Evening star., 1915-06-07
Accusation That Civilians
Arose En- Masse Against
/ Teuton Invader Disputed.
CHALLENGES WHITE BOOK
PUBLISHED IN BERLIN
King Altcrt's Legation Here Renews
Assertion of Atrocities Commit
ted by Kaisers Troops.


Gently published German White Book
regarding the people of Belgium are
not supported by facts. but are merely
unconfirmed statements, is the gist of
the reply authorized by the Belgian le-
cation here. The German White Book
was published attempted refuta-
tion of the charges made by Belgium
of atrocities inflicted by the German
soldiers during their invasion of Bel
GUM. md particularly against the civ
Han population
Particular attention is given to the
charge by Germany that the Belgian
civilian population rose en- masse
against the German invaders, organized
hands of franc tireurs, and that the
Belgian government gave free rein to
the passions of the population" The
Belgians point to the official proclama-
ton of their government. distributed
throughout the country. warning the
people not to commit hostile acts
against the German soldiers as proof
that the Belgian government did not
incite the civil population to take up
arms against the Germans.
Legation Statement.
The Belgian legations statement fol-
lows:
The American newspapers have pub
lished extracts from Il German White
Book. in which the German government
accuses the Belgian civilian population
of having risen ell masse and taken
arms against the invaders. and of hav
ing organized corps of franc tireurs.
The German government also claims,
in this document. that the Belgian
government gave free rein to the pas
Sions of the population and alleges that
Belgium's accusations against the Ger
man army were invented to hide her
own crimes.
NO proof is brought forward to sup
port these accusations.
"Affirmations without proof cannot
efface facts duly proven and estab-
liShed
AT the beginning of the war the Bel
gian government issued the following
procla ma tions. the text of which was
reproduced among the documents pub
lisfed by the Belgian commission of in
Quiry.
. l. y circular of Mr.. Berryer, min
lister of the interior, addressed, under
date of August 4, 1914, simultaneously
to 200 communes of Belgium, by
telegraph. reminding the population
that acts of hostility against the in
vader were reserved exclusively to the
army. the civil guard and corps of
volunteers regularly organized. Por-
tlO0s OF TINS ClrCulaF are borrowed
textually from The Hague convention,
such. for example. as the portion con-
corning the population of a territory
spontaneously taking up arms on the
approach of invaders, which faithfully
reproduces article of the regulations
annexed to The Hague convention.
In notice from the same min
lister inserted daily in the newspapers
and publicly posted in the larger part.
81 not in all of the commupes of
hQ Try in ha ri 1art (,f
This notice advised the civilian popula-
fion to abstain carefully from any act
of hostility against the foreign troops
and characterized as both criminal
and imprudent any act of violence
committed by "a single civilian
'In the majority of communes. the
local authorities repeated this official
warning in the form of notices or
communal orders duly posted on the
walls and other public places. Similar
rotices were still posted upon the walls
of unfortunate cities at the moment of
their destruction and pointed cut to the
German officers.