Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-14
GERMANS ACCUSED
BY OWN TESTIMONY
Diaries of Kaiser's Soldiers Tell
of Outrages in
France.
STARTLING LITTLE BOOK
Compiled by French Professor
From Evidence of Republics
Enemies.
STARTLING LITTLE BOOK
ny GEORGE DIrREsNE.

PAlilS. March i3.-Mv American
readers undoubtcdlv viii give me
credit for The fact that | have never
used the opportunity have OF reaching
countless American readers to accuse
the Germans. who are ytill devastating
part OF France OF cru"lt!.s that could
not he proven. and "c which columns
have been written in our French papers.
The testimony % witnesses who can
not be said u be absolutely disinter-
csicd is always subject TO doubt, and
stories OF crmcltios have been told
during every war that history has any
record Of. Therefore, / have until now
remained silent,
think. however. that /, NAV nor
haps he permitted TO give my impress
sion OF book which. in spite OF its
small and insignificant appearance, is
destined to create a sensation through.
out the civilized world. and. I hone
not least in tn" country across tho
Atlantic that stu honors the memory
OF Lafayette.
The book is written by Professor
Hedier Of the College de France. and
It's title is German Crimes According
TO German Testimony" With illustra-
lions and text, IL contains only thirty
nine small pages
Joseph Bed!cr, its author. is acknowl-
edged in Germany, no less than else
where. as one Of the most high minded
representatives. of modern French
science and culture. lie is a favorite
pupil of the German Professor Suchier
OF Halle. and his Paris home has
always been the Mecca Of German
scientists ana thinkers who visited this
CITY. lie is beloved in Germany. too.
because OF his wonderful treatment OF
the songs Of Tristan and Isolde
His latest book Is compiled from the
diaries Of German soldiers placed at
his disposal by the French government
ana all the documents he has used are
reproduced in facsimile. The parents
or wives OF the soldiers whose diaries
have been used will be able TO verify
the handwriting. SO that every denial ia
impossible. Tho book Is a scathing
indictment OF Germany by Germans
German cyewitnesses relate what
they themselves or their comrades have
done. and Bedier restricts himself TO
impartial and clucida;ing comments
proving how international law and The
itaSuc convention have been violated
SIZES VISIBLE TRACES or
ItORRIBI.t: ENCOUNTERS
n
trip through the battle fields 10 Sois-
sons. where Germany made her costIios,
and all but successful attempt to break
through the French lines. and whore
furious fights. which in any other war
would have been called battles, arc
still being fought;
Everywhere ] saw visible traces or
these horrible encounters when men
become hcrcer and more bloodthirs,v
IMAM the most fcrocious beasts
passed along u road lined with tho
charrcd remnants o: scores OF automo
pies raced through villages wher.
oh'E mere and there scared face came
into sight behind a ruined wall. ;.
remember Dammartin. where a bat
tie ragged for days. and where the li,,lo
church is the only building left intact
and where 1000 civilians were busv
bury!rS tho dead. French and English
In big. common graves. The Germans
are not buried, but arc simply piled
up and set aflre. Many of these pyres
were stu smoking
met an old peasant who left his
small plot of ground when the enemy
came, but who was now returning TO
TAKE up his work. with the impcrturb-
able stoicism OF the French farmer
Senlis. which the Germans DESTROYED
because arms were found In some of
the houses. Only Il single house was
left standing. q hotel lie CERT RIonc.
owned by German. who offered il as
headquarters to the German STAFF. Tho
names of the German officers wore sill
TO be seen written in chalk on the
doors OF the bedrooms
Onward We went racing through
village after village. determined not
10 HOOK upon those endless pictures of
misery, and. as the sun went down we
caught sight Of a small hamlet. who's.
ohiN church was heap of ruins but
the priest had suspended its little bell
from wooden structure next 10 the
church, ana as VIC entered the village
II was ringing the Angclus
PAINTING Or THE VIRGIN
OVER DESECRATED ALTAR
We entered the heap of ruins ana
saw painting OF the Virgin left up
touched above the dcsccrated altar
Among the bricks on tho floor Law the
church records and the sacred vessels
while the priest was kncelinc i'm
prayer. He paid no attention 10 ne
but raised his arms towards the Ma
donna. Around him a score of viii
layers, old men, women and YOUNG Girls
were kncelinE
Let us pray for our enemies" tho
priest said. for they do not know
what they are doing" Never have
these simple words OF the dying Savior
impressed me more deeply than at
this moment. when I heard this old
priest praying for those who had
ruined his sacred church.
We spent the night at small inn.
where our hosts filled our ears with
tales Of the Germans
AT dawn we went on. often stoppcd
by patrols. evidence that We were an
preaching the firing line. In the dis
lance we could hear the growing and
rumbling OF the guns.
We reached the old. chateau, where
soldiers had evidently been billeted. |