Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1918 — Page 3

GERMAN DISPATCH DOG ON HIS MISSION

Through a furious fire rrom the trenches on both sides this German dispatch dog is leaping over a shell hole to carry a message for his masters.

BELGIUM PLUNDERED AND TORTURED BY THE WAR-MAD GERMAN MILITARY

Never Has There Been Brigandage So-Methodical or So CompleteWar Contributions Alone slave Drained the Country of Money Raw Materials and AH Economic Equipment Carried Off—Famine Now Threatens.

Washington.—The people of the United States have a general idea of the awful condition existing in Belgium on account of the invasion of the Huns. Stories of atrocities have been published and it is one -unforgivable fact against the Germans that they can make no explanation for the outrageous treatment they have inflicted upon the Inoffensive people of a small, weak nation. If there was no other reason for keeping the war'spirit alive in the United States, until the wrongs of Belgium were under process of being righted, those wrongs would cry aloud to every decent-thinking person and make them insist that the war shall go on to a successful conclusion, and further that the perpetrators of the hideous deeds in Belgium be punished. The official Belgian information service has procured facts showing the sltuatiop of the Belgian territory occupied by the Germans at the present time. Not all of the stories that have been published from time to time give euch a complete summary of actual conditions as this statement compiled from the latest reports which show the great "necessity to continue the work that has been carried on for more than three years In America for the relief of the people in Belgium. It seems almost incredible that any nation calling itself civilized could inflict upon the people of a small nation the horrors which are described in the following. The Material Suffering. r In the material domain never has there been seen brigandage so methodical or so complete. War contributions alone have, up to the present time, drained the country of nearly two billions of francs. These are still being collected to the amount of sixty million francs a month. To this sum must be added fines upon scores of thousands of individuals and the levies and fines imposed upon the filmiest pretexts, upon numerous localities, the total of which amounts to several, hundred millions. The deposits of the national bank and the Genera? Society of Belgium, amounting to four, hundred thirty millions of marks were seized. The stocks of raw materials, the machinery, in short all the economic equipment have been requisitioned and carried away. At the beginning of 1915 the German depredations in Belgium were estimated at eight billion francs. It would be difficult to make even an approximate estimate of them today. The invaders have plundered and are often demolishing the factories, not only to send the machinery and the old Iron to Germany, but for the avowed purpose of ruining Belgian industry after the war. They are now plundering private domiciles. Their spoliations extend to bedding, clothing, casseroles, window knobs, rods and objects of art. All that centuries of a high civilization and long years of labor had accumulated In the country has been devoured by the monster. The bells in many churches, the statues in the public squares of Alost and’ Mons and the monuments in many cemeteries have been sent to the foundry. The systematic destruction of the forests goes on, on a large scale. More than two thousand barges have been seized. Horses have practically disappeared. Famine and Diseases. The cessation of labor, the obstacles placed to the employment of those without work, the requisitions of machinery and cattle, as well as vexations of all sorts have once more evoked that plague which we believed to have been forever overcome In Europe—famine. Working in close co-operation with i the Belgian and allied governments, the commission for relief in Belgium has striven by all possible means tc lessen its horrors and to facilitate the enormous task assumed by the national committee on food supply. In 1917 it has been confronted by stupendous dlffictilties; importations fell far short of needs, tonnage was lacking. and the enemy mercilessly torpe-

doed more than one relief vessel. The commission for relief in Belgium has made the most energetic efforts to assume a food supply and there has been a marked improvement over the past months. In November, for the first time in a long period, the national committee for relief and food supply has received more supplies than Its schedule called for. There are fair prospects for the shipment of all supplies called for by the schedule during the first quarter of 1918. If, however, the famine which seemed to threaten for the winter has been averted, the situation is still far from favorable, because of the great debilitation and general undernourishment of the population. According to people who are in a position to know, the population has unfortunately received only 14 per cent of the necessary fats and 29 per cent of the necessary starches, hence a serious condition of undernourishment and a constant "undermining of the general health. The securing of food Is the principal concern of all Belgians, rich as well as poor. Half the people must depend for food upon the soup kitchens organized by the national committee. The poor are obliged to stand in line, in order to obtain the portions allotted by the commission for the relief in Belgium. The wealthy have to pay exorbitant prices in order to procure the most indispensable articles. Those of the middle classes are most to be pitied, for they have too much pride to go to the soup kitchens and not enough money to buy food, with sugar at 90 cents a pound, flour at $1 a pound, beef at $1.50 a pound, fat at $2 a pound, butter at $3 a pound, chocolate at $4 a pound, coffee at $5 a pound, eggs from 16 to 22 cents each, and potatoes at $9 to sl3 a bushel. Only five pounds of potatoes are allowed a week, but the amount available is much less than this amount. People raise rabbits and eat dog. Tobacco has been replaced by strawberry leaves. People are rarely able to get enough to eat to satisfy hunger, and the, consequences of such

