The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-13
Horrible Stories of Brutal Treatment of Noncom- batants of Belgium and France Accounted
WOMEN VIOLATED AND CHILDREN KILLED BY THE GERMAN TROOPS
Usages of War Broken and Looting and Wanton De- struction Features of Invasion, Says Report

London, May 12.-ViscOunt Bryce, former British ambassador at Wash ington, and now chairman of spe- cial government committee appointed to investigate and report on out rages alleged to have been committed by German troops during the present war; has submitted the report of the committee to Premier Asquith.
 The document is considered as probably the most severe arraignment thus far made of the German military sweep across Belgium mainly because of the position of viscount Bryce as historian. and also because of the care with which the investigation was made, the great num- Der of witnesses whose testimony was ex- amined, and the mass of evidence now submitted with the report of the com mittee.
 Associated with Lord Bryce on the com mittee were Sir Frederick Pollock, Sir Edward Clarke. Sir A,sred Hoplkinson, II. A. L. Fisher, vice chancellor of the University of Sheffield; Harold Cox and Kenelm E. Digby. The committee was appointed by Premier Asquith on January 9 last, and was given broad instructions to investigate "alIeged outrages the mal- treatment of civilians and breaches of law and established usages of war
 The most important findings of the com mittee are summed up in the following conclusions at the close of the report:
 'It will be seen that the committee has come to definite conclusion upon each of the heads under which the evil dence has been classified. It is proved:
 Organized Massacres
 q. That there were in many parts of Belgium deliberate and systema ticaly or ganized massacres of the civil population. accompanied by many isolated murders and other outrages.
 '2. That in the conduct of the war gen. erallly innocent civliians, both men and women. were murdered in large numbers, women violated and children murdered.
 '3. That footing, house burning and the wanton destruction of property were or dered and countenanced by the officers of the German army that elaborate pro- vision had been made for systematic i'm cendiarsm at the very outbreak of the war, and that the burning and destruction were frequently where no military neces- sity could be alleged. being indeed part of system of general terrorization.
 A. That the rules and usages of war were frequently broken, particularly 'by the using of civilians, including women and children, shield for advancing forces exposed to fire, to less degree by killing the wounded and prisoners, and in ta a n 10 Tod rf.,Ce nd the white flag.
 Sensible they are of the gravity oi these conclusions, the committee con ceves that they would be doing less thar their duty if they failed to record then as fully. established by the evidence Mur. der. lust and pillage prevailed over man, parts of Belgium on scale unparalleled in any war between civilized nations dur ing the last three centuries.
 Our function is ended when we hav stated what the evidence establishes, bu we may be permitted to express our be lief that these disclosures will not hav been made in vain if they touch and rous tine conscience of mankind and we ventur to hope that as soon as the present wa is over, the nations of the world in coun cil will consider what means can be pro vded and sanctions devised to prevent tn recurrence of such horrors as our gener ation is now witnessing
 The report makes official documen of 6i printed pages or upward of 3OO( words. accompanied by maps, showin the various routes of the army and tn chief scenes of desolation. It states a the outset that 1200 witnesses have bee examined, the dispositions being taken b examiners of legal knowledge and exper ience though without authority to admin ister an oath. The examiners were fr structed not to lead the witnesses, an to seek to bring out the truth by cross examination and otherwise. The commil tee also submits extracts from numbe of diaries taken from the German deat chiefly German soldiers. and in som cases officers.
 Go Into Evidence
 'sWe began the inquiry with doul whether positive result would be ol tained,'" says the report. But u further we went and the more evident we examined so much the more was ot skepticism reduced. There might some exagReraton in one witness, po sible delusion in another inaccuracies a third When however we found tn; things which at first seemed improbab were testified to by many witnesses con ing from different places, the points which they all agreed became more ar more evidently true. When this concu renee of testimony showed itself Tn nul dreds of depositions, the truth or II broad facts stood out beyond questio The force. of the evidence is cumulative
 Takina up the conditions at lsiege, Be xutm. af the outset 5of the war, the ? ports etves q harrozFing recital of occu iencee at various points in the deyastatt terrifGry. A HaIve 5on Augu1t 4 tl repofts saya, s'the murder Of an inhqce fugitive citlItan va asprelude to tl
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