The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-09-24

saw German soldiers bring In Aroop
of franc-t!reurs, quite old fellows and
among them a few common thieves
scarcely beyond schoolboy age, all of
them with criminal faces of the hard
est type. Pity that we did not pho
tograph them SO that the world might
see what hldeous scamps are killing
our men.
Mutiiated Wounded
what did these men do? demand
ed an officer. They put on Red Cross
scarfs, then went on the battlefield
and muitlated our wounded. We
caught them in the act, was the re-
ply. Why didn't you beat the scoun
drels to death at once? We dare not
do that. They must be brought be-
fore court martial
The reader should know what was
the character of this mutiatlon. The
eyes Of our wounded men lying help
less in their pain on the battlefield
were cut out with knives. But this
was not by far the most cruel thing
these beasts invented. Old and young
men and women were caught as hye,
mas Of the battlefield and they re-
Ceived thG.r reward.
AT Vie 16 year old girl had to
be shot because she was caught in
the act of mutilating our wounded.
There is no mercy for such deeds
and there can be none. / should
like to know what other people in
the world possesses the self restraint
in the presence OF such shameful
crlmeV to wait and bring the Grim
inals before regular court.
Beyond all doubt this franc tireur
warfare against us was organized
Otherwise it would be impossible to
explain the uniform character of the
mutilations, attacks on field hospit-
ais, where physicians, the wounded
and even the nurses fell victims of
these predatory rasacls; in the at
taCho IA Nhld6Co anu SitiCob thC oaiS
tactics were repeated over and oves
again. Suddenly the entire village is
in possession of arms and in two
cases even of machine guns.
Arms Distributed by Priest
in Etalie, between Arlon and Sc.
dan, the priest was caught in the act
OF distributing arms and ammunition
to his parishioners. In Clermont, on
the other hand, the priest tried in
vain to dissuade the citizens from lis
tening to the mayor, who was giving
them arms and instigating them to
fall on the Germans from ambush.
But even where the people fired from
the rear on our columns as they
marched through we did not make
the whole village responsible, but
only stormed and burned the houses
from which shots were fired.
"In Herve, Fleron and other vii
lagos there are houses standing be
tween others that were burnt down.
On their doors are written in chalk,
such words as these:
House searched, everything is in
good order, good people, spare them;
inmates absent, spare house; hus-
band is soldier in the field, spare
house.
such chivalry is practiced towards
an absent enemy. Inhabitants OF
houses, which did not rise against us
are enjoying security. Our landwehr
men, billeted upon the inhabitants,
sit before their doors and chat with
them, or play with their children, and
think doubtless, of those they left at
home. | saw one of our soldiers feed
ing the stock of the lonely woman
with whom he lodged. Another held
the baby in order that its mother
| might do the cooking.
"Such are the Germans here in
hostile country, good natured and
ready to help. What villainies must
have been committed to convert the
good fellows into raging avengers of
| their fallen ana mutilated comrades,
| Certainly it was not the Will of our
soldiers that death and fire should
hold carnival in the houses of civil
ians. What they did they can answer
for, and so can the German nation
answer for its sons bearing them
selves with honor in this war"
Explains louvain Affair
An official German statement on
the destruction of Louvain says.