SOCIETY GIRLS ARE BUSY

Miss Olivia de B. M. Gazzam, one of three society girls who are members of distinguished Philadelphia families and who have enrolled in the stenography and typewriting classes of a Philadelphia business college. They have been attending classes for several weeks to fit themselves for government service.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

a regime become more and more alarming from the point of view of the public health. Tuberculosis has increased by leaps and bounds? at number of cases has increased 1,000 per cent.- All kinds of epidemics have claimed numberless victims, especially among children of two to ten years of age. Loss of weight, is general. The death rate has greatly increased. In one week Antwerp reported 104 deaths as against 37 births; Brussels 59 against 17. In some localities the death rate Is three times the normal rate. Forced Labor. The deportations' in condemning to slavery more than 100,000 of our fel-low-citizens, have still further added to the general distress. Husbands have been torn from their wives, and sons from their mothers; courageous workmen refusing to allow the labor of their hands to be used against their country, have been beaten, subjected to treatment the horror of which surpasses anything that has been seen heretofore, and sent back dying, to their native village. Ten per cent have died in Germany and many do not long survive their return to Belgium. < In March, 1917, the kaiser promised that the deportation to Germany’ would cease, but tne military authorities are constantly carrying off men, who are given hard work,- often behind the front. Information from a camp in Athus (Luxemburg) shows that the • food was so insufficient that the numbed of those there put to work was soon reduced to half. In spite of this, the same amount of work was required, so thfit a double task fell upon those who survived. The sanitary conditions in that camp are described as horrible. Abuses are especially frequent in. Flanders. Recalcitrants are sent to dangerous work at the front. Some of the men who have been requisitioned try to escape. In such cases the military authority imposes heavy fines upon the communes from which they come, arrests, in the streets, even in the churches, men who are held as hostages and after a few days sent to the front to replace those who escaped. A man who leaves his home for any reason is never sure of returning to it. Relatives, women, old men and children are arrested in their houses and imprisoned until the return of the fugitives. As disclosed from journals taken from German prisoners and from reports received through Holland, even women and girls are forced to dig trenches, to repair the roads, and to do other military works, often under the artillery fire. In Blankenberghe and other places boys of twelve years of age are placed at work of military character,. Moral Sufferings and Endurance. Successive attacks were and still are being made upon the Belgian people and its liberties. With impressive unanimity the bishops, headed by Cardinal Mercler, the constituent bodies, the notabilities of the political world, without distinction of par®, the magistracy, the bar, the universities have guided the public spirit. There Is no better witness to the bitterness of the struggle than the sanguinary activity of the exceptional courts created by the Germans to force the Belgians to obedience. German statistics show that for one year only there had already been more than 200.000 convictions. The judicial drama in which Miss Cavell perished is being constantly repeated, and not a week passes but that patriots fall before the bullets of a firing squad. On one day at Ghent, eighteen, of whom three were women, were put to death. The, long list of martyrs includes hundreds of names from all classes of society, from all the professions, from all ages, men, women, anj) even children. And If the executions have been by hundreds, the imprisonments and penal deportations have been by thousands.

INJURE SELVES TO AVOID DRAFT, IS ODD CHARGE

Milwaukee. Charged with having inflicted personal injuries upon themselves in an effort to evade the draft, Edgar and Arthur Berth, twin sons of a Millersville farmer, have been brought here by the federal officials. One boy is minus a toe, while the other has lost the index finger on one hand. Both youths claim they were accidentally injured while chopping wood.

