THE SLAVE RAIDS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2948, 7 December 1916, Page 7

THE SLAVE RAIDS

BELGIANS APPEAL TO NEUTRAL WORKERS London, December 5. Belgian workmen who are threatened with slavery are appealing to the neutral workmen of the world to move on their behalf. They point out that half a million people have been forcibly made idle. The deportees are forced to carry out German military work or mining m Germany, and are paid threepenqe a day. The Dutch newspaper "Telegraaf" states that preparations are afoot to deport at least 50,000 people from the neighbourhood of Brussels. —Reuter. AN APPEAL FROM MAETERLINCK London, December 5. Maurice Maeterlinok, the Belgian dramatist (well known as the author of, amongst many other works, "The Blue Bird"), iu a message to the American people, urges America to place herself at the head of a league of neutrals with a policy of action, not protest, to force Germany to cease her inhuman polioy. He mentions that 40,000 Belgians are- under forced labour at the point of the bayonet, digging German trenches at .the back of Soissons. "They work in the first line trenches under fire."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE DUTCH PROTEST DETAILS OF THE NOTE. , Amsterdam, December 5. The Foreign Minister of Holland, replying to a question, stated that the Dutch Government sent a Noto to Germany protesting against the Belgian deportations. The Note pointed out that Dutch authorities, in 1914, encouraged Belgian fugitives to return, after making a convention with, Germany guaranteeing the personal' liberty of the returning Belgians. Holland therefore hopes that the fugitives deported to Germany will be sent home. . Germany's reply was unsatisfactory, but diplomatic conversations were pro-ceeding.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN EX-FOREIGN MINISTER RESIGNS DISAPPROVES OF DEPORTATIONS. (Rec. December 6, 7 p.m.) Borne, December 5. Herr Harden, in "Die Zukunst," states that Dr. von Ja.gow (late Gorman Foreign Minister) left the Foreign Office because he disapproved of _tho submarine policy and the deportations of Belgians and, French.—Ans.-N.Z.' Cable Assn. A SWISS PROTEST (Rec. December 6, 7 p.m.) Berne, December 5. ' The Swiss Federal Council has rejected resolutions of the Cantonal Counoils protesting against the FrancoBelgian deportations, as these involve an investigation which is not within Switzerland's province—Reuter.