The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1917. CARDINAL MERCIER AND BELGIUM'S TRIAL

New Zealand Tablet, 18 January 1917, Page 33

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1917. CARDINAL MERCIER AND BELGIUM'S TRIAL

tNHAPPY Belgium seems destined to drink the cup of suffering and humiliation to the very dregs. After witnessing the destruc-£4yj-£§J tion of her cities and the devastation and vjffijS* desolation of her territory she has now *<Jsfi& tlie adde d ignominy of seeing her male PJ population reduced to a condition which even Cardinal Mercier does not hesitate to describe as veritable slavery. The situation has elicited from ' the Lion of Malines ' a characteristically forceful protest, from which we may gather a fair idea of the facts as they appear to the responsible ecclesiastic on the spot. The protest is dated November 7, and is signed by Cardinal Mercier on behalf of all the Belgian bishops, except the Bishop of Bruges with whom he was unable to communicate. The protest reads in part: ' The situation which we denounce to the civilised world may be summed up as follows: Four hundred thousand workmen are reduced to unemployment through no fault of their own, and greatly inconvenience the German occupation. Sons, husbands, fathers, respectful of public order, bow to their unhappy lot. With their most pressing needs provided for, they await with dignity the end of their period of trial. Now, suddenly, parties of soldiers begin to enter by force these peaceful homes, tearing youth from parent, husband from wife, father from children. They bar with the bayonet the doors through which wives and mothers wish to pass to say farewell to those departing. They herd their captives in groups of tens and twenties and push them into cars. As soon as the train is filled the officer in charge brusquely waves the signal for departure. Thus thousands of Belgians are being reduced to slavery. The Germans are not only enrolling the unemployed, but they are also recruiting a preat number of men who have never been out of work. As early as October 19 we sent a protest to the Governor-General, and a copy of the protest was forwarded to the representatives in Brussels of the Holy See, Spain, the United States, and the Netherlands. The Governor-General, in reply, refused to take any steps. At the time of our protests the ordinances issued by the occupying Power only threatened the unemployed. To-day all able-bodied men are carried off pell-mell, penned up in trucks, and deported to unknown destinations like gangs of slaves.' »"..-'"■■ *..'-'." - ■ ■'-' •' - - On November 16, the Belgian Legation at Washington endorsed Cardinal Mercier's. declaration, and made public its protest to the United States against the 'enslavement' of Belgian civilians by Germany. Min-

ister Havenith asked. ' the active intervention of the Government of the United States to obtain thecessation of this deportation of Belgian workmen into* Germany, and to secure the liberation of those who; have been already deported.' At a later, date the following telegram was sent from Havre by the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Beyeris, to the Belgian Minister at Rome and Madrid, to be communicated to his Holiness, Pope Benedict XV., and King Alfonso of Spain: 'The situation in Belgium is becoming day- by day more frightful. The raids on able-bodied Belgians now extend throughput the whole country. If they are not sent to work in Germany in munitions factories they are sent to the occupied parts of France to "work on systems of trenches and the strategic railways of Lille, Aulnay, and Givet. The Germans boast of having already deported 350,000 men. Requisitions of materials continue, with the object of hindering after peace a resumption of work, to suppress competition, and ruin the country. Machines which could be used have been carried off or sold as old iron. The GovernorGeneral pretends, in declarations made to a report of the New York Times, that- deportations in mass pass without incident, and even that the Belgians go joyfully. In reality they suffer at the same time moral torture and the physical pains of slavery. The German Government tries to excuse itself by the necessity of combating the unemployment which they themselves created by forbidding the communes to employ unemployed without their authorisation and by preventing them, as in "Luxembourg, from being used for public works or in exploiting the coal fields of Limbing. Belgium is delivered over to the violence of the military authorities, while the civil authorities approve and stand aside.'- The Belgian Minister concluded his telegram by asking the Belgian representatives at Rome and. Madrid to insist strongly that the Governments to which they are accredited ' invite the German Government to reflect on the consequences of the treason to humanity committed in its name.' * Governor-General von Bissing has issued an explanation of the deportations, and it is only fair that both sides should be heard on the matter. According to this explanation, more .than 1,000,000 men, women, and children had been made dependent by lack of work. To remedy this condition, attempts had been made to reopen the Belgian factories, in spite of the fact that the importation of raw materials was cut off. Representatives had even been sent to England" to obtain permission for such importation, and a promise had been made that none of the manufactured goods would be used at home and that the entire produce would be sold at 75 per cent, of the cost price of production. To this plan England absolutely refused to agree. Though some factories were nevertheless opened, yet the unemployment could be remedied only by great public works. But these undertakings accumulated enormous debts for the cities, while the works constructed often answered no pressing need. The demoralising effects of continued idleness made it a matter of duty to find another solution of the difficulty. The problem was solved by sending men to fill the positions offered in Germany. Thus regular employment was provided and good wages paid. General von Bissing asserts that great care .has been taken, according to strict orders, that no one should be forced from Belgium who had not refused work. This refusal was in each case to be proved by witnesses. Many went voluntarily, realising the advantages it meant to them. No discrimination, it was said, was made between Belgian and German workmen. The average wage is eight marks, whereas in Belgium it had been four marks. Particular care is taken that the Belgians can send money to their people, who in the meantime are provided for out of the public charities. * '""" • Such, in summary, is the explanation attributed to the German Governor-General. But Cardinal Mercier

