The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-29 00:00:00

THE BOMBARDMENT OF STR 4SBURG.

When we informed our readers the other day of the
bombardment of Strasburg, and of the damage done by
the fire of the garrison to the open town of Kehl, we

imagined it was caused by one of those unfortunate mis•
takes which often occur during time of war. We must,

however, to-day,•after having made searching inquiries,
admit that we were labouring under a serious error, and
state that the enemy has again openly violated the under-
standing upon which war is carried on amongst civilised
nations, by firing upon the open town of Kehl. The
German batteries are so planted on this side of the bank
that the town of Kehl lies at some distance from the line
of fire. The unfortified and open town was purposely,
intentionally, and contrary to every civilised precedent,
set on fire by the enemy's shells. The following are the
details of the affair as they have happened :—On the Bth
August Lieutenant-General von Berger sent one of his
staff, Major von Amerongen, to the commandant of
Strasburg to demand the surrender of that pled°. The
major drew the attention of the commandant to the fact
that the French army had been defeated, that the occu-
pation of Strasburg had been rendered impossible, and
that any defence that might be made would be utterly
devoid of any chance of success. The commandant re-
fused to render himself to the summons. Major von
Amerongen replied that the bombardment of Strasburg
would commence forthwith. On the 16th and 19th of
this month, the days on which our advanced posts took
possession of Schiltigheim and Konigshoften, shells were
thrown into the town of Strasburg to engage 'and dis-
tract the attention of the enemy ; some of these shells
set fire to some btsildings, which, however, wi soon
extinguished. The commandant of Strasburg therefore
thought himself warranted hi openly affirming that
its a rep►►sal for the bombardment of Strasburg
he would burn the town of Kehl, a fact which
woo not made. know to the inhabitants ; and this was
carried out on the 19th. The glorious successes of the
German arms, however, offer us an opportunity of re-
quiting the helpless victims of this barbaric mode of
warfare that the French have chosen. The commander-
in-chief of the beleaguering army, Lieutenant-General
von Werder wrote the' following letter to the comman
dant of Strasburg on the 19th :

"Your excellency has, contrary to the understanding
existing beeween civilised nations, and without due and
proper warning, bombarded, and set fire to the open
and unfortified town of Kehl. Such a mode of warfare.
unheard of by civilised nations, obliges me to hold you
personally responsible for the consequences of such pro-
ceedings. Further, I shall cause an estimate of the
damage to be made, which will be recuperated by forced
contributions made in Alsatia. Utilising the present oc-
casion, I have to beg that your excellency will cause the
military hospital, situated to the north of the citadel,
to be vacated, as it lies within our line of fire, and cannot
be sufficiently distinguished. If the same be installed in
the neighbburhood of the civil hospital, and distinguished
by a large flag, our best endeavours will be used to prevent
any damage being done to it."

The valuation of the damage done to the town of Kehl,