SLAVERY IN BELGIUM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3186, 10 September 1917, Page 6

SLAVERY IN BELGIUM

THE NEW METHOD.. . 'Abundant and authentic information lias now demonstrated that the Germans, bo far from abandoning their policy of slavery in Belgium, have lately been pursuing it along new lines; Under pres-sure,-they gave various promises to tho TTorld iii" general, and' to tho Pope in particular, that they would stop the deportations. But all that they have done 38 ■to - abandon the' pretext/bl "unemployment" as a ground for deportation, «vnd they have now fallen back on what is practically tho application to.Belgium, in an aggravated form,'of the 6ystem of "auxiliary service" which was instituted in Germany by the Auxiliary Service Law of December, IDI6. They are also falling back upon a provision in the original denortation decree of October 3, 191G, that "every inhabitant" of Belgium is bound to assist the authorities in case of. emergency. Thus, w;hile the "unemployment" pTotonce which justified tho Belgian 6lave raids between October, 1316, and February, 1917, has I'ad to be abandoned, new foundations .for new slave raids have been invented. Since January, at any rate, boys, old Inen,' and women have been compelled to •work for the German Army—in the Jin me of "auxiliary service"—in tho 'Army zone of Flanders, and a notice nigned by, the Inspector-General, by name von Schikfus, denounced tho inhabitants of a commune in West Flanders for not luaving presented/ themselves 'beforo January 3, althongh "called up.for auxiliary service." " There is similar information from the Belgian-Dutch frontier. In the Army zone of lions General von Billow posted a notice on March 14 recalling the terms of the deportation decree of October 3, and proclaiming the whole area of the First Army to b? in the state of emergency which, as already explained, empowers the Germany authorities to call upon "every inhabitant." In accordance with this proclamation, the town of Mons was required to provide, on April 18, (iftO labourers—the first call being on students, small si>opieepers, and innkeepers, waiters, and clerks. About the same time calling-up notices for bqth men and women were Issued in the Army zone of "Belgian •Luxemburg. The following typical notice was issued at .Tamoigne, on May 1* to the men marked for deportation:— You are ordered to go to-morrow niorn--siit at 5.3fl to the Kommandantur, villi food for three days, clothing, and boots, in order to bn deported. If you do not Come_ you will be heavily punished. It is also certain that the new deportation policy affects not only the Army lone, but also the parts of Belgiwir•which rfre under the German GovercqrGeneral. During tho first fortnight in May a train containing 40fl young men left Elterbeek, a suburb of Brussels. At T,eige and Mons Belgians belonging lo the Rad- Cross have been called up for the Service of the German wounded in the field. Tt, should be added that "auxiliary lervice" is by no means always in Beirium. The deportations to the German front in France continue, and during the second fortnight of May 300 men were earned off for military, road-building in ♦he neighbourhood of Montmedy and for Sfio construction of railways in tiie region of Met?,.