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Show CGI1I TO DEPORT TIE InPLESSMIS Forced Labor Inflicted by Huns on Non-combatants in War Zone. WASHINGTON, June 14. Deportation and forced labor inflicted upon Belgian civilians by the German government not only continues unabated, but has taJien on a new character, according to a memorandum presented to Secretary of State Lansing by the Belgian minister and made public today. The memorandum memoran-dum contains a copy of a protest sent to the German governor-general of occupied occu-pied Belgium by the Belgian senate and house of representatives in March. The deportation of civilians is still being be-ing carried on, states the memorandum, especially in the military zone, which comprises the two Flanders, and a great part of the provinces of Hainaut, Namur and Luxemburg. During March of this year 2700 men from all conditions of life have been taken from Lockeren in eastern east-ern Flanders to do military work on the western front. Moorbeke, Wachtebeke and surrounding region were called upon during the same month to furnish 800 civilians to lay railroads. The names of all girls and women from 14 to 40 years were required by the Germans from Alost and that district. Some of the boys deported de-ported are as young as thirteen and a half years, tho memorandum states. High schools and grammar schools have been called upon to furnish their quotas. Those deported, instead of being sent to Germany as in the past, the memorandum mem-orandum declares, are nqw being sent to work in the region behind the German front in France and Belgium. The Germans Ger-mans also appear to have changed their reasons for the deportations, the note says. The pretext formerly used, namely, name-ly, to give work to the unemployed, has been abandoned, and now the deportations deporta-tions are being made on the grounds that by an order issued by the German general gen-eral headquarters every inhabitant of the countrv may be compelled to give his help in case of public calamity, even to outside his residence. Under the new pretext, the German government, says the memorandum, thus continues "to tear the Belgians away from their homes in order to .transport them into regions immediately behind the German front in France and Belgium. There they are herded like cattle in special spe-cial camps, compelled to do work of a military character; many are sent into the zone of operations and exposed to the fire of Belgian or allied batteries. Besides, they are subjected to bad treatment treat-ment and brutality; their complaints do riot reach the outside world, for the mili- tary zone wnere tney are sent is strictly closed and no delegate of a neutral power la ever allowed to enter this territory." |