Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-11
ALLEGED GERMAN
ATROCITIES CITED
Murder, Arson and PiIIage
Among Acts Charged
Against Germans.

PROTEST TO BE VOICED
I. BY BELGIAN COMMISSION
Representatives of King Albert
Reach New York on Way Here
to See President.
NEW YORK. September ia partial
list fof, the alleged German atrocities in
Belgium. against. which the Belgian king
has. sent q protest to President Wilson,
was made public today by Count Louis
dc Lichtervelde. secretary OF the Belgian
commission bearing the protest The
commission reached this city today on its
way to Washington.
"At LAnsmeau, when the Germans en-
tered the village, two uniformed gen.
darmes attacked the Germans, Count de
'Lichtervelde said. 'In revenge the VIII
lage was invaded the night of August TO-
Two farms were destroyed. the crops
were" destroyed or carried away, six
houses were burned and all the men were
compelled to hand over their arms.
1T was found that none had been dis
charged recently, and finally the men
were separated into three attachments.
Two OF the attachments disappeared. A
third. consisting OF eleven men. was driven
at the point Of the bayonet into a ditch,
and when they were piled in the German
soldiers set upon them and beat their
brains out with the butt ends of their
rifles. The eleven battered bodies were
found later by Belgian troops.
Charge Colonel Was Murdered.
August IL. after the battle of Haelen,
Col Van Damme. commander of a Bel
sian regiment. was lying wounded on the
battlefield. He was. unable to move. Sew
eral German soldiers found him and,
placing their revolvers against his mouth,
blew his head of.
AT Boucelles, the German troops went
into battle carrying the Belgian flag.
On August 10 the German cavalry
raided the town of velen while the in
they did may be cited in the case of a
man named Deglimme. whose house was
fired and looted. He and his wife were
taken from the house half naked. He
IN another. She was released when two
miles away and told to run. When she
ran the German soldiers fred at her but
she escaped the bullets and staggered
pitiable condition. Her husband also was
released and fired upon when he ran. He
was found mortally wounded next day on
/ the road outside the town.
the statement attributed to the German
emperor, In which 1t was said that
T marsh treatment Of Belgians was made
Necessary in some cases because Belgian
lfon 6rod
Il do not see how II Is possible for a
man to lie So" Count de Lichtervelde
said.
Coming to Capital Today.
The commission set foot on American
soil here today en- route for Washington.
where they will outline their case to
President Wilson. The steamer Celtic
upon which the commission made the
TRANSATLANTIC trip. reached quarantine
last night. but did not dock until this
Until President Wilson receives the
protest no part Of the text will be made
public. according to announcement made
by the commissioners upon arrival
Their diplomatic character obliges
them" reads the announcement, for
reasons of high courtesy toward the gov
eminent of the United States. to observe
this discretion
An autograph letter from King Albert
Of Belgium to President Wilson is in the
custody Of the commission to be pre-
scented by them to the President.
The commission is composed of NJ.
Henry Carton de Wharf. minister Of JUS
tice in the Belgian cabinet, and envoy
extraordinary of the king: Messrs De
Sadeleer. Hymans and Van De Welde,
ministers of state. and Count Louis De
Lichtervelde, secretary.
Refutes Kaiser's Statement.
Members of the commission said that
as soon as they had officially presented
their protest and statement to President
Wilson they would. be free to discuss the
war situation as it relates to Belgium.
Count de Lchtervelde said:
Il have read what is said to be the
statement OF Emperor William that Bel
gian citizens fired on German soldiers.
Except in isolated cases this is not SO.
With the breaking out of the war King
Albert issued an Official proclamation.
which was distributed in large posters in
all the cities, commanding civilians to
take no part In the fighting. The same
notice was carried In the daily news
papers.
when German air craft passed over the
dropped in a government building. not
FAR from where stood. Several innocent
persons were killed"
AT the reception Of the Beigian commits,
Piarre Mali of New York, and several of
the attaches OF the consul ate met the
ceIt,c At quarantine. At the dock to well
come the commits sion was the Belgian
IYnon learning that President Wilson
void leave washington this afternoon
fnr Cornish, N H. and would not return
FIJI tuesday morning. the commissioners