Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-13
BRYCE'S REPORT ON
TERROR IN BELGIUM
British Commission Charges that
Civilians Were Slain and Country
Devastated by the Germans.
RULES OF WAR ARE VIOLATED


gate and report on "outrages alleged TO
nave been committed by German troops
during the present war" has submitted
he 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 Niscount Bryce as a historian,
and also because Of the care with which
the investigation was made. the great
number Of witnesses whose testimony
was examined, and the mass OF evidence
now submitted with The report of the
committee
Associated with Lord Bryce on the
committee were Sir Frederick Pollock,
Sir Edward Clarke, sir Alfred Hopkin-
son, II. a. l.. Fisher, vice chancellor of
the University of sheffield; Harold Cox
and Keneim +. Digby. The committee
was appointed by Premier AsqIlth on
January %, last, and was given broad
Instructions to investigate alleged out
RACES. the maltreatment of civilians and
breaches of law and established usages
OF war"
Organized Massacre of Civilians.
The most important findings of the
committee are summed up in the follow
ing conclusion at the close Of the report:
1t is seen that the committee have come
to a definite conclusion upon each or
the heads under which the evidence has
lCcn classified:
First. that there were in many parts Of
Belgium deliberate and systematically
organized massaCres Of the civil popula-
ton, accompanied by many isolated
murderers and other outrages.
Second, that in the conduct OF the war
generally innocent civilians, both men and
women were murdered in large num-
bcrs women violated and children
murdered.
Third, that looting. house burning and
the wanton destruction of property were
ordered and countenanCed by the OF
iiCers of the German army that elabor-
ate provision had been made e. system
attic inccndiarism at the very outbreak
OF the war, and that the burning and
destruction were frequently where no
military necessity could be alleged, be
ing indeed part of a system of general
tCTrorization.
Fourth, that the rules and usages of
war were frequently broken. particularly
Ly the using of civilians, including
women and children, as shield for ad-
vancing forces exposed to fire, to a less
degree by killing the wounded and
prisoners, and in the frequent aruse OF
the Red Gross and the white flag.
UnequaIIed for Centuries.
Sensible as they are Of the gravity Of
these conclusions. the committee con-
ceive that they would be doing less than
their duty If they failed to record them
as fully established by the evidence.
Murder, lust and pillage prevailed over
many parts of Belgium on a scale I'M
paralleled in any war between civilized
nations during tie last three centuries
l.l n atya
stated what the evidence establishes, but
we may be permitted to express our be-
lief that these disclosures will not have
been made in vain II they touch and
rouse the conscience of mankind, and we
venture to hope that as soon as the
present war is over, the nations of the
world In council will consider what means
ran be provided and sanctions devised
to prevent the recurrence of such horrors
as our generation is now witnessing"
Evidence Is Conclusive.
The report makes an official document
of sixty-one printed pages, or upward
of 10000 words. accompanied by maps,
showing the various routes of the, army
and the chief scenes of desolation. 1t
states at the outset that 100 witnesses
have been examined, the dispositions be-
ing taken by examiners of legal Rnowl-
edge and experience, though without
authority to administer an oath. The
examiners were instructed not to lead
the witnesses, and TO seek to bring out
the truth by cross-examination and
otherwise. The committee also submit
extracts from a number of diaries taken
from the German dead, chiefly. German
soldiers, and in some cases officers.
I'VE began the inquiry with doubts
whether a positive result would be OBJ
tanned" says the report But the
further we went and the more evidence
We examined. so much the more was our
skepticism reduced. There might be some
exaggeration in one witness, possible de-
fusion in another, inaccuracies in a third.
When, however. we found that things
which at first seemed improbable were
testified to by many witness coming from
different places. the points in which they
all agreed became mere and more
evidently true. When this concurrence of
testimony showed itself i'll hundreds of
dispositions. the truth of the broad facts
stood out beyond question. The force of
the evidence is cumulative
Numerous Murders I'm Villages.
The committee states that 1t has re-
ceived a grea: mass If evidence on
scenes Of chronic outrage" in The ter
ritory bounded by the towns of Aershot
Malines, ViIvorGo and LOuvain. 1t states
the the total number of outrages is sc
great that the committee cannot refer
to them all. The report states that the
Jattle OF Malines was the occasion. lateI
of numerous murders committed by the
German army in retreatng through the
villages, and in the second place it led
10 the massacres, plundeTings and burn
ings at Louvan." The report adds:
The committee is especially impressed
by the character of the outrages com
mitted IN the smaller villages. Many OF
these are exceptionally shocking and can
not be regarded as contemplated or de
scribed by the responsible commanders Of
the troops by whom they were com
mitted. The inference, however, which
we draw from these occurrences is thai
when once troops have been encouraged
in a career of terrorism, the more savage
and brutal natures, of whom there are
some in every large army, are liable e
run to wild excess. more particularly II
those regions where they are least sub
iect to obsery alton and control.
Evidence goes TO show that deaths il
these villages were due not to accident