IS CRIME TO KILL A MULE

French Army Regulations Provide Penalty of Two to Five Years Imprisonment for Offense. Washington.—Two to five years’ imprisonment for maliciously killing a government mule! Such is the penalty provided for this crime in the “llvret militaire” which every French Poilus carries, showing that though the mule may be French, his disposition is exceedingly like his American brother’s, and tempts the soldier to violence quite as irresistibly there as elsewhere. This small manual of 34 pages must be oh the soldier’s person night and day. He must be ready to present it for Inspection at every requisition. It contains his name, address, occupation, blank pages for notes and five pages of closely printed crimes which he might commit and penalties attached. As the cover of these precious uvrets” is of brown paper, the Red Cross through the American fund for French wounded has been maklhg for them small cases of oilcloth or other suitable material.

ONE NEW NATIONAL LEAGUE MANA6ER TO MAKE INITIAL BOW THIS SEASON

Seven old managers of National league baseball teams will appear on the field when the season opens in April, Jack Hendricks, pilot of the St Louis Cardinals, being the only new manager of the league. Hendricks has behind him a highly successful career In the minors. It is a queer kink of fate that he was a member of the New York Giants when McGraw became their manager in 1002, and Hendricks was one of the first players given the "pink slip” by the new Giant pilot. In 16 years he has worked his way back up the ladder to a place beside the man who ohce declared that he tould never become a big league ball player. Christy Mathewson, Fred Mitchell and Hugo Bezdek are almost as new at the game, in major league experience.

VISIT TO SOUTH WITH BALL CLUB

There Are Many Things in Life More Agreeable to the Players. PRETTY SOFT TO DUCK AWAY ' * < Get Over Notion That Training Trip Is All Joy Ride for Ball Tower— No Pleasure to Get Into Condition. Yes, it’s pretty “soft” to be able to duck away from the frigid, disagreeable weather of the North. It’s "soft” to miss the changeable weather of a Northern spring and bask in the steady sunshine of the South. It’s “soft” to linger in a fine, hospitable Southern hotel, listening to the palms sighing sweet lullabies and the pickaninnies humming in to the accompaniment of a banjo. It’s "soft” to have someone paying your expenses while you are liberally breathing in the fine of the romantic South and enjoying yourself flitting around a baseball field a couple of hours a day to wear off excess energy. Yes, it’s “soft” That’s what the folks generally say when a ball player or scribe hands out the Information that he is going South with a baseball club. It’s so soft, so pleasant so agreeable than 97 out of every 100 men sent South for baseball purposes at this time of the year envy everyone back home, even though the folks at home are forced to di*e into doorways to dodge the chilled breezes. No Bweet Joy Ride. The ball player doesn’t need sympathy. He’s pretty well provided for. But get over the notion that a training trip Is all one sweet joy ride for him. No one loves physical or mental pain. The average business man, when physically troubled, will close his desk and get away from his labors. He would feel offended if someone insisted that he should work. Getting into condition Is no sinecure. True, that’s a part of the business, but even though a man, is paid to suffer pain that’s no reason he enjoys the pain. . When a fellow is forced to continue his muscle-ripping labors when his muscles are crying out for rest that fellow isn’t exactly enjoying himself. More or Less Bunk. The South may have Its romance. But as for the impression that one gets from flowery novels on Southern there’s more or less bunk about It. The South is very fine for those who live there. But when the lust for travel dies and all a man really lives for exists in the North you may rest assured that man will take the North in preference to the South any time. Undoubtedly the same applies to men who live in the South. Southern hotels are hospitable enough if anyone ever saw a hotel which he thought really was hospita-

ble. A hotel is a good place to go when you can’t go any place else. Southern training trips are, of course necessary to baseball, but from the ball player’s point of view there are many things in life more agreeable than going through the process .of getting into condition in the South.

