Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-09-26


would never tolerate if we knew it.
At Louvain. for example, ! sentenced
two soldiers to II years penal servi-
tude apiece for assaulting a woman"
Louvain Library Incident.
"Apropos of Louvain.' / remarked.
why did you destroy the library? Il
was one of the literary storehouses Of
the world"
We regretted that as much as any
one else answered the general 1t
caught fire from burning houses and
we could not save it
But why did you burn Louvain at
all?" ! asked.
Because the townspcOple fred on
our troops We actually found ma
chine guns i'm some Of the houses.
And smashing his fist down on the
table. he continued: Whenever civil
ians fire upon our troops We will
teach them lasting lesson. If women
and children insist on getting In the
way of bullets, so much the worse for
the women and children
How do you explain the lombard
ment of Antwerp by Zeppelins?" |
queried.
Explains Zeppelin Bombs.
'Zeppelins have orders to drop their
bombs only on Notifications and sol
diers," he answered
AS matter of fact" | remarked,
they only destroyed private houses
and civilians, several of them women.
If one of those bombs had dropped 200
yards nearer my hotel | wouldn't be
smoking one of your excellent cigars
today"
This is a calamity which | thank
God didn't happen"
IF you feel for my safety as deeply
as that, general" | said earnestly.
you can make quite sure Of my com
ing to no harm by sending no more
Zeppelins"
"Well,' he said laughing, I'VE will
think about it," lie continued grave
ly:
Il trust you will tell the American
people through your paper what I
have told you today. Let them hear
our side of this atrocity business. Il
is only Justice that they should be
made familiar with both sides Of the
question"
have quoted my conversation with
the general as nearly verbatim as
can remember it, | have no comments
to make. | will leave it to my readers
to decide for themselves just how con
vincing are the answers of the Ger
man general staff to the Belgian ac-
cusations.
Photographs German Army.
Before we began our conversation |
asked the general il Mr.. Thompson
might be permitted to take photo
graphs of the great army passing
Five minutes later Thompson was
whirled away in a military motor car
ciceroned by an army officer who had
attended the army school at Fort
Riley. II seems they stopped the car
light was good, and when Thompson
saw approaching regiment or bat
terry of which be wished a picture he
would tell the officer, whereupon the
officer would blow his whistle, and
the whole column would halt.
Just wait few minutes until the
dust Settles" Thompson would re-
mark, nonchalantly lighting a cigar
cite, and the Ninth imperial army,
whose columns stretched over the
countryside as far as the eye could see
would stand in it's tracks until the air
was sufficiently clear to get a picture.
Thus far the only one who has sue
ceeded in hating the German army is
this little photographer from Kansas
Show Thompson Gunnery.
AS a field battery of the Imperial
guard rumbled past. Thompson made
some remark about the accuracy Of
the American gunners at Vera Cruz.
Let us show you what our gunners
can do" said the officer. and gave an
order. There were more orders, per
feet volley of them, a bugle shrilled
HdTSHly, IHe elSUl HOTSeS blTdlutu
against their collars, the drivers
cracked their whips, and the gun left
the road, bounded across a ditch, and
swung into position In an adjacent
field.
On a knoll three miles away an
ancient windmill was beating the air
with its huge wings. The shell hit the
windmill fair and square and tore it
into splinters.
Good work." Thompson observed
critically; IF those fellows of yours
keep on they'll be able to get a job
in the American navy after the war"
In all the annals of modern war
do not believe there is a parallel to
this American war photographer halt
ing with an appraised, peremptory hand
the advancing army, leisurely photog-
rapbing regiment after regiment. and
then having a field gun of the Impe-
rial guard go into action solely to
crafty his curiosity.