The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-17
A Kiss the Worst Arocity
Seen by Reporter tn Belgium
Continued from FIRST Page.

though still under the surveillance OF
German military authorities--who, like
all Europe, are spy mad'-safe and
well and bathed and shaver at last. we
open bundles OF London newspapers In
the quiet offices OF the American Consul,
Thompson and we read column after
column OF the most narrowing and dread
ful accounts of most infamous barbarites
inflicted upon the Belgian peasantry by
German troops.
Surprised by stories.
We are aghast as we read. We turn TO
the Consul and say: What does this
mean? How is 1t that we have seen
nothing of this?" lie looks gravely back
ut us and says: IL have been reading
those things for days before you came. "
The American Consul has lived seven
years in Germany and he has carried OF
special studies concerning the volume
the nature and the effect of German i'm.
migration into America from the begin.
ming Of that immigration in Colonial
times TO the present day. The defining
OF the contributions OF German blood anc
German culture TO the life of the re.
public is a field of investigation in which
he has made himself an authority. Few
Americans know the German people hal
80 well as he docs. lie likes them and
! trusts them.
! His observation of the present war ma!
not extended into tho field. hut he IL n,
less bafned by the frantic reports iron
London than are we. whose scouting ha
taken us 10 scenes of actual operations
/ He is. and from the nature OF his posi-
ton must he. officially non-committal. T,
MS he only mods his head and says 4"
can't understand It,"
Germans Bitter at Reports
! As for the Germans both military AM
civilian, with whom we have talked 1,
Aix-la-Chapelle they are distressed ant
shamcd by the reports that are pourin
Into America via London So were tn
officers with whom we talked when W
were following tho columns. But they hi
their distress under snccrs at once stoica
and bitter
one of them said: I'VE must bear II
In two months the world will know tn
truth. We can wait"
II was In the name not alone Of justic
but Of common deccncy that the five o
US signed that round robin" this after
noon. We five are trained newspape
men. accustomed to observing, to deducln
from our observations. and to putting on
deductions into reasonably lucid Ian
guagc
We are John 7 McCutcheon and jaime
oDonncll Bennett OF tho Chicago Tribur,
Irwin $. Cobb OF the saturday Ercnin
Post, Roger Lewis Of the Associate
Press. and Harry Hansen of the Chicag
Daily N.rS.
W. have hardly been out of each 9th
ers sight for ten days. and not for
half a day have we been out of sight q
German troops.
The Worst WINS n Kiss.
The mos, terrible outrage any OF u
has seen was seen by cobb With hi
own appreciativc eyes he saw laughin
German soldier who was crossing a sire.
I'm Louvdln lean forward and imprint
kiss on the cheek Of a Belgian girl VII
was hantcriug him Tho cir prompt
slapped his face The sold or laughe
the louder. The girl began to laugh to,
Tho incident was closed cobb said
Was as quaint and merry scene
homely life as ever he saw, That Wa
week before last
Few DAYS later Louvain lost its hca,
Its civilians hrcd from ambuscade upo
German soldiers. The dead Nss tho <,
prcmo outrage against laws 1T Civilze
warfare.
The punishment was terrible, and II IN
put the fear of the Prussian god int
every Belgian city and hamlet from An
49, loo
: To-day the ancient and renowned unive
sty city Of northern Europe Hos In ashc
! The halls in which 80 many America
priests of the Roman Catholic Church a
proud 20 toll you they have studied Al
: level with the ground. II was aWfsl, bl
II was war.
Always on our march the facts rclati'
, TO the German atrocities" evaded VI
Always II was in "thc next village" tn
"A woman had been outraged, chi
: butchered or an innocent old man to
= tured Arriving at that next village
5 we could get no confirmation from q
: inhabitants.
! NO" they would say 'it did not IA
pen here but We heard That II was in q
next village. mcsslcurs."
But the next village would devcl'
= naught automatically wild stori'
c rumors hearsay. At Solro- sur Sambl
Z all around which there had been iightr
\ on Sunday and Monday. tho 23d and {
{ cath of August the burgomaster said
a us I'm the late afternoon OF Wednesday, I
2Gth: as reports come In from surroun
Ing towns ! am unable to verify the
-. rumors of cruclties perpetratei again
unarined civilians and / give no creden
TO them"
Cottage. Fired by shells.
u Let no man suppose. however IN
$ there has not been bitter business 7
O burning cottages of thu peasants pro
o that But almost every time We asked I