The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-25
Belgian Government Cites In,
stances Where Rules of
Warfare Have Been
Violated.
CALL STORIES ABSURD
German Ambassador to United States
Denies That kaiser's People
Have Committed
Outrapes.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.l
LONDON, Aug. 25.-The official
press bureau today made public for
NAL charges preferred by the Belgian
government to tho neutral powers al
leeing gross violation Of rules OF In
ternationai warfare. The statemsns
Gays:
German infantry, following tho
battle near Diest on August IL, shot
Major Won Damme through the head
as he lay heIpIessiy wounded and
then hurriedIy buried him. When tho
body was dlsinterrcd twenty-sIx bull
lets were found in his head.
"FoIlowlns = fight between Belgian
troops and Germans In which a Ger
man officer was killed, the Germans at
dusk burned six farm houses. They
then divided the males into two
groups Of eleven and placed them IN
bitches. The soldiers then struck the
men down with r;fss ;ssitts, frsctur,na
their skulls and killing them. Afro
cious crimes were committed against
the women and children, Yet not 4
single civilian participated In the
fiqht In which the German offtcer was
killed.
Germans maItreated an aged man.
torturing him with fire and finally
burning him to death. During the
fighting near Aerschot German troops
used Belgian women and children to
advance to strategic position on the
Belgian front and after getting there
opened fire on the women, woundins
one of them. The Germans also shot
and killed the bursomeister Of Asr-
schot and ten leading citizens, forcing
tho others to march out Of their homes
with their hands raised above their
heads and then fired the village"
At vsInn, the Germans entered the
village while the Inhabitants were
asleep and fired the house Of veal
thy Belgian named De Giimme-Gevers.
His house was destroyed and his
money stolen. The Germans seized
all Of his horses and carried his wife
off, half naked, for two miles. When
she was released, they ohot at her az
she fled. The husband was taken In
the opposite direction and fatally
wounded. These same troops burned
a number Of houses at Aramaei.
At orsnaeI young girls and children
were outraged by the German troops.
Several Inhabitants were shot ana
wounded here and Belgian soldiers
were tied to telegraph poles and shot.
VIGOROUS DENIAL.
NEW YORK, Aug. 25.-count Bern
storff, the German ambassador to tho
United States characterized as absurd
today stories cabied from abroad
charging that German officers had
stripped and searched American wor-
en-. The ambassador was shown
storles which said that American
women, whose names were withheld,
had been publicly humiIiated In this
way.
"such stories are too absurd 70
warrant notice." the ambassador de-
cIared.
When asked regarding the reports
of alleged German atrocities toward
BeIaian non-eembatants the ambassa.
dor said:
~ have carefully refrained until
now from making public the advices
! have received from ns, government.
which show definitely the outrageous
conduct Of many Of the Belgian civil
!ians. But Germany 10 prepared to
prove that Belgian civilians mutilated
German wounded and dead They
fired on the Red Cross carrying
wounded and generally committed
wanton atrocities.
"rhat is the reason why some Bel
gian non-eombatants have been exc
cuted by the military authorities"
The ambassador said that he was
entirely without any information from
his government today regarding the
Developments In the war. He stated
that he had been unable TO obtain any
adviees by wireless.