Nebraska Newspapers

    THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE,
NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
WHiTLOCK DEPICTS
BELGIANS' MISERY
Calls Deportation of Natives "One
of the Foulest Deeds That
History Records."
VON HINDENBURG IS BLAMED
Marshal Quarreled With Von Biasing
Because Latter's Policy Was Mild
-Says German Capacity for
Blundering Equals That
for Cruelty.
Wellington. Tliu stuto department
mode public a report from llriinil
Whltloclt, written at IlruHscIs in .liui
uary, when lie was the American min
ister to Belgium, In which he describes
the terrlhle effects of the tierinnn pol
icy of deporting Belgians to Geriiiimy
to compel them to work there, Since
Hip beginning of Hie war In Europe,
thla Is Hip first report from Mr, Wlilt
iock that the state lepartment has per
mitted to reach the American people.
Allowing for all exaggeration. Mr.
Whltloclt says there remains enough
to slump this deed as one of the foul
est that lilstory records."
Statements made by Minister Whit
lock suggest that Field Marshal von
Hlndonburg. was responsible for the
deportation policy- Ho was said to
have criticized as too mild tliu rule of
Clcncrnl von Biasing, tlie military gov
ernor of Jtolgltim, and sent Von Hiss
ing to Berlin with the Intention of re
signing. When Von Hissing returned
the rulgn of terror In Helglum began.
Tli report from Mr. Whltlock reads
ns follows:
"In order to fully understand the
sltonMon, It Is necessary to go back
to tl'e autumn of 11)11. At the time
we mro organizing the relief work,
the Comlte National the Helglan re
lief organization that collaborates with
the commission for relief In Belgium
proposed an arrangement by which tho
Belgian government should pay Its
owl employees left In Helglum, ami
other unemployed men besides, the
wrwes they had been accustomed to re
ce'vo. "The Helglans wished to do tills
for humanitarian and patriotic pur
poses; they wished to provldo the un
employed with the means of livelihood,
and, at tho same time, to prevent their
working for tho Oermans.
Tempts German Cupidity.
"Tho policy was adopted and has
been continued In practice and on tho
rolls of tho Comlto National have been
boroo tho names of hundreds of thou
sandssome 700,000. I believe of Idle
men receiving (Tils dole, distributed
through tho communes.
'Tho presenco of these unemployed,
however, was a constant temptation to
Gorman cupidity, Many times they
sought to obtain tho lists of tho
chomeurs (unemployed), hut were nl
wnyfl foiled by tho claim that under
tho guaranties covering tho relief
work tho records of tho Comlte Na
tional and Its various sub-orgunlzu-tlons
were Immune. Ilather than risk
nny Interruptions of tho rnvltnlllo
inent, for which, while loath to own
nny obligation to America, the Ger
mans have always been grateful, since
It has had tho effect of keeping tho
population calm, the authorities never
pressed tho point other than with tho
burgomasters of tho communes. Final
ly, however, tho military party, always
brutal and with nu astounding Ignor
unco of public opinion and of moral
sentiment, determined to put these
Idht men to work.
"In August Von Illndenhurg Was ap
pointed to tho supremo command. Ho
U mild to huvo criticized Von HIhsIiik'h
policy na too mild ; there jvas n quar
rel; Von Hissing went to Berlin to
protest, threatened to reulgn, but did
not. ljo returned, and a German of
ficial hero said that Helglum would
now bo subjected to a more terrlblo
regime, would learn wlmt war was.
Tho prophecy litis been vindicated.
"Tho deportations began In October
In tlio etnpo, nt Ghent and at Hruges.
The policy spread; the rich Industrial
districts of LIhlnau'., the mines and
steel works about Charlorol were next
attacked; now they are seizing men
In Drnbnnt, oven In Hrussels, despite
some Indications, and even predictions
of tho civil authorities, that tho policy
was about to be abandoned.
Heavy Penalties Fixed.
