Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-10-07
HORRORS OF The WAR AS SEEN BY
CORRESPONDENT ON BATTLEFIELD

.
which month ago was the pride of
the district. Then it had a fine collec-
ton of Flemish pictures, now the en-
frances, corridors, and various rooms
are mass of charred woodwork, with
here and there head of statuette or
plaster cast left. One of the chiefs
of the gallery came in while l was
there and gazed at the wreck of the
place which had been his life's pride.
With clenched fists he cried, 'Canaille
Canaille'
The Wrongs of the People.
"Termonde is a city of ghosts 1t
seemed impossible that street after
street of crumbling ruins could week
before have been a busy, pleasant,
prosperous Belgian town. There was
the church of the Benedictine fathers
with the roof off and the interior
Quilted and burnt. All that was left of
a massive oak door were the iron
hinges. Still standing in place was
the religious statuary, which had been
deliberately shattered with the butts
of rifles before the place was set on
fire l noticed the figures at the sta
lions of the cross with the heads of
Mary, the Christ and the attendant
crowds smashed in.
"Melle and Termonde are typical OF
a large part of the country, but there
are exceptions. In some places the
German soldiers carried out their or
~
reluctance and did no more than they
were ordered to do. Apart from burn
ing houses they behaved with mercy
and kindness. In other places l
found that the troops and followed the
burning with policy of deliberate
outrage-a policy which | believe the
German people, if they could under
stand it, would repudiate and de-
nounce.
''The most painful side of the bust
ness was the innumerable accounts Of
wholesale outrages against women,
young girls and even children. One
responsible official told me of some of
the horrors and he was almost in tears
as he spoke. of these cases, he said,
we can tell, but of most of them we
can never learn anything. Often out
rage was followed by murder and Of
ten, too, woman hides her shame
The Policy of Terrorism.
Where does the responsibility for
these doings lie? They are the direct
outcome Of the policy of the German
general staff, which decided on pol
icy of terror. 1t should be known that
soldiers employed in burning and loot
ing are bound in part to get out of
hand and follow the burning and loot
ing with outrages that make all hui
mainly recoil But the Germans have
defeated their own purpose. Out Of
the grief agony and loss of the little
people a new nation is arising. Two
months ago Belgium lacked unity and
apparently all those great, inspiring
forces which make a race supreme.
Germany has given her these. The
people are being made great and
strong by suffering.
CAS- l went among the Belgian ar
mics during my journey / saw soldiers
often poorly armed, unsuitably dressed
and not over well organized resisting
great German regiments and my heart
went out to them. CHEEKY and I'M
afraid, the officers and men greeted
one everywhere. 1t was splendid be-
yond words.
Now Winter Is at Hand.
"I wish | could say something that
would bring home to the sympathetic
and kindly American people the real
need of Belgium. Today tens of thous-
ands are still living torn from their
homes and in sore distress. England
is looking after many, but vast num-
bers remain without shelter, with lit
tie food and with everything gone.
Winter is on them and unless some
thing is done the frosts and SHOWS of
the coming weeks, the lack of food and
the absence of clothing will complete
the work the Germans began.
81 may seem to speak strongly. |
tell you that any decent man who saw
the saturnalia of cruelty and passion
in that devastated land could not well