The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-13

ARE PROVEN
Belgium Ravaged by Ger
man Savagery, Lord
Bryce Finds
LOOT, LUST AND
MURDER CHARGED
Men, Women and Children
Butchered Deliberately
and Officially

New York, May l3.--Again Germany
has been found guilty of barbarities un
paraleled since the dark ages. Wis
count Bryce, former British ambassador
at Washington, chairman of specia
British government committee appoint
ed to investigate and report on "out
| RACES alleged to have been committed by
German troops during the present war,
| has submitted the report of the com
mittee and it constitutes the most Sc
we're arraignment thus far made of the
German military activities in Belgium
The position of Viscount Bryce as a
historian, and the care with which the
investigation was made, the great num-
Der of witnesses whose testimony was
examined, and the mass of evidence now
submitted make the report convincing
and something that cannot be swept
aside. Associated with Lord Bryce on
the committee were Sir Frederick Pol
lock, Sir Edward Clarke, Sir Alfred Hop.
kinson, II. A. l.. Fisher. vice chancellor
OF the University of Sheffield Harold
Cox, and kenelm i. Digby The com
mittee was appointed by Premier As
quith on Jan. % last, and was given
broad instructions to investigate alleged
outrages, the maltreatment of civilians
and breaches of law and established
usages of war" The most important
findings of the committee are summed
up in its conclusion. which states that
it is proved: That there were in many
parts of Belgium deliberate and sys-
tematically organized massacres of the
civil population, accompanied by many
isolated murders and other outrages
that in the conduct OF the war generally |
civilians, both men and women. |
were murdered in large numbers, women
violated, and children murdered; that |
lootng, honse burning, and the wanton |
destruction of property were ordered |
and countenanced by the officers of the
Germany army, that elaborate provision
had been made for systematic incendiar.
ism at the very outbreak of the war
and that the burning and destruction
were frequently where no military ne.
cessity could be alleged being indeed
part OF system of general terroriza.
tion; that the rules and usages of war
were frequently broken, particularly by
he using of civilians, including women
md children. as a shield for advancing
orces exposed to fire, to a less degree
by killing the wounded and prisoners.
md in the frequent abuse of the Red
ross and the white flag. The commit
ee says further that sensible as it Is of
he gravity OF these conclusions, it con.
elves that it would be doing less than
Is duty ii it failed to record them as
ully established by the evidence. Muir.
Ter, lust and pillage prevailed over many
arts of Belgium on a scale unparalleled ,
n any war between civilized nations !
uring the last three centuries. and the
ommittee hopes that the disclosures =
I'LL not have been made in vain If they "
ouch and rouse the conscience Of man
ind and it ventures to hope that !.
: soon as the present war is over, the !;
atoms of the world in council will con.
Ider what means can be provided and
auctions devised TO prevent the recur-
ence of such horrors as our genera
on il now witnessing Summing mp
nd explaining the character and signi.
canoe of the wrongful acts done BY the ;
erman army in Belgium the commit. '
70 draws a distinction between two
asses Of outrages -individual acts of !.
-utality. III treatment of civilians, rape, =,
under and the like-which were very
idely committed, and the gravest !
large of all against the German army :