New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-06-07

eously taking up arms on the APP
'proach of invaders, which faithfully
reproduces article of the regula-
lions annexed to The Hague conven-
ton. Nt#
20. In notice from the same Min
lister inserted daily in the newspa-
pers and publicly posted in the larger
part, If not in all, of the communes
of the country in the early part of
August This notice advised the
civilian population to abstain care
fully from any act of hostility against
the foreign troops, and characterized
as both criminal and imprudent
any act of violence committed by
single civilian
Notices Or Communal Orders.
''In the majority of communes,
the local authorities repeated this
official warning in the form of no
tees or communal orders duly post
ed on the walls and other public
places Similar notices were still
posted upon the walls of unfortunate
cities at the moment of their de-
struction and was pointed out to the
German officers.
"A considerable number of COM
munaI governments made 1t obliga-
tory to deposit Immediately, at the
police stations, or at the City Halls.
all firearms belonging to individuals,
revolvers and sporting guns. The
Germans found there deposits of
arms marked with the names of the
owners; in several cases, they pre-
tended to look upon it as a proof of
a clandestine organization of francs
tireurs, held the communal authori-
ties responsible in spite Of all ex-
plantations, and imposed upon the
entire commune, heavy fine or even
inflicted a terrible punishment upon
the whole population.
No judicial Value.
"Such were the precautions taken
by the Belgian government. They are
proved by the official documents, by
the files of the Belgian newspapers Of
that time and by photographs of walls
with the notices posted on them. liz
the German government denies these
facts, it should bring proof to support
it's statements. A simple denial OF
facts which are SO patent and so well
any judicial value.
mo organized francs-tireurs war
existed in Belgium. No evidence has
been brought to support this allega-
ton, and the allegation is denied by
the various commissions of inquiry.
Accusation Absolutely False.
1.-THE German government accuses
the Belgian priests of having partici-
pated in the attacks upon the Ger
man army. This accusation is abso-
1utely false, the fact is that many
priests have been murdered and a
great number subjected to barbarfous
treatments by the Germans. The
German bureau Pax" German Of
fee Of apologetical defence created by
the clergy and the parliamentary
center, thought it necessary, in the
interest of German Catholicism, to
throw some light on these calumnies
made by Germany. and it's inquiries
into the matter have put the ac-
cusers to confusion. A great number
of these inquiries have been analysed
by the Rev. Father Bern Duhr, s. j.,
in his pamphlet Der Lugengeist i'm
voelkerkrieg,' published by c. j.
MANI at Muenchen-R egensburg.
ION the other hand, the manner in
which the German troops conducted
themselves towards the Belgian clergy
has been shown by Cardinal MERCER
in his pastoral letter dated Christmas,
1914. UP to the present time, infor-
nation has been received of forty
nine priests and members Of religious
orders who have been put to death in
Belgium by the German troops. Some
Of them were frightfully mutilated
and tortured. Moreover, in these
cases, the most convincing proof was
| furnished by the victims themselves;
| the corpses of several of these unfor-
| Inmates were exhumed and were seen
| to bear the marks of the most abom-
! Unable mutilations Cardinal Mercier
proposed to the German authorities
/ that a thorough investigation should
| be made OF each Of the cases men
toned by him, that all parties should
be heard and that the investigation
should be conducted under the presi-
dency of the American minister to
Belgium. No action has been taken
on this proposition.
| "AIl the statements OF the White
| Book concerning alleged cruelties
committed by Belgians against the