The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-09-22
WANT r CTS
MADE KNOWN
BELGIAN CRUELTY WAS THE
CAUSE OF DESTRUCTION
OF LOUVAIN
LETTER EXPLAINS
Communication Sent From Ger.
man Official Tells cf Cond;-
tions Troops Encountered

New York. Sept. l8.-Adolph f.
Eruencn. formerly secretary to the
German cmbacsy at Washington, who
now is at Genoa. Italy. has sent to Il
relative here the following communi-
cation from DR.. A. r NJ. Zimmerman.
icriian under secretary OF foreign af-
airs. with the Information that the
ierman government requested that II
cc give, publicity:
berlin, August 30,1914.
Official Communication of the Ger
man General Staff:
'.hc city Of LOewcn ULouvain) had
surrendered and was given over to us
oy the Eclgian authorities On Mon
'ay. A"guat ~. some of our troops
we're shipncd there. and intercourse
With the ini.abitantc was developing
lutte friendly.
"On Tmcadny afternoon, August %.
,lr troops. hearing about an immi-
nent B''gian soriio from Antwerp.
left in that direction. the command
,ng general ahead In motor car. leay
ng behind only colonel with soil
liers 20 protect the railroad. Az the
rest Of the commanding generals staff
with the horses was going to follow
and collected on tho market place,
suddenly rifle fire opened from all the
surrounding houses, ALL the horses
being killed and five officers wounded,
one OF them seriously
about ten different places in town. al
so on some of our troops just arrived
and waiting on the square In front OF
the station and on incoming military
trains. Two priests caught handing
out ammunition to the people were
shot in front of the station.
Street fight lated till Wednesday.
The 26th In the afternoon t24 hours),
when stronger forces arrived. In the
meantime succeeded in getting the up
per hand. Town and northern suburb
wore burning at different places and
by tllts time have probably burned
down, ultogetier. M
"On the part of the Belgian, govern
ment q general rising of the popula-
tion agalns. the enemy had been or
gan:zed for ,.loNg time; depots, of
arms we're tteshd where Ito each gun
WAS attached tile name OF the citizen
70 he armed,
"a spontaneous rising OF the peo-
pie has been recognized. Mt the re-
quest OF the smaller stntes, ut Tho
Hague conference, as being within the
law OF nations. as far as weapons are
carried openly and the laws OF civiliz-
cd warfare arc being observed, but
cuch rising was only admitted In Dr-
der to fight the attacking enemy. !.
In the5 case OF LOewen tile town
had already surrendered. tile town be-
ing occupied by our troops. Never
theless. the population attacked on all
sides antr with nurlerous fire the
occupying toices and newly arriving
troops.
Therefore. there ca ben no no
Qtestion or means of defense allowed
'by the law or nations. neither OF a.
warlikc guet.apens (ambush) bit only
of n agtreacherous attempt OF the civil
population, the more TO he condemn-
cd, as 1t apparently was planned long
beforehand with simultaneous at.
tack from Antwerp. rs arms were not
cvarried openly ns wonfen And young
girls took part In tho ffght ana blind-
ed our wounded sticking their eyes
out. s ;l ailae.-s
The barbarous attitude OF the Bel.
CLAN population In all parts occupied
by our troops not only has jusfitieti
our seyerest measures, but forced
them on 9us for the snke OF self pres
ervation Tho Intensity OF the rehist-
nnce OF the population Is shown by
the fact that In l1cswens "a hours were
iecessafy to break down Their attack.l
We ourselves regret deeply that DUR
Ing these fights tho town or Loewen8
has been destroyed to q great extent,
Needless to say those are not intan-1