Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-09-24

oy Belgian civilians may have in
named the Germans to reprisals.
In that neighhorhood four houses
Rad been burned and one was still
ablaze as / passed on Wednesday.
Aug. 26.
This town of Merbesle-C Chateau,
which had been the scene of an unim-
portant skirmish between the Ger
mans and English on the previous
Sunday, was riddled with rife shots.
The small number OF windows intact
showed that the Germans had made a
deliberate assault upon the residents
or the town. But the inhabitants
themselves admitted that all OF the
shooting had been done by com
paratively small number of Germans,
and that the firing had not been be-
gun until English soldiers who had
concealed themselves In the houses
had fired first upon the Germans.
News Of Incident Goes Far.
I have emphasized the one fatality
OF the noneombatant because the
news OF it travelled up and down the
Sambre and across to Hantes-Wiberie
and Soire-sur-sambre. multiplying as
it went and developing ghastly and in.
human details until 1t seemed an an
sanswerable reproach to the whole
German empire.
With this one possible exception,
did not encounter in Nivelies, in
nrh EltARC Gl4Ss Ia M
bre, or any of the other towns 1
visited, single incident of mistreat-
| ment or any sort by German officers
or soldiers. #
"Bruissiere-particularly the lower
part of the city--had been virtually
destroyed by cross fire from French
and German artillery. Tops OF brew
cries had been hurled bodily to the
ground, and walls had eith>. disap-
peared or become grotesqnely dis
| lodged.
Suraomaster Denies Reports.
Into this town 1870 French killed
and more than a hundred wounded
we're brought in single day. Au-
gust Blairiaux, burgomaster, said that
he knew of no cases OF German cruel
ties, except distant rumors which he
had learned to discredit. It ought to
be said to the credit of the Belgians
that they have not allowed their bit,
terness toward the Germans to carry
them into unfair recrimination,
Robert ]. Thompson, American
consul at Aachen. visited Liege during
and after the capture of the forts. II
Is the opinion OF Mr.. Thompson that
no outrage was committed by Ger
mans during the several days fighting
| there.
There are, OF course, reported out
RACES beyond invs stigation, either or
account of their vi gueness or because
IL is impossible to weigh the provoca
ton. 1t Is known, for instance. that
l12 natives were killed in Renouchamp
not far from Ardennes; German sol
diers say that they were killed be
cause they fired upon them from thu
roofs anG windows OF the houses.
Differ on Louvaln incident.
1.-THE history of the absolute de
struction of the historic city of Lou
vain with its cathedral and It's univer
sity is by this time well known. Thu
German version of this is that the In
habitants, under the direction Of TIT
burgomaster, established themselvet
In the church, where they also in
stalled a machine gun. They proceed
ed to greet the Germans with deadl!
fire.
THE Belgians say, on the othe
hand, that part OF the German army
mistaking one OF their own retiring di
Evisions for the enemy, opened fir
Eupon them, whereupon, deluded int,
| thinking this an assault by Belgial
civilians, the Germans RACED the city
Il have not been able to acquire an.
direct evidence In regard to these las
two instances, but the explanation gen
orally credited by disinterested pei
sons Is that the Belgians, who had lai'
down their arms. according to the bur
gomaster's proclamation on the en-
trance Of the enemy, took them a
again when it looked as Ii the Ger
mans were retreating from the town
and opened fire from their window
upon a retiring German train.
JarotxsiSy Tells outrages.
THE most authoritative German dc
NAL OF German offense comes from
Mai. Gen. Thaddeus Won Jarotzsky
military governor of Brussels, who liz
formed me that in numerous cases h
; had been received with a pretense O
friendliness by Belgian civilians, VIII
later fired upon the German soldier
from windows and from between tn
roof tiles. This was done, he said
after a declaration of surrender by tn
burgomaster and proclamation war;
ing the citizens against any show @
resistance.
In such violations OF the rules @
; war. the general said, he punished tn
; offender by burning the houses fror
which the shots we're fired.
II can only say that In every cas-
} of reported outrage or reprisal whic