THE BUTCHERY OF BELGIUM.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1917, Page 4

THE BUTCHERY OF BELGIUM.

New York, Dec 10

The New Yoik Tribune prints an appeal by M. Maeterlinck, the distinguished Belgian author and poet, to the American people to intervene to sava the Belgians from Germany’s monstrous inhumanity. The appeal is telegraphed from Paris by the Tribune’s correspondent, to whom M. Maeterlinck said :

“Tell the American people that the whole world is watobing them to see if they still retain the spirt of their fathers, the founders of thoir great country. Does America understand what is being done to Belgium and the Belgians ? There are not words in the bnmau language to tell the story; there is no precedent in history. One must go baok beyond tbe Deluge.

“What Rome did was to make slaves and care for them tenderly and preserve their lives p.nd usefulness. What Germany is doing is wholesale murder. She seeks to destroy a race. Germany is practicing not merely slavery bnt also death. Tbe population of all Belgium is being systematically starved into oonsumptioa, and other diseases stalk through the land. The miserable inhabitants are dying like animals; women and children are being herded into Germany to make munitions for tbe German army, and every man between the ages of 18 and 30 is beirg taken not to German factories but to the German ireoches.

“There are 50,000 Belgians under forced labor digging trenches for the Germans behind Soissons. They are half-starved men seized from the factories and dragged into the frozen fields of winter, clothed often only in a single garment and driven with the bayonet to dig trenches and set np wire entanglements. Only on Saturday I received word of the death of one of my old friends, He had been seized by one of the German slave gangs and was killed in the first-line German trenches behind Soissons. “LET AMERICA act!”

That is no • That is murder. That is butchery. The United States signed treaties with Germany agree* *ng to ab ide by the principles of ha-

> manity in making war. Germany has J broken these treaties, broken her 1 fa'th, bit ken her word. Now let I Aonr'na Jic ; let Amerira at the head ■ of a league of neutrals force Germany ' into tho road of humanity. No mere ■ words will suffice; there must be Bum as ary acton. All the world ; knows of the friendship of the Ameri--1 oan people for Belgium. Let them 1 now force tbeir will on the Gcvern--1 ment and make the Government act. I bave watched the recent signs of a risitg of the American people. Jt ba3 been hatd lo understand why they have not risen before, but now thiy

seem to be in motion. The world is watching to see if the strength of tbeir fathers still lives in them. They are the only leaders great enough, powerful enough, to act. Force alocb will serve.”

Sir E. Villierr, British Minister to Belgium, confirms, that the Huu levy on Belgium has been raised to £2,000,000 a month.