The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-08
de BAYE CHATEAU
LOOTED, SAYS REPORT
Commission Confirms BarOness's
Charges-IIears the Duke
of Brunswick Was There.
CALLS GERMANS SAVAGES

PARIS. Jan THE French commit ee
visiting the districts where atrocities are
reported to have been committed by the
Germans inspected the chateau Of the
Baroness de Baye at sezanne, In the De-
partment of the Marine, which Crown
Prince Frederick william is accused OF
having pillaged.
The committee found unmistakable
signs that the chateau had been pillaged.
Glass cases In which Russian jewelry
and gold medals were displayed had
been smashed. The room OF the Baron
css, the committee reports, must have
been occupied by u person of the highest
ranl;, for OH the door was inscribed IN
pencil the words Il. Is. Hoheit' meaning
Imperial and Royal Hghness.'
NO one continues the committees
report. was able % inform us OF the
identity OF this Imperial Royal High
ness A General, who lodged with NUM-
cipal Councillor llauiller. told the latter
that the chateau had sheltered the Duke
of Brunswick and his stan of the Tenth
Corps"
The Duke OF Brunswick, formerly
Prince Ernst OF Cumberland, Is the SON
in-law OF the Kaiser, having married the
Princess Victoria Luise.
The committee also reports that the
Chateau Beaumont. near Montnirail, be-
longing to the Duke dc Rochefoucauld.
was piilag,d and left in filthy condi-
tion. Desks. safes and jewolry boxes
wer. smashed open and the doors were
inscribed tn pencil with the names of
Major Won Didebur and Graf Won Walder-
see.
stories unn; for publication abound n
the report OF the commission. Sisters Of
Mercy were among the many victims and
the priest of the parish sent to the Duke
Of Wurttemberg letter expressing hts
Indignation at the manner in which his
people had been treated. To the abbe's
protest the Duke replied
What do YOU expect? We, like YOU
have had soldiers attacked where our
defence made the burning Of houses and
the shooting o. civilians necessary. These
affairs always result. from the shooting
OF incoming soldiers by civilians"
The committee finds that the shooting
from which senlis suffered so severely
was due to the African troops who left
as the Germans entered.
The report. filling about twenty news
paper columns, contains these para-
graphs:
we must conclude that there never
has been war between civilized nations
of 50 savage and ferocious character
as that waged upon our soil by our i'm
placable adversary. Pillage, ravishing
burning. murder are ordinary practices
OF our enemies, and facts collected in
many cases prove that the German claims
that the killing OF civilians was due to
firing on troops by the civil population
are unfounded.
I'VE found proof OF the existence In
the German army not only of a sys-
tematic plan for burning villages but the
possession of elaborate material for this
purpose. including torches, grenades,
fuses. oil sprayers sticks of innammabla
matter and sacks of tablets composed of
very infammable compressed powder"
The commission says that In its in
vestigations IL distinguished carefully
between fires set by bombardments and
/ those reported to have been set by hand
! when there was no lighting In progress.
! The object Of the Germans in Starting
these fires. according to the commission.
! was 90 intimldate the population, spread
/ Ing terror and panic ahead OF the in
/ vaders.
Attacks upon women and girls" the
: report continues. were 50 frequent that
the number of cases established was only
"A small part OF those which might have
been Investigated. The victims OF these
odiOus acts generally refused to testify
because II would compromise their flu
turc.''
The report is supported by testimony
taken under oath under the usual forms
of judicial procedure.