VON BISSING’S PLEA

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9608, 14 March 1917, Page 11

VON BISSING’S PLEA

GERMAN FICTION DISPROVED BY BELGIAN FACTS. LONDON, January 6. During the month of November tho Deputies and Senators for Mons appealed to General von Bissing to stop tha deportations of men actually in employment. In reply the Governor repeated the arguments which he had used in correspondence on the subject with Cardinal Morcier. On the 29th the Deputies wrote a letter to him, a translation of which is sent to us by the Ministry of Justice, adducing facts in proof of their contention that the Governor s aotion was a violation of international At Quaregnon, it is stated, 304 work, men were deported out of 1000, and 227 of them were in full work (including 4 farmers, 5 master bakers. 1 master butcher, 1 brewery engineer, the manager of a brewery, a prominent mer. chant, the son of a director of ironworks, and 1 master printer). At Dour there were 117 in full work out of 137 deportees; at Warmes as many as 130 out of 136. In proof of the assertion that this was not done at random, but is the result of a deliberate settled policy, the writers say; “The recruiting sergeants seem to prefer particularly the most skilled workmen of certain industries" —fore, men mechanics and labourers from rolling mills, glass-workers, shoemakers, fitters, electrical engineers, farmers. The follows a long list of factories from which men were deported. In one case the number was 51 out of 73, and in two others it reached 70 per cent., aiid they include chefs de bureau, clerks, and foremen. The deportations have in some cases resulted in the closing down of factories. Most eloquent are the figures of the glass factory at Jemaappes. The men removed include 100 per cent, of the electrical engineers,, 60 per cent, of the first apprentices, 40 per cent, of the glass blowers —in all, about half the staff.

As a final answer to the false plea of unemployment, the writers say: "A very characteristic thing, and one which reveals the settled determination to make a choice among established professions or groups, is the fact that the military authorities happened to put aside the workmen of factories in full activity, and to make their choice in the presence of the factory manager, and notwithstanding his protest. This actually happened at the rolling-mills of Jemappes, at the building shops of Nimy, and at the Bouvy works at La Louviere."