"During the last fortnight men have
boon Impressed here In Hrussels. hut
their seizures hero are made evidently
SOUtH TO DO ITS PART
IN RAISING MORE FOOD
Dalian, Tex. Southwestern
farmers are bending oveiy ener
gy to plant food and feed crops.
Spurred on by better prices than
ever known to prevail In the
iSoutliweHt for foodstuffs and
J iVnmed by the government that
jnless extraordinary efforts are
t Miado by tho farmers this season
' Jio country will face n serious
"ood shortage, tho fanners are
' iitantlng a great deal of ImiuI in
' . I....... .......... ...I.I..,. III . . . t .
nitieu vropa which win ueip recti i i'"'"11 " " " iuugu ui anoiii-
vho nation. In tho northern part Ji or must 1,0 80 011 fo,,t r In vans
of tho great Southwest, where t drawn by tho few miserable horses
winter wheat was killed hv an ' ' "ro loft. Tho wagons of tho brew-
unfavorable winter, some fann
t
I
ers have planted spring wheat
I
FOUGHT TYPHUS IN SERBIA
Dr. Edward W. Ityan, bolder of the
cross of the Legion of Honor (shown
pinned on his coat), and many Serbian
decorations, has returned to Serbia to
organize the sanitary and relief work
In that country. Ho goes at the spe
cial request of the Serbian government.
This doctor Is the Idol of nil Serbia.
When tho typhus plague broke out In
that country at the beginning of the
war, he was left to take care of 'J.OOO
patients all alone, the other doctors
and nurses being sick with the disease.
Doctor Kyan himself fell a victim to
tho dread disease shortly after the re-1
covery of some of the other physicians.
For his great work during this terrible
time he was decorated by tho French
government with tho cross of the Le
gion of Honor, and also honored by tho
Serbian government.
with much greater care than In the
provinces, with more regard for the
appearances. There was no public an
nouncement of the Intention to deport,
but suddenly about ten days ago, cer
tain men In towns whose names aro
on the list of cliomenrs receiving sum
mons, notifying them to report at one
of tho railway stations on a given day,
penalties were fixed for failure to re
spond to the summons and there was
printed on the card an offer of em
ployment by the German government,
either In Germany or Belgium.
"On tho first day, out of about l.fiOO ' operations ever performed nt that In
men ordered to present themselves at J stltutlon.
the Gare du Midi, about 7G0 responded, t As soon as ho had been ndmlttcd to
'I hose wero examined by German phy-1
slclans and !100 wero taken. There was
no disorder, a large force of mounted
uhlans keeping back tliu crowds and
barring access to the station to all but '
thoso who had been summoned to ap
pear. The commission for relief In
Helglum had secured permission to
give to each deported man a loaf of
bread and some of the communes pro
vided warm clothing for thoso who had
none and In addition a small lluauclal
allowance. .
"As by one of tho Ironies of llfo the
winter baa been more excessively cold
than Helglum has evn- known It. and I
whllo some of those who presented
themselves were adequately protected
against tho cold, many of them were .
without overcoats. The men shivering
from cold and fear, the parting from
weeping wives and children, the har
riers of brutal uhlans, all this made
tho scene u pltlablo and distressing
one.
"It was understood that the seizures
would continue here In Hrussels, but
on Thursday last, a bitter cold day,
those that hud been convoked wero
sent home without examination. It Is
supposed Hint the severe weather has
moved tho Germans to postpone the
deportations.
Rage and Despair.
"Tho rage, tho terror, and tho despair
excited by this measure all over Hoi
Hlum were beyond anything we had
witnessed since the day tho Germans
poured Into ilrussels, Tho delegates of
the commission fir relief In Helglum.
returning to Hrussels, told the most
distressing storlos of the scenes of
cruelty and sorrow attending the seiz
ures. And dally, hourly, almost, since
that time, appalling stories have been
related by nelglaua coming to tho le
gation, It Is Impossible for us to veri
fy them, llrst because It Is necessary
for us to exercise all possible tact In
dealing with the subject at nil, and,
secondly, because there Is no means of
communication between the Occupa
tions Geblet and tho Etappen Goblet.
