The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-09-05
BURNING OF LoUvATN.
Story of the Horrors as Told by Rich
ard Harding Davis.

Rlchard Harding Davis, who narrowly |
escaped with his life after being impris-
0hed by the Germans four days on sus-
plclon OF being spy, gives in the Bos-
ton Globe the first account of the burn
ing OF the Belgian city of Louvian and
It's cause IS given by the German who
ordered its destruction. We use some
OF the important paragraphs as follows:
For two hours on Thursday night |
was in what for 600 years had been
the city OF Louvain. The Germans were
burning IT, and to hide their work kept
Us locked IN the railroad carriages Butt
the story was written against the sky, /
was told to us by German soldiers inco-
hefent with excuses; and we could read
It IN the faces of women and children
being led to concentration camps and of
citizens on their way to be shot
The Germans sentenced Louvain on
Wednesday TO become a wilderness. and
with the German system and love of
thoroughness they left Louvain an
empty, blackened shell. The reason for
this appeal to the torch and the execu-
ton OF n0n-combatants, as given to me
on Thursday morning by General Won
LutWltz, military governor of Brussels,
was this: ""On Wednesday while the
German military commander of the
troops IN L0uvain was at the Hotel de
Vile talking to the burgomaster, SON
CT the bnrgOmaster with an automatic
pistol shot the chief of staff and Ger
man staff surgeons. :" 4
- LutNltZ claims this was the signal
for the civil guard in civilian clothes ON
roofs, to fire upon the German soldiers
III the open square below. He said also
the Belgians had quick firing guns
brought from Antwerp. AS for ii week
the Germans had occupied Louvain and
closely guarded all approaches, the story
that there was any gunrunning is alb
surd.
Fifty Germans were killed and
wounded. Fer that, said Lutwitz. Lou
vain must be wiped out. So in panto-
mine with his fist he swept the papers
across the table.
The Hotel de Vile, - he added,
was beautiful building; it is Il pity
it must be destroyed. -
- Money cannot ever restore Louvain.
And its people : handiwork belonged to
the world. With torch and dynamite the
Germans have turned their masterpieces
into ashes and all the Kaiser 5 horses
amt all his men cannot bring them
bdfk again.
We were not allowed to speak to
any citizen Of Lonvain. but the Germans
crowded the windows, boastful, gloat-
my. eager to interpret. We were free
10 move from one eudsof the train to
he other and for the two hours during
which it circled the bnrfing city war.
was before us in its most hateful as.
Pect.
"Of 80 English prisoners all were
erect and sold,erlv. In the ocean of
gray the little patch Of men looked pitt
fully lonely. but they regarded the mem
Who had outnumbered but not defeated
them with calm but uncurious ewes.
81 In one way / was glad to see them
there. Later they will bear witness as
to how the enemy makes Il wilderness
aud calls it war.
" Outside the station in the public
square the people of Louvain passed in
uhending procession. women bareheaded
an" weeping and men carrying the chill
dren asleep on their shoulders. All were
henmed in by shadowy army of gray
wolves.
Won felt it was only nightmare.
cruel and unciviized. And then Won re-
H"mbercd that the German emperor had
told lis what it is. 1t is his holy war.