp but
the bishop expressed to me later his keen regret
that he had not known earlier the line of action which
had been adopted The Bishop of Tournay informed
of his accord of his adhesion At Bruges
do not know what happened but this town is being
constantly subjected to bombing attacks I imagine
that studies and examinations receive only slight
tention. l may add that at Lege the bishop
must have left much liberty to the training colleges
for several according to what hear did not hold any
legal examinations
In the name of our suffering country, in that of
the Belgian epscopate and in my own, respectfully