"Transportation everywhere In Hel
glum Is dllllcult, the vicinal railways
scarcely operating any more because
of tho lack of oil. whllo all the horses
huvo been taken. The people who are
ri.M.l.iil fnilm ..III.. a .
mi, nu.- miu iiiniiiuiiuu line IIIO lior-
mans huvo scrupulously respected, are
nun ny ukuii,
'"''lie well-known tendency of sensa-
tloiinl reMirts to exaggerate them
selves, especially In time of iir. an !
In a situation like that existing here
with no newsMi?rs to serve as n dully
clearing house for all the rumors that
are ns avidly believed as they are eag
erly repented, should, of course, bo
considered, hut even If a modicum of
all that Is told Is true, there st'.ll re
mains enough to stamp this deed ns
one of the foulest that lilstory records.
"I am constantly In receipt of re
ports from all over Helglum that tend
to bear out the stories one constantly
henrs of brutality and cruelty. A num
ber of men sent back to Mens are said
to be In a dying condition, many of
them tubercular. At Mallues and nt
Antwerp returned men have died, their
friends asserting that they have been
victims of neglect and cruelty, of cold,
of exposure, of hunger.
Promises Are Not Kept.
"I have bad requests from the bur
gomasters of ten communes from La
Lotivlcro, asking that permission bo
obtained to send to the deported men
In Germany packages of food similar
to those that are being sent to pris
oners of war. Thus far the German
authorities have refused to permit tills
except In special Instances, and re
turning Helgi ns claim that even when
such packages are received they aro
used by the camp authorities only as
another means of coercing them to
sign tho agreements to work.
"It is said that In spite of tho liberal
salary promised thoso who would sign
voluntarily no money has as yet been
received In Helglum from workmen In
Germany.
"One Interesting result of tho de
portations remains to be noted, a re
sult that once more places In rellof
the German capacity for blundering al
most as great as the German capacity
for cruelty.
"They have dealt a mortal blow to
any prospect they may ever have bad
of being tolerated by the population of
Flanders; in tearing away from nearly
every humble home in the land a hus
band and a father or a son and brother
they have lighted a lire of hatred that
.will never go out; they have brought
homo to every heart In the land, In a
way that will Impress Its horror Indel
ibly on the memory of three genera
tions, a realization of what German
methods mean, not, as with the early
atrocities In the bent of passion and
the first lust of war, but by on.o of
thoso deeds that make one despair of
,. fuluro of tnp iIUInmi rnct., ,ieul
coldly planned, studiously matured,
and deliberately and systematically exe
cuted, a deed so cruel that German sol
diers are said to have kept In Its exe
cution, and- so monstrous that oven
German olllcors nro now said to bo
ashamed."
IS CURED OF BROKEN BACK
Remarkable Surgical Operation Saves
the Life of Victim of Automo
bile Accident.
Wilmington, Del. Kohert Haldwln,
twenty-one, of Ilcllovue, whoso back
was broken on February 2 when an
automobile he was driving turned over
on 111 in, has been released from tho
Delaware hospital as cured, after one
of the most delicate and remarkable
tho hospital ho was placed on tho
operating table and tho tenth verte
bra removed from his spine. This
bono was broken, and In addition three
other vertebrao wero dislocated.
Dr. Harold Springer of this city
performed tho operation, which Is said
to be one of tho most dllllcult and
rarely successful. A. recent morning
Haldwln walked a dlstanco of a city
block with tho aid of crutches. Ills
legs wero weak, but ho found no trou
ble In getting around with tho
cni'"Jjes. Ho Is arranging to bo ex-
nlblted beforo surgical clinics In sev
era! cities.
FISH STORY SEASON OPENS
How Will This Little Yarn From.Wy
omlng Do for a
Starter?
