The Ordway new era., 1914-09-25
STORIES OF GERMAN ATROCITIES NOT
Proved, SAYS AMERICAN WRITER

upon the first German invaders. The
Inference that the shooting was done
by Belgian civilians may have in
famed the Germans to reprisals.
I'm that neighborhood four houses
had been burned and one was still
sblaze as passed on Wednesday,
Aug. 26.
This town OF Merbesle-Chate
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
OF the town. But the Inhabitants
themselves admitted that all of the
shooting had been done by a 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.
Il have emphasized the one fatality
Of the noncombatant because the
news of it travelled up and down the
Sambre and acros. to Hantes- Wiberie
and Soire-sur-Sambre. multiplying as
1t went and developing CHASTITY and In
human details until 1t seemed an un-
answerable reproach to the whole
German empire.
with this one possible exception,
did not encounter in Nivelles. in
Binche, Buissiere, or Soire-sur-Sam-
bre, or any Of the other towns ]
visited, a single incident Of mistreat-
ment or any sort by German officers
or soldiers.
neutrality-suspicious. 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 either disap-
peared or become grotesquely dis
lodged.
Ruraomaster Denies Reports.
Into this town 1870 French killed
and more than hundred wounded
were 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. 1t. 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. 1t
is the opinion of Mr.. Thompson that
no -outraga-was. committed by Ger
mans during the several days fighting
there.
There are, Of course, reported out
RACES beyond investigation, either on
account of their vagueness or because
| 1t is impossible to weigh the proyoca-
tion. 1t is known, for instance. that
112 natives were killed in Renouchamp,
not far from Ardennes; German sol
diers say that they were killed be-
cause they fired upon them from the
roofs and windows of the houses.
Differ on Louvain Incident.
"The history of the absolute de-
struction OF the historic city Of Lou
vain with its cathedral and Its univer-
sity is by this time well known. The
| German version OF this Is that the in
| habitants, under the direction of the
burg6master, established themselves
! in the church, where they also in
stalled machine gun. They proceed
| ed to greet the Germans with deadly
| fire.
THE Belgians say, on the other
| hand, that part of the German army.
| mistaking one OF their own retiring d.
| visions for the enemy, opened fire
upon them, whereupon, deluded into
thinking this an assault by Belgian
| civilians, the Germans razed the city.
II have not been able to acquire any
direct evidence In regard to these last
| two instances, but the explanation gen.
orally credited by disinterested per-
(, sons is that the Belgians. who had laid
down their arms. according to the bur
| gomaster's proclamation on the en-
trance of the enemy. took them up
again when 1t looked as II the Ger
mans were retreating from the town.
and opened fire from their windows
upon a retiring German train.
Jarotxsky Tells outraees.
"The most authoritative German de-
nial of German offense comes from
Mai. Gen. Thaddeus Won Jarotzsky,
military governor OF Brussels. who in
| formed me that In numerous cases he
had been received with pretense OF
friendliness by Belgian civilians. who
later fired upon the German soldiers
from windows and from between the
roof tiles. This was done, he said.
after declaration of surrender by the
burgomaster and proclamation warn
ing the citizens against any show OF
resistance.
"In such violations OF the rules Of
war, the general said, he punished the
offender by burning the houses from
which the shots were fired.