has something to say regarding the points raised..o:Dealing with the allegation that the unemployed in. Belgium were a danger; to public order and a burden ? to official charity, his Eminence, in a letter to General von .Biasing, replied that the latter knew : well that public order was not endangered, and that the unemployed made no demands on official charity. In his reply the Governor-General abandoned his previous arguments/and alleged that the sums allotted to tne unemployed tended to burden the finances. He continued : The prolongation of unemployment will result in the workers losing their technical skill.' To which Cardinal Mercier replied: 'lt is true that there were other means of protecting our finances. Those were to spare us the war levies, which have reached a milliard francs (£40,000,000), and continue at the rate of 40,000,000 francs (.£1,600,000) a month, and to spare us requisitions in kind, which amount to several milliards of francs, and are exhausting us. There were other means of keeping up the professional skill of the workmen ; for instance, Belgian industry could have been allowed to keep its machines, accessories, raw material, and manufactured products, which have been transported from Belgium to Germany. The whole truth is that each deported workman means another soldier for the German army. He will take the place of a German workman who will be made a soldier. Therefore the situation which we denounce to the civilised world may be summed up in these'words.' The gist of the matter is, as the Belgian 'Legation's protest puts it, that the.se Belgian workmen are compelled practically to fight against their own country. * Here, then, are the authoritative statements on both sides, and the public are left to take their choice as to which witness they will accept Cardinal Mercier or General von Bissing. Whatever view individuals may take as to the facts of the case, there can be but one opinion as to the splendid role which Cardinal Mercier has played and is playing in defence of the rights and liberties of his country. Even his enemies respect him, and are perforce compelled to leave his person inviolate, while the rest of the world unites to heap eulogies upon him. Of the many panegyrics with which he has been honored, no finer or truer tribute has been published than that which appeared in a recent issue of the Paris Journal : ' The best thin" that could happen for the cause of outraged right would,certainly be an illegal and unjust act of violence against this Prince of the Church. If the finest heroism lies in the struggle of the smallest number against the greatest multitude, the Primate of Belgium is the foremost, of the bravest in the war. In the enormous struggle for liberty, truth, and right, he is not one against seven or a thousand, but one against Germany—against all Germany let loose. He is the unarmed soldier of a monarchy which is without an army. He represents his own religion and all religion, his race and all free races, his God and the idea of God. His little chamber in his palace, the window of which looks out on the ruins of Belgium, is the tabernacle of courage and fortitude. Simple and kindly, the Cardinal has found sustained strength in his consciousness of right, and summarises in himself the power of the Church and the splendour of the greatest among little peoples.'