Sundance, Wyoming. Tho opening
of the Ashing season brings tho story
of a man who caught an nqnrlum with
his llrst cast. Fishing In Sand creek,
a small stream near this place, from
which no llsh weighing more thnn two
pounds before had ever been taken,
John Guldlnger captured n trout weigh
ing l!l pounds ten ounces and meas
uring it" Inches long. Ho was amazed,
but was more amazed when bo opened
the catch to discover a 112-Inch trout
In Its stomach. In .tho smaller trout
ho found a 7-lnch horned dace and In
side the dace a three-Inch sucker. In
the sucker were a grasshopper, three
tiles and a rusty fishhook.
PORTLAND MAN INVENTS
MARVELOUS TORPEDO
I'ortlnM. Ore. Frank E. Ken
ney of this city has Invented n
new type of torpedo, designed to
travel In tho air or through tho
water. Ho Is declared to huvo
received an offer for tho device
from the English government, but
refused It to give It to tho Unit
ed States government.
Testa of tho torpedo Imvo been
mado nt Pacific const naval Btn
tlons. It la declnred that when
tested, tho torpedo, nfter travel
ing moro than live miles through
tho air, dropped Into tho water,
righted Itself, plunged through
steel nets nnd struck u target at
which It bud been aimed.
Washington Woman's Idea of a "Simple Dinner"
'ASHINGTON. More than a score
have signed u pledge which hinds
three courses, to have one mentless day
1 yH Wm
J L I Utiit 4 Mi
Br OWP . "WW TEtS3$
I m
Jw,
violating tho spirit of the vow. After nil. simplicity and economy never serve1
as synonyms each for the other, nnd every woman Is aware that an "elegant
simplicity" Is Invariably appallingly costly. A deeper meaning may well bo!
read into tho provisions of the pledge, and Economy made the handmaid of'
Simplicity. i
Tho Intention of the women of tho capital Is most praiseworthy; women;
of other cities may emulate them, sure of the approbation of the nation. Woj
cannot foretell the length of tho struggle In which we have taken a hand: we
do know It will lny a heavy burden of
exceptional demands for self-restraint
waste neither food nor money.
Scout Gets Reptile
i
SCORE one for Young America I The hands that once twisted the lion's tall,
tho hands that In '01 and '05 twisted tho Adam's apple of tho Copperhead,
have worthy successors In the small but cnpablo hands that gripped with a
red-tummled water snake, fighting for
Its life. N
A khakl-clnd youngster of twelve,
benrlng tho nnmo of Courtland Ogden
nnd wearing the uniform of Hoy Scout
Troop seven did the trick. It was tho
beat "get" of the day for tho Reptile
Study society.
The encounter took place In tho
marshy meadows adjacent to tho quiet
waters of the Potomac river. With
i . t , . . . . .
ma scnmr partner in llio crnit 01
ui.n.w,..! .... I I . . 1 "l !.,.. i . 1 1 1 r- It'll
nu. 111.-111 nuiiuiIKi UUCLlur JVIIUI1 B. Wll-
Unnia of the Reptile Study society, Ogdon wns beating the hushes and leaving
no stone unturned In tho hope of uncovering one of the possum-playing wrig
glers. Suddenly Mr. Wllllnms let out a shout.
"There's one now, Courtland," ho exclaimed. "Ilead him off I"
Mr. Williams lunged nt the crawler, but the bushes were In his way.
Courtland, who being built n bit nearer the ground was in better form for
Instnntaneoua action, dived under the bushes from the otber side. One grab
and tho snake wns his. The creature, enraged, turned nnd wrapped Itself
nround Courtlnnd's forearm, but with tho dexterity of n professional, ho
clapped tho thumb and forefinger of bis free hnnd over the head of bis quarry
and by tho tlmo re-enforcements came up he was nursing tenderly in his arm
one of tho finest specimens of n red and old-gold reptile that ever Infested tho
Jungles of tho District.
