The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-09-22
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 tina Germans to reprisals.
In that neighborhood four houses
had been burned and one was still
ablaze as l passed on Wednesday,
Aug. 26.
This town of Merbes-le- Chateau,
which had been the scene of an unim-
portant skirmish between the Ger
Sunday, was rlddled with rifle shots.
The small number of windows intact
showed that the Germans had made
deliberate assault upon the residents
of 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.
81 have emphasized the one fatality
of the noncombatant 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 CHASTITY and in
human details until 1t seemed an I'M
answerable reproach to the whole
German empire.
with this one possible exception, l
did not encounter in Nivelles, in
Binche, Buissiere, or Soire-sur-Sam-
bre, or any of the other towns 1
visited, 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.
Burgomaster Denies Reports.
Into this town 100 French killed
and more than a 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 j. Thompson, American
consul at Aachen, visited Liege during
and after the capture of the forts. 1t
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 investigation, either or
account of their vagueness or because
it is impossible to weigh the provoca
ton. 1t is known, for instance, thai
112 natives were killed in Renouchamp
not far from Ardennes; German sol
diers say that they we're killed be
cause they fired upon them from thu
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 it's univeI
, sity is by this time well known. TIL
: German version of this is that the in
habitants, under the direction of tn
burgomaster, established themselve
, in the church, where they also in
: stalled machine gun. They proceed
+ ed to greet the Germans with deadl
+ fire.
y "The Belgians say, on the othe
q hand, that part of the German army
= mistaking one of their own retiring d
\ visions for the enemy, opened fir
: upon them, whereupon, deluded int
\ thinking this an assault by Belgia
+ civilians, the Germans RACED the cit!
q 81 have not been able to acquire an
n direct evidence in regard to these las
O two instances, but the explanation gel
4 orally credited by disinterested pc
sons is that the Belgians, who had lai
down their arms, according to the Blu
v gomaster's proclamation on the e.
d trance of the enemy, took them U
= again when it looked as if the &c
# mans were retreating from the tow
q and opened fire from their window
# upon retiring German train.
l. Jarotzsky Tells Outrages.
II "The most authoritative German d
4 NAL Of German offense comes fro
e Mai. Gen. Thaddeus Won Jarotzsk
je military governor Of Brussels, who
u. formed me that in numerous cases
If had been received with pretense
d friendliness by Belgian civilians, wi
later fired upon the German soldie
,e from windows and from between Il
,e roof tiles. This was done, he sal
,e after a declaration of surrender by t
at burGomaster and proclamation wal
ing the citizens against any show
resistance.
is 'In such violations of the rules
ir war. the general said, he punished t
lie offender by burning the houses fro
is which the shots were fired.
,e. 81 can only say that in every ca
re of reported outrage or reprisal viii