The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1914-10-03
HORRORS OF THE WAR AS SEEN BY
correspondent ON BATTLEFIELD

went 10 tne leTmOnue ART kbnery,
which a month ago was the pride Of
the district. Then 1t had fine collec-
ton Of Flemish pictures. now the en-.
frances, corridors. and various rooms
are a mass OF charred woodwork, with
here and there a head OF a statuette or
plaster cast left One of the chiefs
Of the gallery came in while l was
there and gazed at the wreck OF the
place which had been his life's pride.
With clenched fists he cried. 'Canaillei
Canalllel
The Wrongs Of the People.
"Termonde is a city Of ghosts. 1t
seemed impossible that street after
street of crumbling ruins could week
before have been a busy. pleasant,
prosperous Belgian town. There was
the church of the Benedlctine fathers
with the roof off and the interior
gutted and burnt. All that was left of
a massive oak door were the iron
hinges. Still standing in place was
the religious statuary, which had been
deliberately shattered with the butts
OF rifles before the place was set on
fire. / noticed the figures at the sta
tions of the cross with the heads of
| Mary the Christ and the attendant
crowds smashed in.
"Melle and Termonde are typical OF
large part of the country, but there
are exceptions. In some places the
German soldiers carried out their or
ders TO destroy houses with evident
reluctance and did no more than they
were ordered to do. Apart from burn
ing houses they behaved with mercy
and kindliness. In other places
found that the troops and followed the
burning with a policy OF deliberate
outrage-a policy which / believe the
German people. II they could under
stand It. would repudiate and de-
nounce.
The most painful side OF the busi-
ness was the innumerable accounts OF
wholesale outrages against women.
young girls and even children. One
the horrors and he was almost In tears
as he spoke. OF these cases. he said
we can tell, but of most of them we
can never learn anything. Often out
rage was followed by murder and of
ten. too. a woman hides her shame
The Policy Of Terrorism.
"Where does the responsibility fol
these doings lie? They are the direc
outcome OF the policy of the German
general staff. which decided On pol
icy of terror 1t should be known tina
soldiers employed In burning and loot
ing are bound in part to get out o
hand and follow the burning and loot
ing with outrages that make all hu
, manity recoil. But the Germans hav
defeated their own purpose. Out o
, the grief, agony and loss of the littl
, people a new nation is arising. Tw
, months ago Belgium lacked unity. an
, apparently all those great. inspirin
! forces which make race suprem'
Germany has given her these. TIL
, people are being made great an
). strong by suffering
r "As | went among the Belgian a
. mics during my journey ! saw soldier
, often poorly armed. unsuitably dresse
4 and not over well organized resistin
A great German regiments and my heal
\ went out to them CHEEKY and III
d afraid, the officers and men greete
= one everywhere. II was splendid b.
d yond words.
y Now Winter 10 at Hand.
y 81 wish I could say something thi
). would bring home to the sympathet
Q and kindly American people the rel
L need of Belgium. Today tens OF thou
), ands are still living torn from the
f homes and in sore distress. Englan
n is looking after many, but vast nur
s bers remain without shelter. with II
u tie food and with everything gon
Winter is on them and unless som
thing is done the frosts and SHOWS
o the coming weeks, the lack Of food ar
B. the absence of clothing will compile
IT the work the Germans began.
e II may seem to speak strongly.
4 tell you that any decent man who sa
G. the saturnalia OF cruelty and passiC
d. In that devastated land could not We
y say less"