Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-09-24
STORIES OF GERMAN ATROCITIES NOT
PROVED, SAYS AMERICAN WRITER

UPON lie uESl GSILuSH 1uFdUSIS- Inc
inference that the shooting was done
by Belgian civilians may have in
famed the 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
mans and English on the previous
Sunday, was riddled with rife shots.
The small number OF windows intact
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-
concealed themselves in the houses
had fired first upon the Germans.
News of Incident Goes Far.
Il 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 it seemed an I'M
answerable reproach to the whole
German empire.
With this one possible exception, l
or oil los n
Binche, Buissiere, or Soire-sur-Sam-
bre, or any Of the other towns l
visited, a single incident of mistreat-
ment or any sort by German officers
or soldiers.
particularly the lower
part of the city-had been virtually
destroyed by a 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.
Rureomaster Denies Reports.
Into this town 80 French killed
and more than a hundred wounded
were brought in a 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 discredft 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 ]. 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 on
account Of their vagueness or because
it is impossible to weigh the provoca-
ton. 1t is known, for instance, that
112 natives we're killed in Renouchamp,
not far from Ardennes; German sol
diers say that they were killed be-
cause they fired upon them from the
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 its univer-
sfty is by this time well known. The
German version of this is that the in
! habitants, under the direction of the
burgomaster, established themselves
in the church, where they also in
stalled a machine gun. They proceed
cd f0 q with doo61u
fire.
''The BelgYuns say, on the other
/ hand, that part of the German army,
mistaking one Of their own retiring di-
visions for the enemy, opened fire
upon them, whereupon, deluded into
thinking this an assault by Belgian
civilians, the Germans RACED the city.
81 have not been able to acquire any
direct evidence in regard to these last
two instances, but the explanation gen.
orally credited by disinterested per-
! sons is that the Belgians, who had laid
down their arms, according to the bur-
! gomaster's proclamation on the en-
! trance of the enemy, took them up
again when it looked as if the Ger
mans we're retreating from the town,
and opened fire from their windows
upon retiring German train.
Jarotzsky Tells Outraoes.
"The most authoritative German de-
NAL of German offense comes from
| Maj Gen. Thaddeus Won Jarotzsky,
military governor of Brussels, who in
| formed me that in numerous cases he
had been received with pretense of
friendliness by Belgian civilians, who
later fired upon the German soldiers
| from windows and from between the
! roof tiles. This was done, he said,
! after a declaration of surrender by the
! burgomaster and a proclamation warn
ing the citizens against any show of
! resistance.
I'm such violations of the rules of
war, the general said, he punished the
offender by burning the houses from
| which the shots were fired.
q can only say that in every case
J of reported outrage or reprisal which