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Show PROTEST 1 Tii 111 BELGIUM Note on Deportations, Cabled to Charge Gerard Ge-rard at Berlin, Is Made Public by the State Department; De-partment; Offic i a 1 s Reticent in Comments. MESSAGE READ TO CHANCELLOR German Officer Offers No Explanation or Promise; However, Statement Made in Berlin Outlines Attitude Atti-tude of Teutonic Government. Gov-ernment. "WASHINGTON", Bee. &'. The American Ameri-can government 's formal protest to Ger- many against tbo deportation of Belgians Bel-gians for forced labor as a violation ot Cthc principles of humanity, was made public today by the state department. It was iu the form of a note, cabled to ' Charge Grew at Berlin, with instructions instruc-tions that he sock an interview with the German chancellor ami read it to him, and was given out by tho department with the terse comment: "The interview has taken place." Officials refused to add to this statement, state-ment, and so far as could be learned tonight to-night there has been no reply from Germany. Ger-many. AH information available, however, how-ever, indicates that the deportations arc continuing, and it is kuowu that through earlier informal representations Charge Crow learned that the Germaji position is that the policy was a military necessity neces-sity and not it! violation of international interna-tional law. Publish Facts. With the failure of America's efforts, as well as those of Spain, Holland and the atican, the only action which olri-cials olri-cials here apparently believe this government gov-ernment cau rake is the full publication of the tacts in its possession. Ail mi t-v t-v tedly, diplomatic, procedure has been exhausted. ex-hausted. Tho United Slates does not represent Belgium at Berlin, and is declared de-clared by oi tic in Is to have gone even beyond the conventional diplomatic rights in the matter. The American note was put on the cable November tho night of the day Ambassador Gerard saw President "Wilson preparatory to his return to Berlin, Ber-lin, and the night the Associated Press announced that the United States had made further representation on its own behalf uu the broad grounds of humanity. human-ity. Became Serious. The Belgian deportations, which began be-gan months ago, assumed seriousness last August when official reports from the department indicated their wholesale whole-sale extent. Charge Grew discussed the matter with the then L'nder-secrctarv Zimmerman on several occasions, but jr without result. On October 0 he was r directed to take it up personally with Chancellor von Bet h man n-i loll weg, an unusual procedure, and to sav what an unfortunate effect the continuance of the deportations would have on neutral opinion, particularly in America, which country had the interests of Belgium civilians very much at heart. Charge Grew reported .that the chancellor chan-cellor had heard his presentation of the case, but had offered neither explanation explana-tion nor promise. Thereupon a series of conferences followed iu Washington bet ween President Wilson, Secretary Lansing. Ambassador Gerard and Colonel Colo-nel K. M. House, with the result that the protest was dispatched. Intervention Asked. During that time also Belgium had protested officially to this government nud rcipie.-ted active intervention on the basis of statements that over 100,-(Mt) 100,-(Mt) persons had been deported to tier-many, tier-many, and that the daily rate was nearly near-ly ;!im'0. England later, in an official1 statement, threatened the diseontinn-; anco nf American relief work unless the : deportations ceased. I Information iu the hands of the de-' partment confirms press disaptclms and statements of the Belgian and British Uovennnents vh owing t hat whole sec-t sec-t ion of Belgium have been systematically systemat-ically stripped of workmen. Note Made Public The note, wifh the depart mrnt 's state- inert inftking: it public, follows: Op November Mr. Crrew, our r rluirze ill Berlin. na direete-i to obtain an interview with the Ger- (Contlmied on Pago Four. 1 0. S. PROTESTS 01 DEPORTATION OFJELCIIUIS Note Cabled to Charge Grew at Berlin Is Made Public by the State Department. De-partment. (Continued from Page One.) nifln a mbnHs.i'lor and road to btui the following: "The go nnient of the T. nitcl States hit;, lijirnod with the greatest great-est concern and regret of tho polu-y tif 1 ho tier man government to do-port do-port from Hilr in ia a portion of the civilian population for tho purpose of forcing them to labor in Germany, Ger-many, and is constrained to protest in a friendly spirit, but most solemnly, sol-emnly, against this action, which is in contravention of all precedents and of tho.e humane principles of international practice whieh long havo been accepted and followed by civilised nations in their treatment of non-combatants. ! ' Fnvthermore, tho government of the United Slntes if. convinced that I the effect of this policy, if pursued, , will in all probability be fatal to the lielgian relief work, so humane-lv humane-lv planned and ?o successfully car-rieil car-rieil out, a result which would be ;.-enerallv deplored, and which, it is illumed, would seriously embarrass embar-rass tho Herman government." i The interview Inn taken place. |