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Show nuijcfili GEHMANEXCUSE Minister Havenith Issues a Statement Regarding Deportation De-portation of His Countrymen Country-men by Enemy. BRITISH BLOCKADE NOT RESPONSIBLE Reduction of Belgians to Idleness Result of Systematic System-atic Robbery Upon the Part of Invaders. WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S Minister Tfn vrmith of: Belgium issued a statement state-ment tonight, denouncing as untrue the German government's contention that deportation of Belgians for forced labor is a hOfial necessity on account of unemployment un-employment resulting from the Britisli "blockade. "In reality what has happened is the exact contrary to the statement of Germany," Ger-many," Raid the minister, "and as in the case of the deportations, it is the Germans who have created a state of affairs upon which they have afterwards endeavored to establish the justification of the. illegal measures taken by them. "On June 30, 1915, the legation of the king formally and officially protested pro-tested against the seizure of raw materials ma-terials union n ting to the sum of $17,-000,000. $17,-000,000. Other official protests have tieen against tho seizure of machines and tools requisitioned by tho Germans in Belgium and sent into Germany. Belgian industries having been thus prevented pre-vented from continuing work, there followed fol-lowed an increase in tho number of unemployed un-employed due entirely to the actions of Germany, who has not hesitated to sacrifice sacri-fice Belgian interests as, indeed, General Gen-eral Von Bissing openly acknowledged when he recently declared he was not in Belgium to watch over tho interests of that country, but to take care of the interests of Germany. Obligations Disregarded. "The German government, in its communication com-munication (note to the American government), gov-ernment), then takes up the matter of the financial burden which this state of affairs imposes upon Belgium. It is sufficient to recall .briefly that Germany Ger-many has wilfully disregarded all its obligations toward the occupied country. coun-try. It was the strict duty of Germany to feed the population. However, had it not been for tho initiative and good will of citizens of the United States the Belgian population would today be dead from starvation. "The legation of the king recalls also that Belgium (which eveu according to what Germany herself says, is for the moment without commerce and without industry) is subjected to a war tax amounting to $$',000,000 per month (more than ten times the amount of ordinary or-dinary taxes in time of peace), that she has paid this tax since the beginning begin-ning of the occupation of her territory and that, in addition, she has been subjected to requisitions of all kinds which Germany has imposed upon her and which have made a desert of certain parts of this unfortunate country. Reduced to Idleness. "When Germany had thus 'reduced to idleness a large number of workmen work-men she decided to export them into Germany in order to liberate an equal number of German workmen who would rejoin the German army in the field." Defending the refusal of his countrymen country-men to labor voluntarily for the Germans, Ger-mans, the minister said: "Is there a right more sacred than that of refusing to contribute to the augmentation of the effectiveness of the armed forces of the enemy? This is not only a right, it is a strict and imperative im-perative duty for every good citizen, and the legation of the king is glad to be able to state that, contrary to the untrue declaration of the German government, gov-ernment, very few Belgian workmen have succumbed to the temptations of German corruption; nearlv every one of them has chosen rather the harsh treatment, treat-ment, the privations, the suffering, which he knew would be his lot, rather than aid Germany in her struggle against his brothers." |