Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-08-21
swiss MAID TELLS
OF WARS HORRORS
DECLARES COUNTRIES INVOLVED
MERELY WANTED EXCUSE TO
WAGE CONFLICT.
LIVED NEAR LINE
Says Germans and French Soldiers arr
Friendly; Can See no Good to
Come From Terrible
Struggle.

A rosy checked Swiss maid with a
charming accent, Miss Hubby Baumenn
Of Basel. Switzerland, in an interview
Thursday gave very interesting opin-
ion of the present European war from
a neutral standpoint. Miss Baumann
just arrived few days ago in Ottum-
wa and is a guest at the home Of her
aunt, Mrs. Conrad Alther, 3o1 Walnut
|'avenue. having come to America the
first week in November, 1914, via
Genoa on the Italian liner, Duca
d'Aosta. She is an accomplished lin
guist, speaking French, German, Swiss
and English and she handled the in
ternational correspondence for q com
mercial firm at Basel previous to COM
ing to this country, when she located at
New Haven, Conn, as language tutor
and governess.
1t seems that the Belgians, who have
had nothing but sympathy from Amer
leans. are guilty of as heartless things
as either the Germans or allies are ac-
cused Of. Miss Baumenn told pitiful
story Of native woman Of her home
town who with her German husband
and five small sons lived In Belgium.
The father enlisted ut the beginning Of
the war and the Belgian authorities
brutally cut off the fingers from the
right hands Of the little boys, that they
for the defense of Germany. The brok
en- mother returned to her fathers
home at Basel with her children and
was seen by Miss Baumsnn who thinks
the stories Of atrocities exaggerated but
says they must be sanctioned by the
governments, else the people would not
dare to commit them.
Saw Horrors Of War.
As Basel is but half mile from the
German border, Miss Baumenn saw
and heard the horrors Of tho war from
being incredibly painful to the nerve
racked citizens. Swiss neutrality is
observed, no hospitals being
allowed to harbor tho wounded. The
air raids were frequently seen by the
citizens Of Bazel, but no airships are
allowed to fly over switzerland since
the English attempted to violate Swiss
last year in that way.
Just an excuse-that's all It was"
said Miss Baumenn with a significant
shrug when referring to the murder Of
last summer. when war was declared.
War seems to have to come
every 30 often when the countries be-
como too crowded" She said the work
Of rebuilding Antwerp and other Bel
Gian cities was begun by the Germans
almost Immediately after their capture,
the captives being set to work in fields
and cities. She insists their IL little or
no privation as It has been splendid
year for crops and tho food 10 porttoned
out evenly, like army rations, SO that
Ill have enough. Tho food IL plain but II
Is no pr1vation to them, for they are
to simple living. Miss
5aumenn remarked that the Belgians
we're efficiently cared for by the Ger
mans from the very first and that life
vent on practically az before, except
hat the country was under military
'ule.
War Of 0ovsrnments-Not People.
It is the opinion Of Miss Baumenn
hat it 10 a war OF the governments ana
1ot 80 much of the people, who fight
'or the their country rather than from
! deep feeling for the principles in
1olved and she says that the Germans
nave little or no luminosity for the
french. the soldiers being on very
friendly terms between battles Feeling
s stronger against the English.
and what Is 1t ali for? I think they
hey do not know. What will they have
sained or decided when it is all over i?
Nothing nothing. It is cruel, wicked
var and so many suffer who have
lone no wrong at ALL said Miss Bau-
nenn.