The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17
,,vEs o,DoNNBLL BEyNETT.

words contributed by you to the
t.,l,r chronicle and entitled "A Pol
... NJ Murder: How Prussia Has Do
,-,8ad the standard OF Modern War
fare"
tn me that article seems q very ter
,b.e and a very terrifying document
,srr,hle IN rs wrath in Its passionate
s,cer.'v. and in it's massfng of state
,,sn.s certifying in It's effect upon the
minds 81 neutral peoples II its state
uents are accepted
ON August - I arrived In Brussels
nur,ng the next Ave or SIX days I made
br,ef trips to the east and south OF
grusse,s-as far east as Landen and
"a Far south az Namur. On these Jour
news by train and on foot, l heard no
-snor's that | was able to confirm OF
van,on atrocities perpetrated by Ger
man troops against the Belgian civil
,,pulatlon which had observed the laws
a, war but did hear OF some instances
q, drastic punishment melted out to
frsnctreurs.
On August 20 was in Brussels and
watched for three days and q half the
pass,ng Of thousands OF German troops
through the city. was in many parts
d, Brussels for many hours OF that
strained and exciting time and neither
heard Of nor saw an act OF outrage
or OF pilage. l did not see even an act
Of rudeness on the part Of either popu-
,atlon or the invading soldiery. What
did see was friendly visiting between
groups Of civilians and soldiers at
o'clock In the evening. That was four
hours after the entry began.
You say that war may have q beau
t.ful as we'll az a terrible side and be
fun Of touches OF human sympathy
and restraint which mitigate its I'M
avodahe horrors" and you cite in
stances Of this from the medieval wars
between England and France and from
the campaigns in the Peninsula in proof
Of the assertion.
And then you ask:
"Cou.d one imagine Germans making
war in such a spirit as this?"
| cannot only imagine u but I have
seen H.
| thought II a beautiful thing TO see
my friend Capt. Franz Won Kempis OF
the Koeuigin Augusta Garde Grenadier
Regiment No. 4 standing uncovered on
a chill October afternoon before the
grave ~ the French officer who to-day
is known throughout the German ar
mes in northern France as the brave
Aydres' That soldier was commander
Il the Fort DIES Ayvelles, near Charlie
Vile and when the garrison refused 10
make the stand against the Germans
which he felt its honor demanded he
killed himself
The vc.ors buried him with military
hon9rs IN lovely evergreen grove be-
Ind the fort and over his grave they
erected a beautiful cross fashioned with
pat.en, skill from wood. And that cross
hears his inscription in German text:
Here rests the brave commandment He
vas not able To live longer than the fort
r.ss entrusted to him.
by This simple cross OF wood the Ger
man soldier honors in thee the hero OF
sscONu LASpWEHR PIONEERS COMPANY OF
THE EIGHTH ARMY CORPS.
September, 1914.
Som. day in happier times | hope to
SHOW you the photograph Of this shrine
p.4-e under the evergreens. In late
October the German wachtmeister in
taarsy OF the little force guarding Ay-
yeAes Was Keeping the grave green
with fresh boushs.
IL seemed 10 me a beautiful thing to
rec French soldiers kissing the hands
VI German doctors who ministered to
atm 90 tpc hospital at Laon and |
.ate seen frN inner, sweeter deeds in
iug ..s ,ldu the action of a German
DJ.,oy who paced an arm under the
back II suffering and distraught
I'rvunamau, and drawing him to his
breast said, Il give YOU my word that
sOu arc not going 20 die. but you must
ar.p M ~ make you well 10y keeping
yourself calm"
Two u.s tears rolled down the French
I.ans checks, and there was a look of
.uhutr gratitude in his eyes when the
toytor gently lowered MIN to the pillow,
l 'Hnu-lj 10 beautiful and touching
3D. s.. no big German soldiers sitting
"a tu' front room of house in the
own ut Erthen.ville not many leagues
.r'm Rheims, while "A little French girl,
perhaps T. years old, gave them a les
con 'n French. 1t was they who
seemed the children and she the adult,
~ awkward and simple and attentive
We're they, and so montorhke and strict
With them was she.
The French children who were beg
ring p,"nn!gs with pathetic, pretty his
'uOnsu from the princes, generals.
majors. captains and private soldiers
Who came and went through the rail-
way square in the French town where
t!-dt ueadquarters Of the German
armies are located seemed to me To
s'1rd decisive enough proof that these
'ir ones We're not much afraid of
'N EnuEs Huns" | noticed with
l.ds.r. that almost never did they
meet with refusal.
And again. / could not convince my
ti Mar much personal rancor was ex-
sting between German invaders and
Belgian u0u-Combatants when a Ger
man u.''Her whose automobile was al
ready we'll filled. stopped the car on a
country road to ask a Belgian doctor
Watcher he could not give him lift
" Pr, destination.
And ID d"sOlated Dnant | both Won
'.'." and smiled when ! saw over
'''' nr Lehman Of Dresden busly
'..s the Belg an mistress Of the
'' .". the dinner table when g party
' .".rur officers and correspondents
tf.F.. UNEXPECTEDLY one chill night in
S.' n,r. The eager officer was per-
'H.s more Of a bother than help TO
" ...ss but she took his activity
-".. part and there was much
...r and chatting between them
. ... r..I.Ip bis puaVtp-S a Tho inn