Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-09-26

was susceptible Of investigation -.
found either that the OUTRAGE us- $40
Pigment Of the Belgian mind or "a
1t was more than half excused nv ~
cumstances. 1'l'
The prevalence of the Belgian rr..
tice OF sniping from the houses nv.
perhaps indicated by the warnin, :.
the German officer who acted as go
for five American correspondents :.
GLIDING myself, who were being tab
as prisoners from Beaumont To Aaoho-
in an army train. We were advised r.
lie down on the floor of the car as tbs
Belgian snipers would shoot at us fror,
the houses. But there was no e-,,.
This, Of course, is not a briaf -.
the German army; it is an account ~
German conduct as it appeared IN on
impartial observer who had the ratber
extraordinary opportunity OF traveiny
for days with the German column.
over a distance OF more than q hmm.
dred miles through a dozen inportan,
cities and towns.
Sometimes / was near enough -
the front to see the white artillery
smoke squirt into clouds along tina
horizon and hear the double detons.
lions which came from artillery a.
short range. At other times l trailed
behind through the desolate waste
which a victorious army leaves b.
hind it.
Pay All and Tip Well.
ION the contrary, I witnessed mn.
,merous cases Of the most careful cour.
tesy on the part of German soldiers.
In Brussels they not only paid their
cafe bills, but tipped generously.
Along the road, when a German officer
or soldier entered Belgian house for
food or shelter, it was not with a de-
mand but a request. In spite of the
confusion and errors which arose from
a strange tongue there was almost no
friction Of any sort.
The German soldiers were punctil-
iously considerate and polite TO won.
en- and children. apologizing for the
discomfort they were causing Upon
leaving house where they have been
given shelter, | have seen them shake
hands with the concierge, peasant
woman, or in some cases with the
gentlewoman Of a Belgian villa, as
pleasantly as if they were bidding
adieu to their hostess at a weekend
house party.
$50 many instances of this sort are
at hand that a recital Of them would
be tedious.
Naturally inclined to be gruff with
their soldiers, the German officers ale
ways gave the French prisoners a
pleasant word, and treated them with
every consideration. Not a single ex-
ception to this civility toward prison.
ers has come to my attention.
"A French lieutenant and two Eng
fish officers travelled with US in the
prison train from Beaumont to
Aachen, a hating journey which took
over thirty-six hours. The train was
crowded with German wounded and
French and English prisoners, and
there was nothing to eat or drink
except a few fragments Of rye bread
hard as a stone, and little LIQUID
compound of chicory, which in Bel
GUM masquerades under the name Of
coffee. Since there was not enough
even of this disheartening fare to go
0fp vrffhafrr
food so that the prisoners might be fed
Aid Owners of Cafe.
TN little cafe in Beaumont con-
cierge and madame had fed before
the approach of the soldiers and aban-
doned their business. Two officers
found them in hiding, brought them
back, and in a day they had taken in
more money than in any previous
week in their career
These incidents could be indefinite
ly prolonged, but they would only Of
fer additional support to a point that
I think / have already established
the universal kindness Of German
soldiers as | have observed them
81 have seen perhaps half dozen
cases of drunkenness in observing
nearly 100000 soldiers, and these
few we're only good-naturedly maud
lin. In Beaumont while I was detained
for "a hours in the small cafe pre-
viously mentioned, with an armed
guard at the door, although specimen
ly told that I was not an ordinary
prisoner, a staggering petty officer OF
some sort, lunged toward me ana
showed me the sharp convincing edge
of his sword, insisting that ! run A'
hand across it.
Warned TO Avoid Drinking
German discipline and German
training seem to have put into the
German soldier an exemplary beha' 'oE
which is nothing less than remaTSap.e.
Before 1 fell asleep on the floor OF lAe
Beaumont cafe, with two German soF
diers' guns slanting almost over me-
| heard the petty officer who was III
charge of us. giving instructions 10
the guards, which included the stare
ment that any one of us who st.'e1
outside the door should be shot DE"
he counseled them. almost in a 'atA7i'
w vvAv m drink only moderator, slaN