Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-02
GERMAN VIOLENCE
NOT WANTON, SAYS
AMERICAN IN DIARY
Bicyclist, Following Armies
Trail, Minimizes Reports
of Atrocities Captured by
Both Sides.

troops OF prisoners and inhabitants OF
conquered territory in the European war
presented in the diary of Arthur NJ.
Sweetser, OF Boston, a young American
newspapcrman who has been invostigat-
ing conditions in the field of war on his
own initiative and from a standpoint APP
parently free from prejudice
His diary which has been forwarded
TO friends in New York. gives vivid i'm
preston OF the difficulties and dangers
which foreigner faces in following the
armies with much first-hand information
of affairs in the camps of the opposed
forces
Mr.. Sweetscr succeeded in getting from
Paris to Lille, and, later, In pushing by
bicycle. followed the route of the German
army. He was Captured by the Germans,
and later ny the French, who held him
for time as Il spy. He lived several
Gays with only crusts of bread to eat
and was at one time for more than "a
hours without water.
His conclusion regarding tho conduct OF
the invading Germans is that. although
some barbaTities doubtless were COM
mitted. they were no more than were to
bt expected In the trail of a war-mad
host. and no more than those of which
combatants on the other side have been
guilty. What wrong has been done, he
says. was strictly against orders and un-
der penalty OF being shot His diary also
been inflicted upon German soldiers by
BelgIans. of which he learned from
surgeon who had seen the injured men
themselves.
WARS CORY MEANING.
] In the diary a sense OF the meaning Of
b war is given in picture OF battlefield
after the fight:
suddenly topped the crest of a par
ticularly steep hill. There before me lay
ali the awful relics of a struggle between
the Germans and Yorkshire regiment.
It was the battlefield of Catcau. where of
1900 Englishmen 500 were left dead,
wounded or prisoners only two days be-
fore. Beyond rose a slope, whence the
German artillery wrought its carnage.
Near me stood two angry field pieces,
sullen and still defantly facing the Ger
man position. which the British had left
behind in their retreat.
"Zig-zaggirG here and there through
the fields were the ugly scars of British
trenches Some of them were almost as
deep as mans height, while others were
Just hastily scraped-up mounds of earth
All sorts of refuse cuttered them. and
brought to mind the men who had man
ned them.
What a carnage it must have been!
For only eight hours ii lasted. but it was
nearly the final battle for that regiment
for the few who survived were rushed
to Paris to recuperate against the siege
of the capital Fresh-nade graves
SCARED the fields on all Sides
At St. Quentin Mr.. Swcetser fell in with
German forces and had an opportunity
of talking with English prisoners, who
told him how their conquerors had placed
them in the front line of battle:
"In a small back yard ! found about |
$50 English and 200 French who had been
captured nearby Their sergeant told
me tales of utmost horror swearing on
his honor that the Germans had marched |
them as prisoners at the head of the |
column right into the face of the British |
guns. For three days, he said the Ger |
mans had not given them food, and only |
few of the men had been able to get |
anything from the French outside.
GERMAN VIOLENCE NOT WANToN. |
Continuing the discussion of the stories |
OF barbarity, Mr.. sweetser says:
"Thc French call the Germans les bar |
bares savages, murdercrs of children !
and violatOrs of women, In France, how |
ever, / must say | have seen little of |
this The Germans have brought misery, |
suffering and starvation; but as for wan |
ton damage and brutality, there does not |
seem TO be more than must be expected |
from hostile army of nondescrpt men |
drunk with the lust of battle. Undoubt- !
edly cases of brutality have occurred, |
but wholly, | believe, at least in France, |
against orders and under threat of being .
Bhot."
A few days later Mr.. Sweetser was ar
rested and was allowed to so about only |
under the guard OF two German bicycle !
scouts. They were stopped on the road !
By a woman hunting for her children, !
who had been visiting with a relative at |
q nearby village. They found a bicycle |
for her and took her under their protec- |
tion.
THE sACKING OF sENLIs.
Pushing on the next day. the three
came to senlis which the Germans had |
occupied:
IAN the splendid houses leading to it |
were shut and unoCcuped and many |
Showed signs Of having been broken into. |
Before some We're mattresses and piles |
of straw where soldiers had slept, and /
chairs tables and furniture pulled out, |
Heavens knows why The heart OF the |
city We found still blazing a pretty |
station already lay in cindeTs but the |
big Hotel du Nord and most Of the /
houses along the main street were burn |
ing merrily. Indeed IL was so hot that |
we could scarcely pass by them. II was |
a terrible thing 10 look upon this useless |
destruction Of an undef nded city. 1t was |
done, the Germans claimed as punish |
ment for Illegal resistance by the civil |
ians.
The shopping district was the widest |
scene OF disorder Here in places there /
was calm, deliberate looting. A shoe |
everything had been pulled from the walls /
and piled knee-deep on the floors till it |
bulged out through the door on the street |
An incessant stream OF German soldiers |
filed in and out. kicking over the goods |
till they found what they wanted. Other |
shops stood equally open.
FINALLY II came time for supper and |
sleeping. My two friends conveyed me to
the best residential section selected the |
handsomest mansion they could find and /
proceeded at once 10 make themselves at /
home. Every door and window was .
locked and every nook and corner |
searched for possible enemies Then we |
set about 10 get dinner. II was a beau
tiful house and splendidly equipped. A .
wine cellar yielded the choicest vintages |
while wood for a fire potatoes, preserves
and other food were found in abundance |
My friends being good cooks, prepared .
dinner. We served il in a beautiful ma
hogany dining room. under the light Of a /
handsome centre drop shade and two old |
candelabras on the mantelpiece. Ma /
danes finest table fittings gave it tone,