Capita! All Ready for Confederate Veterans
THE fierce "rebel yell," blending In cadence with tho Inspiring strains of
"Tho Star-Spanglcd Bnnner," will awnken tho echoes and arouse patriotic
enthusiasm at tho twenty-seventh annual reunion of the United Confederato
"Stonewall" Jackson nnd other Southern generals will bo an object lesson
worth whllo. Tho venerable veterans of Dixie will be participants In tho
making of moving pictures of n past ago on the nation's screen at Washington.
Col. Robert N. Ilnrper, chalrmnn of tho general committee of citizens in
chnrgo of tho reunion, announces that plans for tho great gathering are
progressing notwithstanding tho pntrlotlc activities Incident to the declara
tion of war against Germany. It has been definitely decided that tho big
parado shall take placo Thursday, Juno 7, nt 11 o'clock n. m. By direction of
Gen. George P. Harrison, commanding tho United Confederato Veterans, tho
business sessions of thnt organization, Including the annual election of ofllcers,
will bo held June C, 0 nnd 7.
Other events In tho snmo week will bo tho conventions of the Sons of
Confederato Veterans, tho Daughters of tho Confederacy and the Confederated
Southern Memorial association, besides regimental reunions, nnd the soclnl
functions which always are elaborate features of tho reunions. Tho citizens
of Washington nro responding liberally to tho call of II. F. Cnry, chnlrmnn
of tho finance committee, for funds to entertain and caro for their guests from
tho Sunny Southland.
Inspection Has No Terrors fop Girl Rookies
THERE was a sllckln' and n shlnln' nnd a general tldylng-up abtut the camp
of tho girl rookies on Conduit road one morning last week. Tsnts wero
mado spick-and-span, dusty boots wero shlned till they glistened In tho sun,
khaki skirts and blouses wero dusted '
nnd shaken until every pnrtlclo of
Conduit road und drllltleld was flung
therefrom for It was inspection day
nt tho National Service school, second
encampment.
Commnndimt Elizabeth Poo and
Lieut. Mlrlum Ilubbnrd, officer of tho
day, made tho rounds of tho tents.
Tho girl soldiers stood nt attention
outside their canvas homes ns the in
specting officers, races sjern nnd shoul
ders squared, mado their tour. Hero
nnd thero was i word of advice, commendation, or reprlmnnd. For girl rook
ies, though very good soldiers, still have things to lenrn about camp life. A
week ago they wero Just beginning.
At tho end of tho Inspection tour the officers said they wero pleased. Tho
officer of tho day, unofficially, of course, mado tho announcement thnt every
thing wns perfectly lovely.
Following Inspection ninny of tho girl soldiers obtained lenvo nnd visited
relatives and friends back home In Washington. Discipline wns relaxed nnd
tho girls roamed about tho camp or received congratulating hosts of friends
and relatives.
Just outside tho entrnnco to tho enmp thero Is n confectionery shop, which
Bella lco cream cones, enndy, popcorn, enko, nnd plcturo postcards, but no clga
ultes. It's nmnzlng, tho amount of lco cream n girl rookie, following n hard
march, can consume. When the drill hour Is over In tho morning dusty rookies
Hock to tho Ice cronm cono dispensary, and tho cones which are bought would
como near weighing, In tho aggregate, ns much ns a nlx-lnch shell.
of prominent women of Washington
them to serve no meal of more than
a week, and to simplicity In dress nnd
entertaining. One of the number re
cently Inaugurated the ".slmple-dln-ners"
era by serving a three-course re
past to IS guests, with less elaborate
adjuncts In tho way of decorations,
favors, etc. The menu, ns published,
could hnrdl.v be termed economical : It
included llllct of beef, one of tho most'
expensive cuts, fresh usparagus, peas
nnd strawberries. To defeat the nnr.
pose of a pledge to simplicity by serv
ing fewer courses but of more costly
viands Is observing the letter while
taxation upon us and that there will be,
and sacrifice and labor. Wo should
as Trophy of Chase
sJ v jF
'
Veterans to be held nt Washington the
week beginning June 4.
