The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-13

had also shot, Two civilians we're shot
| at once"
We may now sum up and endeavor
to explain the character and siGnifca nee
Of the wrongful acts done by the Ger
man army In Belgium.
| II a line is drawn on q map from the
Belgian frontier to Liege and continued
to Charleroi. and a second line drawn
rom Liege to Malines, a sort OF figure
resembling an Irregular Y will be
formed. It IL along this 7 that most Of
the systematic Gas opposed to isolated)
outrages we're committed. II the period
from August Z to August 80 Is taken It
will be found to cover most Of these or
sanised outrages. Termonds and Alost
extend. II IL true, beyond the Y lines and
they belong to the month OF September.
Murder, rape, arson and pillage began
from the moment when the German
army crossed the frontier. For the first
fortnight Of the war the towns and vii
lagos near Liege were the chief suf-
ferers. From the 18th OF August to the
end OF the month outrages spread in
the directions OF Charleroi and Malines
and reach their period Of greatest in
tensity. There 10 q certain significance
In the fact that the outragcs round
Liege coincide with the unexpected re-
sistance Of the Belgian army In that dis
trict and that tho slaughter which
reigned from the 18th OF August TO the
end OF the month Ia contempora neous
with the period when the German a-my's
need for a quick passage through Bel
gium at all costs WAS deemed impera-
tive.
Here let q distinction be drawn BE-
tween two classes Of outrages.
Individual acts OF brutality-lN
t1Aa tV,n pt n n1 IN nttrndAP
the like---were very widely committed.
These are more numerous and mora
shocking than would be expected In war
fare between civilized Powers. but they
difYer rather in extent than In kind from
what has happened In previous though
not recent wars.
In all wars many shocking and out
rageous acts must be expected. for In
every large army there must be pro-
portion OF men Of criminal instincts
whose worst passions are unloosed by
the immunity which the conditions OF
warfare afford Drunkenness. more
over. may turn even a soldier who has
no criminal habits into brute. who
may commit outrages At which ne would
himself he shocked In his sober mo-
ments, and there IL evidence that intoxi-
cation was extremely prevalent among
the German army. both IN Belgium ana
In France. for plenty Of wine was IN ne
found in the villages and country houses
which were pillaged. Many Of the worst
outragcs appear TO have been perpe-
,rated by men under the influence OF
drink. Unfortunately little seems to
have been done 10 repress this source "
danger.
No Precedent in History.
In the present war. however-and
this IL the gravest charge against the
German army---the evidence shows that
the killing OF non-combatants was car
ried out to an extent for which no previ-
Gus war between nations claiming to be
civilized Cfor such cases as the atroc'-
ties perpetrated by the Turks on the
Bulga rian Christians in 1876 and on the
Armenian Christians in 1895 and 1895
DO not belong 20 that category fur
nlshes any precedent That this killing
was done as part OF deliberate plan II
clear from the facts hereinbefore set
forth regarding Louvain, Aerschot, d.
nant and other towns. The killing was
done under orders In each place. 1t be-
gan at a certain fxed date and stopped
(with some few exceptons) at another
nxed date. Some OF the officers who
carried out the work did II reluctantly
and said they were obeying directions
from their chiefs The same remarks
apply To the destruction Of property
House burning was part OF the pro-
gramme. and villages, even largo parts
OF city. were given to the flames as
part OF the terroriz!ng policy.
Citizens OF neutral States who visited
Belgium In December and January re-
port that the German authorities do not
deny that non-combatants were sys-
tematlcally killed in large numbers dur
ing the first weeks OF the INVASION and
this 80 far as We know. has never been
officially denied. II IL were denied the
flight and continued voluntary exile of
Thousands 81 Belgian refugees would 60
far TO contradict a denial. for there 10
no historical parallel in modern times
for the flight of large part OF a nation
before an Invader
The German Government have. how
ever. sought TO Justify their seventies or
the grounds OF military necessity and
have excused them as retaliation for
cases In which civilians Hred on German
troops. There may have been cases IN
, which such firing occurred but no proof
, has ever been given or to our knowledge
attempted To be given Of such cases nor
OF the stories of shocking outrages per
pe,rated by Belgian men ard women or
German soldiers.
. The Inherent improhability OF the Ger
. man contention Is shown by the fac
: that after the first few days Of the In
vasion every possible precautton haf
been taken by the Belgian authorities
, hy way Of placards and handbills u
warn the civilian population not TO In
tervene IN hostlities. Throughout Rel
gum steps had been taken 10 secure
the handing over OF all firearms In thu
: possession of civilians before the Ger
I man army arrived. These steps wer'
: sometimes taken by tho police anC
sometimes by the military authorities.
Pricats often Accused.
Z The invaders appear to have pro
$ ceeded upon the theory that any chanc
1 shot coming from an unexpected piac
was fired by civilians. One favorit
2 form uf this allegation was that priest
s had fred from the church tower II
= many instances the soldiers OF the al
. lied armies used church towers AM
y private houses as cover for their oper
, a,ions. At Aerschot. where he Bel
X gian soldiers were stationed In tn
E church tower and fred upon the Ger
u mans rs they advanced, II was AT ono
n alleged by the Germans when they en-
I tered the town. and with difficulty dis
= proved, that the firing had come fror
civilians Thus one elementary erro
a creeps at once into the German argu
4 ment, for they were likely 10 confount
n and did In some instances certainl
: confound. legitimate military operation
q with the hostile intervention OF civil
+ ians.
a Troops belonging TO the same arm
n often FIRE by mistake upon each othel
That the German army was no eXcer
ton to this rule Is proved not only h