Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-13

i H"FFfiN+
London. May ls.-viscount Bryce.
| former British ambassador at Wash
ington. and now chairman of a spe-
cial government committee appointed
to investigate ana report on "out-
RACES alleged TO have been committed
by German troops during the present
war; has submitted the report OF the
committee to Premier Asquth.
The document is considered as pro-
badly the most severe arraignment
thus far made OF the German milf
tary sweep across Belgium. mainly be-
cause of the position OF Viscount
Bryce as d historian and also be-
cause of the care with which the in
vestlgation was made, the great num-
ber Of witnesses whose testimony was
examined. and the mass of evidence
now submitted with the report OF the
committee,
Associated with Lord Bryce on the
committee were Sir Frederick Pol
lack, Sir Edward Clarke Sir Alfred
Hopkinson. II. A. l.. Fish. vice chan
cellor Of the University. Of Sheffield;
Harold Cox and Kenelm H. Dighy.
The committee waa appointed By
fpfamiar Asqutth on 1aHuafy gs last.
/ and WIS given broad Instructions 20
investigate alleged outrages, the
maltreatment of civilians. and breaeh-
os Of law and established usages OF
war"
The most important findings of the
committee are summed up in the
following conclusion at the close OF
the report.
III win be seen that the commit
tee have come TO a definite conclu-
sion upon each Of the heads under
which the evidence has been classified
1T Is proved:
"First-~That there were in many
parts of Belgium deliberate and sys-
tematically organized nassacres of
the civil population. accompanied by
many isolated murders and other out
RACES
"Second-1hat in the conduct OF the
war generally innocent civilians, both
men and women, were murdered In
large numbers, women violated and
children murdered
"Third--That lootng. house-burn-
Ing, and the wantOn destruction OF
property were ordered and counten-
anced by the officers OF the German
army that elaborate provision had
been made for systematic ineendiar-
ism at the very outbreak of the war
and that the burning and destruction
were frequent where no military me-
cessity could be alleged, being indeed
part Of system OF general terroriza-
tion.
'Fourth--That the rules and
usages OF war were frequently brok-
en-, particularly by the using of civil
ians, including women and children,
as "a shield for advancing forces ex-
nHCal n firn IN "A 1aec hxy tr
ing the wounded and prisoners, and
in the frequent abuse of the Red
Cross and the white flag.
Sensible az they are of the gravity
Of these conclusions. the committee
that they would be doing
less than their duty IL they failed to
record them as fully established by
the evidence. Murder. lust and pil-
lage prevailed over many parts Of
Belgium on u scale unparalleled in
any war between civilized nations DUR
ing the last three centuries
"Our function Is ended when we
have stated what the evidence es-
but we may be permitted TO
express our belief Tint these disclos-
ures Will not have been made in vain
II they touch and rouse the conscience
Of mankind and we venture to hope
that as soon as the present war is
over, the nations OF the world In
council viii consider what means can
be provided and sanctions devised TO
prevent the recurrence of such hor-
rors as our generation Is now Wit
Messing
The report makes an official docli-
nent Of sixty-one printed pages or
upwards Of $4,000 words accompa-
MED by maps, showing the various
routes Of the army and the chief
scenes Of desolation. 1t states az the
)utset that 1900 witnesses have been
Examined, the denositions being taken
)y examiners OF legal knowledge and
experience. though without authority
% administer an oath The examin-
srs were instructed not to lead the
witnesses and TO seek TO bring out the
ruth by cross.examination and other
wise The committee submits alb
itracts from number Of diaries taxi
N from the German dead, chiefly
ierman soldiers and in some cases
officers.
I'VE began the inquiry with doubts
whether a positive result would be
says the report. But the
further we went and the more cyl
lence we examined. so much more
was our skeptlcism reduced. There
might be some exaggeration in one
possible delusion in another,
in a third. When. how
'ver. we found that things which at
first seemed improbable We're testified