As the men In gray pnrade over
tho wide stretches of Pennsylvania
avenue, sometimes termed tho "na
tional boulevard," the Impulse will
come to sound their battle cry of
moro than CO years ago, when this
country wn8 engaged in n great In
ternecine war. At this time when tho
United States Is at war with a great
foreign power, the plcturo of tho pa
rading units of tho armies of Lee.
IMPROVED QUALITY OF EGGS;
This May Be Brought About by Care
ful Selection for Incubation
Use Old Hens.
(By T. E. QtAtSENUEimV, Missouri.)
How are we to breed so that wo may
Improve tho qunlKy of the eggs? We
know It to be a fact that a hen lnys
essentially the same color and shape
egg year In and yenr out. Of courso
wo know thnt the first eggs of n pul
let nro smnll nnd will gradually In
crease In size until they reach tholr
normal state. We also know thnt In
varieties of poultry which lay brown
eggs tho last eggs of a "litter" will be
somewhat llgr.ter In color than will
the first eggs laid, so wo can see that
tho shape and color of nn egg chnnges
slightly.
In attempting to breed to Improva
ble quality of eggs, we advlso the se
lection of esgs for Incubation only of
Incubator With Removable Nursery:
Underneath Egg Tray.
the kind which you wish to produce
If you want dcnd-whlto eggs, do not
incubate any that aro tinted In tho
least. If you want n pure, uniform
brown egg, then select only that kind
See that nono of them weigh less than
two ounces nnd nro of the perfect
shape which you desire, nnd nil of
sound, smooth shell. Use males for
mating with these selected hens that
were hatched from hens thnt lay the
same kind of an egg. Use tho same
process of selection the following year,,
and In n short period of time you will
find that the number of eggs which
will have to bo culled out will grow
gradually less and less. A much larger
percentage of your eggs will grade ns
flrsts. It Is ndvlsablo to use hens for breed
ing purposes because they lay a larger
egg than tho pullets, and they lny,
fewer eggs In the fall and winter nnd
aro In much better condition for
breeding purposes In tho spring
months than nro tho pullets.
SMALL EGGS LACK VITALITY
Reject All Those Weighing Less Than,
Two Ounces for Hatching
Also Those Misshapen.
Thero Is good reason to believe thnt
small eggs and lack of vitality go to
gether. Reject for setting purposes
nil eggs that weigh less than two
ounces each, for small eggs produco
srnall chicks.
A breeder has no business to send,
out smnll, misshapen eggs nnd If suclt
nro received the buyer has good cnuso
to expect poor results.
YOUNG CHICKS NEED WARMTH
Be Careful In Removing Little Fellows
From Incubator Prevent Chill
ing Is Main Thing.
In removing chicks from tho Incu
bator to tho brooder great caro must
bo taken to prevent them from being
chilled. This can well bo accom
plished by plnclng them In n basket
and covering them with n woolen
cloth laid lightly over the chicks or
with burlap or cotton cloth laid over
tho basket. A shallow wooden box
having a muslin cover makes a very
convenient chick carrier.
Tho main thing to do Is to prevent
hilling. Cnre should be taken to have
tho temperature of tho brooder about
tho same ns thnt of tho Incubator, that
Two White Wyandottes, Both Same
Age and Raised and Fed In Same
Way An Example of Proper and
Improper Methods of Selection and.
Breeding.
Is, at. 08 degrees to 100 degrets Fah
renheit under tho hover. Tho temper
ature should bo lowered gradually
nhout flvo degrees per week until dur
ing the fourth week It Is running at
85 degrees. If very high temperatures
nro maintained for long periods It
lowers the vitality of the brood nniL
many deaths uro sure to result.
Itfhyii Hps