Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-09-24
sI0RES Of GERMAN ATROCITIES NOT
PROVED, SAYS AMERICAN WRITER

famed the Germans to reprisals.
"In that neighborhood four houses
had been burned and one was still
ablaze as / passed on Wednesday,
Aug. 26.
This town of 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
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 fred first upon the Germans.
News Of Incident Goes Far.
Il have emphasized the, one fatality
of the noncombatant because the
news OF 1t travelled up and down the
Sambre and across to HantesWiberie
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,
did not encounter in Nivelles. In
Binche, Buissiere, or Soire-sur-Sam-
bre, or any OF the other towns |
visited, a single incident Of mistreat-
ment or any sort by German officers
or soldiers.
"Bruissiere-particula the lower
part OF the city--had been virtually
destroyed by cross fire from French
and German artillery. Tops of brew
ground, and walls had either disap-
peared or become grotesquely dis
lodged.
Bursomaster Denies Reports.
Into this town 100 French killed
and more than a hundred wounded
we're brought in single day. An
gust Blairiaux, burgomaster, said that
he knew of no cases of German cruel
ties, except distant rumors which he
had learned to discredit. It 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 recriminatlon.
Robert J. Thompson, American
consul at Aachen. visited Liege during
and after the capture Of the forts. L
is the opinion OF Mr.. Thompson tina
no outrage was committed by Ger
mans during the several days fghtin,
there.
There are, of course, reported out
RACES beyond NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
account OF their vagueness or becaus
1t Is impossible to weigh the provoca
ton. 1t Ia known, for instance, tina
112 natives we're killed In RenouchamI
not far from Ardennes; German so
diers say that they were killed bs
cause they fired upon them from tn
Differ on Louvain Incident.
1.-THE history OF the absolute d.
struction of the historic city OF Lol
vain with it's cathedral and its unive
sity is by this time well known. TIL
German version OF this is that the II
habitants, under the direction OF tn
burgomaster, established themselve
In the church, where they also II
stalled a machine gun. They procee,
! ed to greet the Germans with deadl
! fire.
, 1.-THE Belgians say. on the othe
, hand, that part Of the German arm.
, mistaking one OF their own retiring
visions for the enemy. opened fiji
. upon them, whereupon, deluded int
). thinking this an assault by Belgia
I civilians. the Germans RACED the cit
a 81 have not been able to acquire an
4 direct evidence in regard to these la,
> two instances. but the explanation ge
/ orally credited by disinterested pc
sons Is that the Belgians, who had la
down their arms. according to the blu
gomaster's proclamation on the e
I trance OF the enemy, took them I
/. again when 1t looked as II the &c
[ mans we're retreating from the tow
a and opened fire from their window
I upon e retiring German train.
|. Jarotzsky Telis Outrages.
4 "The most authoritative German
+ NAL of German offense comes fro
a Mai. Gen. Thaddeus Won Jarotzsk
q military governor of Brussels, who |
/. formed me that in numerous cases
( had been received with pretense
friendliness by Belgian civilians wi
later fired upon the German soldie
q from windows and from between Il
Q roof tiles. This was done, he sal
9 after a declaration OF surrender by Il
t burgomaster and proclamation war
ing the citizens against any show
resistance.
8 "In such violations OF the rules
r war; the general said, he punished Il
q offender by burning the houses fro
q which the shots were fired,
3, Il can only say that in every ca
o of reported outrage or reprisal viii