Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-18

We are not aware that these FORCES,
either naval or military can have
| laid to their charge any improper
proceedings either in the conduct of
! hostilities or i'm the treatment of
prisoners or wounded. on the GER
man side IL has been very different
Treatment OF lIclgians.
81. The treatment of civilian in
habitants in Belgium and the north
OF France has been made public by
the Belgian and French government
and by those wl-o have had expert
cnce of II at first hand. Modern his
tory affords no precedent for the suf-
ferings that have been inflicted on
the defcnseless ana non-comhatant
population in the territory that has
been I'm German military occupation
Even the food of the population was
confscptcd until in Belgium an inter
national commission, largely tnflu-
enced by American generosity and
conducted under American auspices
came to the relief Of the population
and secured from the German govern
ment a promise 10 spare the food
that was still left i'm the country
though the Germans still continue 20
make leyies in money upon the de-
fouseless population Tor the support
of the German army
80 We have, from time TO time,
received most terrible accounts Of the
barb1rous treatment TO which British
officers and soldiers have been eX-
posed after they have been taken pris-
oner while being conveyed to German
prison camps, one or two Instances
have already been given to the United
states government founded upon au-
a. o.. D.
is beyond doubt. Some evidence has
been received Of the hardships to
which British prisoners of war are
subjected in the prison camps con-
trasting, We believe, most unfaVOrably
with the treatment of German pris-
oners in this country We have pro-
posed with the consent of the United
States government that a commission
of United states officers should be
permitted in each country TO inspect
the treatment Of prisoners of war. The
United States government have been
unable to obtain any reply from the
German government To this proposal
and we remain in continuing anxiety
and apprehension as TO the treatment
of British prisoners uf war in Ger
many
Laying of Mine Fields.
o. At the very outset of the war
"a German mine layer was discovered
laying q mine field on the high seas,
mine fields have been laid,
from time to time without warning
and, SO far as we know, are still being
laid ON the high seas and many neu-
trail, as well as British, vessels have
been sunk by them.
- At various times during the
war German submarines have stopped Z
and sunk British merchant vessels, /
thus making the sinking Of merchant |
vessels q general practice. though It F..
was admitted previously il at all only
AS an exception. The general rule to
which the British government have
adhered being that merchant vessels .
II captured must be taken before a .
prize court I'm one case. already (
quoted in a note to the United states
government. a neutral vessel carrying
foodstuffs to an unfortified town in
Great Britain probably was sunk An
other case is now reported In which a
German armed cruiser has sunk an
American vessel the William r. Frye,
carrying a cargo Of wheat from Seat
he to Queenstown. In both eases the
'argocs were presumably destined for
he civil population Even the car
goes i'm such circumstances should
rot have been condemned without the
decision of prize court, much less
should the vessels have been sunk
Il Is to De noted that both these cases
occurred before the detention by the
British authorities of the Wilhelmina ,
md her cargo of foodstuffs which the
ierman government allege Is the JUS
iiieation for their own action. The
Germans have announced their inten-
ion Of sinking British merchant vcs-
els by torpedo without notice and
Without any provision for the safety !
# the crew They have already car
led out this intention In the case of
leutral. as well as of British, vessels
nd a number of non-combatant and {