The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-05-12

! Tins. II can not be supposed to
I a national doctrine, for it neith'
springs from, nor reflects the min
and feelings OF the German peop
as they heretofore have been know
other nations. 1t is specifically mi
itary doatrine, the outcome of a tht
ory held by a ruling caste who hay
| brooded and thought, written an
talked and dreamed about war unit
they have fallen under its obsesslo
and been hypnotized by its spiris
"The doctrine is plainly set fortl
in the German official monograph OF
the usages OF war on land, issued un
der the direction of the German staff
| This book is prevaded throughout by
the view that whatever military need.
may be suggested becomes thereby
lawful and upon this principle, rs fEt
diaries show. the German officers
acted
IF this explanation be the true
one the mystery is solved and tn I
which seemed scarcely credible be-
comes more intelligible, although not
less pernicious. This is not the only
case that history records in which a
false theory Disgusting itself as 10y
atty to state or to church, has
perverted the conception of duty and
becomes a source OF danger to the
world"
Another division of the report is
on the killing Of non combatants in
France This is not as detailed as
the case Of Belgium, as the commit
tee states the French official report
gives the most complete account as
% the invaded district in France. 1t
ldds "The evidence before us PROV
ID to us that in the parts of France
'eferred to, murder of unoffendine
and other acts of cruel |
y including aggravated cases oil
ape, carried out under threats OF
Ieath and some times actually fol-
owed by murder of the victim, were
ommitted by some of the German
roops."
A special chapter is given to the
reatment of women and children.
he latter, it is said, frequently re-
eived milder treatment than the men
nut many instances are given of
calculated cruelty, often going the
myth of murder, toward the women
ld children" At Aershet, it says,
omen and children were herded in
, the church which had recentlyl
zen used as stable, detained Tor
hours with no food other than
arse bread. and denied the com
on decencies of life. In other cas-
women and children were march
for long distances, the laggards
ing pricked by the attending Unlan
lady complains Of having been
utally kicked by private. Others
IRE struck with the butt end Of
les At Liege women and children
re chased about the streets by SOL
,rs. A witness gives story, very
Gun stantial in its details of how
men were publicly raped in the :
.rket place of the city, five young :
rman officers assisting"
Another witness tells of carousal I
officers, at which the woman of ;
, house was shot dead and her :
sband then compelled to dig a
I'VE in the garden and there bury
wife. The report goes on:
In the evidence before us there
cases tending to show that aggra- =
ed crimes against women were L
ne times severely punished One II
ness reports that a young girl
o was being pursued by drunk
soldier at Louvain appealed to a on
man officer, and that the Offend an
was then and there shot; another 81
cribed how an officer of the 32nd 'h
iment of the line was led out to ~
cution for the violation of two W
ng girls, but reprieved at the re- ne w
st or with the consent OF the girls :.
her. These instances are suffi-
1t to show that the maltreatnent IA
women was no part of the mill
scheme of the invaders, how
r, hush it may appear to have \,
n the inevitable result of the sys-
Of terror deliberately adopted in acl
ain regions. an an
n this tale of horrors hideous ca, sn,
s of multilation occur with some thi
uency in the dispositions, two of Cor
A.
II may be connected in some in fou
ces with a perverted form OF sex las las
instinct tie
vo s;nd many wall aetab1isbad aul
'S Ai"" ' N9'e"ii9Aeu tin
G of the slaughter (often arcom- bel
o Il
1,r fntitflaffnnl of Whala fa off