RECORDS BROKEN FOR DEALS

tale of Alexander and Killifer to Cubs Heads List—Stuffy Melnnis Brings Up Last All records for baseball trades and sales in a single off season have been broken this winter. They follow: 1. Alexander and Killifer sold by the Phils to Chicago for $50,000, Prendergast and Dilhoefer. 2. Bush, Schang and Strunk sold by Athletics to the Red Sox for $60,000, Pitcher Gross, Catcher Thomas and Outfielder Kopp. 3. Shortsfop Lavan and Outfielder Shotten traded by the Browns to Washington for Pitcher Gallia and $15,000. 4. Outfielder Paskert of the Phils traded to the Cubs for Outfielder Cy Williams. 5. Pitcher George Tyler traded by Boston to the Cubs for Second Baseman Larry Doyle and Catcher Art Wilson. 6. Infielder Herzog of New York traded to Boston for Second Baseman Larry Doyle and Pitcher Barnes. 7. Pitcher A 1 Mamaux, Shortstop Ward and Pitcher Grimes, Pittsburgh,, traded to Brooklyn for Outfielder Stengle and Second Baseman Cutshaw. 8. Stuffy Melnnis sold to the Red Sox.

FIRST FOOTBALL STAR FALLS

Malcolm Gifford of Williams, Victim of Unfortunate Circumstances, Is War Victim. Malcolm Gifford of Williams college, is the first American football star to fall in the great game “over there.” Williams joined a Canadian regiment last spring and said that he would never return to America alive. He flung himself into the war game with tue same spirit that he displayed in football. He did this largely to help him forget the unfortunate train of circumstances that had caused him to be accused and tried for the murder of a taxicab driver in Albany, N. Y. This incident saddened the life of the football star and he cared little what happened to him in Europe.

BOXING BELTS IN AUSTRALIA

Emblems Given to Winners In Different Classes—Must Be Won Three Times to Own It. Promoter Baker of Australia has cut the championship boxing, bouts from twenty to ten rounds end gives championship belts to winners in the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight lightweight and welterweight classes. The holder must win the belt three times to own it

America Va France.

American soldiers in France may engage in soccer games with French players during periods of relaxation at the front

Rattling the Skeleton.

A hand! capper of race horses calls himself Helter Skelter. That’s the way some of the horses run.

SPORTING JINGLES

The umpires would also like t®j have a decisionless day. But there will be no beeflesi j days among players on the field.,l Recruit pitchers have more curves than* a Broadway beauty ] chorus in the spring. Hockey is sort of a substitute, sport. They play it when thep. . can’t play anything else. Kaiser Is short of guns on account of the delayed steel. This way ont! Don’t slam the door. Why Is It that when somebody mentions Eddie Collins you think of Heinie Zlm? Boxing is hard on the ears of the boxers, bat wrestling is tough on the listeners of the crowd. A deaf guy could enjoy a wrestling match. Finding a baseball club In Phllly Is as hard as playing the piano with mittens on. Jess Willard’s promises to fight are as reliable as a railroad time table. Collecting the baseball war tax is going to be as easy as falling into an upper berth.

FAMOUS OARSMAN IS KILLED

Captain Holland, One of Beat-Known English Athletes, Meets Death "Somewhere In France." \ The death is announced at the front of Capt. W. F. C. Holland, one of the best-known track athletes and oarsmen in England. He was a versatile track athlete, winning British championships at the 100-yard, half mile, mile and long jump. He rowed in the Oxford varsity eight for four years, and was president of Oxford Boating club in 1880. He rewed No. 7 in 1806 In the Leander crew, which defeated Yale. For several years afterward he coached the Oxford crews, and for ten years before the war acted as judge at the Henley re* gattas.

EPPA RIXEY NOW IS LIEUTENANT IN ARMY

Eppa Jephtha Rixey, left-handed pitcher of the Philadelphia Nationals, who lives at Charlottesville, has been commissioned a first lieutenant lit the sanitary corps of the National army. He probably will be assigned to the gas defense section.

KIVIAT, STAR RUNNER, IS HIKING FOR UNCLE SAM

A. R. Kivlat, the former star middledistance runner of the Irish-American Athletic club of New York, is now a member of the Fifty-ninth regiment stationed at Fort Hamilton, N. Y. i

Herman in Class One.

Pete Herman, world’s champion bantamweight, has been placed in class of the draft It Is believed he will claim exemption on the grounds oC sore eyes, as the champion recently, canceled all his boats for that reason*