The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-05-13
BELGIAN KILLINGS
WERE ORDERED
SAYSBRYCE
Report Of Committee on Alleged
German Atrocities n.4a.
INNOCENT CIVILIANS MURDERED
Abundant Evidence That There
Was No military Necessity" for
Destruction of Human Life.

| Proofs OF atrocities by the German
armies in Belgium-proofs collected
| by men trained in the law and pre-
| sented with Unconditional directness
after a careful inquiry-are present.
! ed in the report OF the committee on
| Alleged German Atrocities" headed
by Viscount Bryce, the famous his
torian and formerly British ambassa-
| dor at Washington. The impressive
document of about 10000 words was
made public yesterday simultaneous
| ~ in London and Washington.
In minute detail the report sets
| forth the hundreds of cases investi-
gated, with an introduction relating
how extreme care was taken i'll get
| ting the truth. Purely hearsay evi-
dence, il is declared, was not used in
arriving at conclusions. Unsupport-
ed testimony was discounted. The
| temper. condition, and capabilities of
| the witnesses were considered close
| ly. German diaries, the committee
adds, were examined in large mum
bers and bore out the findings from
other sourees-and the diaries in all
instances were wen authenticated.
The committee, which was appoint
ed by Premier Asquith to make the
inquiry for the British government,
says in conclusion that innocent civil
lians OF both sexes and all ages have
been murdered, women violated,
property wantonly destroyed, and the
population of invaded Belgium ter
rorized by all manner of outrages,
not only through individual offenses.
but with the deliberate support of the
officers OF the German army. 1t is as
serted that the usages of civilized
warfare have been disregarded con
sistently, and with set purpose; that
civilians old and young have been
used as battleshields, Red Cross and
white flags fred upon and mutila-
tions inflicted with CHASTITY cruelty
upon men, women, and small chill
dren.
The report presents an unimpas
stoned. but at times graphic, account
of villages burned to the ground for
no cause, wholesale slaughters by
conquerors who included many ofiic-
ers and men overcome by drink, sum-
mary executions of children and bed
ridden old women, citizens burned
alive in their homes, noncombatant
crowds massacred in the streets, and
other similarly atrocions occurrences
of the war in Belgium.
A few instances trace the trend of
the tragic story told in this statisti-
cal and highly digniied official re-
port:
man was murdered while q child
sat on each of his knees. A little boy
was shot on the town green, and soon
aflerward girl and her two small
brothers We're done to death in the
same place--all for no reason. AT
,east one town. Dinant, was syste-
matically set aiire with hand gren
ades Women were attacked and
bayoneted, and in number of cases
their breasts We're cut off. Hideous
wounds were found on the bodies OF
babies lying beside the roads.
Abundant evidence is presented to
show that there were deliberate
plans for the killing of noncombat-
ants. Slaughter under orders, Is one
term the committee applies to it.
Burning and pillage were organized,
too Nor, according TO the report, is
there any proof of military necessi-
ty." though the Germans have offec-
ed thar as their excuse. The cont
mittee finds that the idea of killing
noncombatants had been instilled in
10 the German army as a whole, that
the officers foisted false stories OF
outrages committed by Belgians
against the invaders. and that, with
their minds prepared for what they
were expected to do, the soldiers be-
came filled with lust for blood and
spoils in the wake of battle.