Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-18

! "a your artsle you ask the question: "Can any
possible term policy of murder be ap-
| piled to the OF aircraft by the Germans?
You are speaking especially now OF the
dropping OF bombs on unfortlhed cities by Ger
man armen and you say that occasionally
these men have been obging enough to drop
their cards as well as their bombs"
And you add:
"I see no reason why these Cards should
not be used in evidence against them, or why
they should not be hanged murderers when
they fall into the hands of the Allies.'i
Aircraft Phase of New War"
am glad, sir that you not a British
general for it is my conviction that II you
| gave orders as you write articles you would
add fresh horrors to war. And also 1t seems
strange to me that publicist who so passion
atey extenuates the Belgian franctireurs mad
defiance of the laws of war should be keen
for reprsals against Germain airmen who have
done only what English alrmen have done. For,
sir, English airmen did drop bombs on the un-
fortified city OF Dusseldorf in an attempt to
destroy balloon sheds.
That attempt was only partially successful,
but the next morning the Cologne Gazette de-
scrbed the long flight and the dropping of the
bombs "a brilliant feat" and said that Ger
man airmen would hope soon or late to return
the compliment of the visit to Dusseldorf As
a sporting proposition the incident made
impression which was not lost the German
mind, and hearty recognition of the fact was
made.
The truth is that aircraft are. like auto
mobiles phase OF 'the new war;" and the
world must accept them If the world is to
continue warning. The principle of war is, as
we all know to strike terror, physical and
spiritual, into your enemy This the airmen
do with superlative success. There is, too, an
ancient saying that war Is most merciful when
It is quickest, and the operations of airmen
certainly expedite disaster and destruction.
Treatment of BeIgians
In your fifth paragraph you say:
"As to the treatment of Belgium, what has
1t been but murder murder all the way?" and
you add that ut is said that more civilians than
soldiers have fallen in Belgium"
I should not be surprised II that second
statement were true There is a reason why
1t should be. 1t would not have been so,
am confident, had the population of Liege, of
Louvain and of towns and villages lying be-
tween Liege and Louvain kept their obligations
as civilians, or donning uniforms, gone into
the army as soldiers. My observations in Sep
tember and again in October in northern
France convinced that the civil population
Of Belgium and not the Belgian army was the
principal cause of Belgium's
For in France the German army encountered
very few franctireurs. with the result that there
few instances of reprisal against citizens.
Village after village I passed through in the
track of the German army, and nothing at all
destroyed. In scores of inn parlors have
sat while German officers and privates ate. The
landady and her daughters would go busIly and
politely about the serving OF food, and at the
aud 1off o1 o,,I,,
lously paid for, but the girls would receive
really handsome tips, This saw so often that
came to take it as matter of course. as, in
truth, it was.
Courtesy to the Courteous
And always when the officers left there
courteous adieus and wishes for a pleasant
journey the one hand. and on the other
laughing assurances from the soldiers that they
hoped they might come back to SO good an
inn 'fn happier times"
In Belgium, too, I witnessed numerous un-
forced and genuinely obliging exchanges of
civilites between the invaders and the in
vaded
may add, indicating the kind OF dis
cipline the German authorities have laid on
Belgium. that in Huy 1t is impossible for any
body-Began, German or neutral-to buy
any heavy spirits Only beer and mineral
waters to be had. The number OF alterca-
tions that wise a regulation prevents In >
dihicult situation you will comprehend
German Justice Liked
In chimay, also in Belgium, and the seat of
the prince OF that name-who. by the way, had
fed TO Parls-we talked with an innkeeper when
no German officers were by. We asked him
how affairs went in the town under the ad-
ministration Of it's German oommandant. Won
schuIemann. ''They go wel," he said, "for in
all our difficulties we know we win get justice
from the eommandant"
In Maubeuge we heard French woman, who
was going to the market to get from German
sergeant her slip Of requsition for German
-four say she was glad her husband was a
prisoner of the Germans, for now she knew he
was safe and getting enough TO eat. In the
same town another woman said she was glad
the Germans had come. because 1t meant that
"the thieving. filthy Tureos." as she called the
black Colonial troops OF France, were out. Mr..
Cobb and Mr.. Mccuteheon told me they heard
the Identical remark in other French towns.
I tell these things 10 you not because 4 per-
sonally glad that France is invaded. but
to give you the point OF view Of humble folk
who seemed to feel that they had suffered from
allies OF Franco more than they would sufsr
from the aYowed enemies OF France.
No man, however. who has crossed the east
srn and southern provinces OF Belgium would
be SO absurd as to contend for one instant that
the German operations in that kingdom have
not been q bitter business for Belgium. Were
the traveller to make such a contention seors
of desolated and deserted villages ana towns
would give him the lie Nevertheless. there
has been exaggeraton almost appalling as
the desolatlon IN the statements concerning the