The Daily Missoulian., 1914-09-30

\ Inc IOiiOWlnS Ietter was received
Yesterday by gentleman living in
Missoula, from relative Of his, tenn
Pporarily on business in Brussels. The
writer was at one time an officer in
the German army.
For good reasons, the name of the
writer and its Missoula recipient are
Withheld, but we can vouch for the high
hperonal stand of both. The intimate
personal friend of both. The intimate
been omitted.-Editor Missoulian.
Brussels, Sept. 15.v-I had written you
a long letter on the goth of August, but
found no chance to post it. Since the
middle of August there has been no
foreign mail here. no newspapers,
either local or foreign.
Every restaurant place where liquor
or beer is sold has to be closed at 9
o'clock p. m.
On the goth of August the German
troops came here with flags flying
and bands playing. about 100000 or
100000, the most of them having left
e
come since, have remained in Belgium
The news of the war YOU have
, suppose, more or less, but if it is from
/ English or French sources you may be
sure it is a pack of lies.
The situation today is as follows:
On the Russian frontier n Russian
army composed of five corps and
three cavalry divisions has been COM
, pletely annihilated by the Germans
General Himdenburg The Russians
were about 100000. They lost 10000
in prisoners, the same amount in deaG
! and wounded. The rest fled
| On the Austro- Russian lines, the
Austrians have had hard fights and
were driven back in Galicia, but are
now holding their own.
1 Here in Belgium everything is in
the possession Of the Germans with
,, the exception of Antwerp and Ostend
Yesterday there was big battle
about 90 miles from here. We could
plainly hear the cannon shots and
utter dark even see the flash from
some of the cannon. 1t has been hard
mans had big, losses, the hospitals and
royal palaces. being filled with the
wounded. The Belgians and English
who made sortie from the fortresse'
at Antwerp have been driven back.
In France the Germans have taker
all of the forts in the north and sew
eral in the west. They have alread,
been within 20 miles of Paris, but
lately have gone back about 20 miles
having beens checked by superior
forces. 81
Here in Belgium the civilian popu
lation has been somthing fearful
They have attacked the Germans un-
awares and wherever such thing
happened the Germans retaliated anf
burned and shot the towns into ruins
Civilian population, and especially the
priests, have committed such acts, es-
ipecially. The town of LoCvaine, 45,-
600 Inhabitants. has been fully de-
'stroyed. 1t is simply revolving 10 hea'
the cruelties the fanatical Belgian
civilian population has committed OF
the German wounded. Some of then
had their eyes pierced out and such
like. In one town, Hasselt, two Ger.
man officers took quarters over nigh.
in q civilians house. In the middle
Of the night they were murdered il
cold blood and their bodies thrown ou
of the window. When their soldiers
saw this they shot the people of thf
town wherever they could be found
and burned all of the houses.
This war is fearful, the like of il
has never been nor will be as long as
the world stands. So far the Germans
have the best of it almost everywherf
and they conduct themselves like
gentlemen and brave men. Here ir
Brussels nothing has happened be-
cause the population has been warned
by n very sensible mayor not to COM
NIT any atrocities against the soldiers
When you realize that about 80 pei
cent of the inhabitants of Belgium car
neither read nor write you have, in :
measure, an explanation for the
'fanatical cruelties which have been tc
great extent perpretrated.
Germany did not want the war, but
it has been forced upon her. Fort