Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-04-17 | Page 2 | Belgium Declines Action to Bring Wilhelm to Trial

BELGIUM DECLINES ACTION TO BRING WILHELM TO TRIAL FAP.FS. April li i by thi A ; 'm la f d I'r . Th- Fr'chi n p.,. oo;ifrT-ii.- tb iek-'itif-n tofhiy Informed thft c.rr"M"md--i. t I h:i t I'.' Ifii'jin had not r-n of f i.-in 1! v r-um . d f-y th.- coun.'U of f..ur t britii: Gv f --r ii . r Helium rmp-nor to trial, mid ih.-.t 1 i : h-.ai i mn nt would f.-l oblicod to decline to take the step, even if tli ere were any request for such action. ac-tion. The Bclirinn delegates hold that any action should be taken by a commission representing- ail the associated powers. The official Belgian view, it was said, is that the former emperor cannot be arraigned ar-raigned for declaring1 war or violating" the neutj-ality of Belgium, or for any net preceding pre-ceding or coincident with the declaration of war. After point ins? out that there is no tribunal competent to hear such charges against the former emperor, and no provision pro-vision of international law covering such cases, the delegates said that Belgium expects ex-pects that persons guilty of acts punishable punish-able under the criminaJ yodes of any of the belligerent powers should be p. a cod on trial, as the fact that theft, murder and other crimes were committed during dur-ing the war does uot relieve the criminals of responsibility. "If the commission desires to arraign General Baron von Mantuef fel for the sacking' of Louvain, General von Sell roe -der for the murder of Captain Fryatt and General von Sauherzweie for the execution execu-tion of Miss Edith Gavell. all the necessary neces-sary documents will be forthcoming." said the general secretary of the delegation. delega-tion. "But Belgium does not seek revenge. re-venge. It wants only jus'iee-t It ouM be small satisfaction to lock up the ka - ser for a few months in the Saint Ghle prison, and those who have reported that such revenge has been offered Belgium Bel-gium as a solace for her wrongs have sadly misunderstood the Belgian character charac-ter if they thought it would be acccepta.-ble. acccepta.-ble. "The only case in which the personal responsibility -f the emperor for ft criminal crim-inal act committed in Belgium could be established beyond doubt is in the atrocities atroci-ties attending the deportations of civilians civil-ians and compelling' them to do forced labor in Germany. In th case his responsibility re-sponsibility is unquestioned."