The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-13

til tire 18th. and no one who studies
these pages can have any doubt that
Liege would Immediately have been
given over to murder and destruction II
any such incident had occurred.
civilians Kind to Soldiers.
Letters written to their homes which
have been found on the bodies OF dead
Germans, bear witness. in a way that
now sounds pathetic. to the kindness
with which they we're received by the
civil population. Their evident surprise
at this reception was due to the stories
which had been dinned into their ears
OF soldiers with their eyes gouged out.
| treacherous murders. and poisoned food,
stories which may have been encouraged
by the higher military authorities In
order to impress the mind OF the troops
as well az for the sake OF justifying
the measures which they took to terribly
the civil population. II there Is any
truth In such stories, no attempt has
been made to establish 1t. For Instance,
the Chancellor Of the German Empire.
in communication made to the press
on September and printed In the
"Nord Deutsch Allgemeine Zeituns," OF
September 81. said as follows: Belgian
girls gouged out TIE eyes Of the Ger
man wounded. OH1cials Of Belgian
and shot and killed them across the
table. Contrary to all international law,
the whole civilian population Of Belgium
was called out. and after having at first
shown friendliness. carried on In the rear
OF our troops terrible warfare with con-
cealed weapons. Belgian women cut the
threats Of soldiers whom trey had quar-
tered in their homes while they were
sleeping"
No evidence whatever seems to have
heen adduced to prove these tales. and
though there may be cases in which In
dividual BelEians fred on the Germans.
the statement that 1.-THE whole civilian
population OF Belgium was called out
I is utterly opposed to the fact.
An invading army may be entitled TO
shoot at sight q civilian caught red
handed or any one who though not
caught redhanded 10 proved guilty on
inquiry. But this was not the prac-
tice followed by the German troops.
They do not seem to have made any
inquiry. They seized the civilians OF
the village unfortunately and killed
them. or such as they selected from
among them. without the least regard TO
guilt or innocence The mere cry Civ
listen haben geschossen'" was enough
to hand over a whole village or district
and even outlying places to ruthless
slaughter.
we RlaCly record the INSTANCES WnerO
the evidence shows that humanity had
not wholly disappeared from some mem
bers OF the German army, and that they
realized that the responsible heads OF
that organization were employing them.
not in war but In butchery: II am
! merely executing orders. and ! should
be shot 10 did not execute them" said
an officer to a witness at Louvain. At
Brussels another officer says: 81 have
ri ~ psh
We have been ordered TO do by the
high German military authorities"
Grimes Sometimes Punished.
As We have already observed, II would
be unjust to charge upon the German
army generally acts OF cruelty which.
whether due to drunkenness or not. were
done by men OF brutal instincts and
unhridled passions. Such crimes were
sometimes punished by the officers They
were in some cases Offset by acts OF
humanity and kindness But when an
army IL directed or permitted TO Kill
non-combatants on a large scale. the
ferocity OF the worst natures springs
into fuller life. and both lust and tho
thirst OF blood become more widespread
and more formidable. Had less license
been allowed to thu, soldiers, and had
they not been set to work to slaughter
OF those painful case In which = de-
PRAYED and morbid cruelty appears.
Two classes OF murders IN particular
require special mention. because one OF
them Ii almost new and the other alto
gether unprecedented. The former IL tho
seizure OF peaceful citizens as so-called
hostages to be kept a. a pledge for the
conduct OF the civil population or as a
means TO secure some military advan-
tage or TO compel the payment OF a
contribution. the hostages being shot II
the condition imposed by the arbitrary
will OF the invader is not fulfilled
Such hostage taking. with the penalty
Of death attached. has now and then
happened. the most notable case being
the shooting OF the Archbishop OF Paris
! and some Of his clergy by the Commu-
nards Of Paris In 1871. but II is opposed
, both TO the rules OF war and to every
, principle of justice and humanity. The
latter Kind of murder is the killing OF
. the innocent inhabitants OF a village be-
cause shots have been fired. or are
alleged 10 have been fired. on the troops
by some ono In the village For this
practice no previous example and no
justification have been or can be pleaded.
Soldiers suppressing an tnsurrection
may have sometimes slain civilians
. mingled with insurgents. and Napoleon
, forces In Spain are said TO have now and
lHfH hllleu pToUllsCuOutIS wN6n tFylnG
TO clear guerrillas out OF the village. But
, in Belgium large bodies OF mon, some
. times including tho burgomaster and the
priest, were SEIZED marched by officers
to spot chosen for tho purpose and
, there shot IN cold blood. without any
: attempt at trial or even inquiry. under
the pretence OF INJECTING punishment,
upon the village, though these unhappy
victims were not even charged with
: having themselves committed any
= wrongful act. and though. In some cases
a al least, the village authorities had don,
q all in their power to prevent any moles.
= tation OF the invading force Such act.
= are no part OF war. for innocence Is
/, entitled to respect even In war. rhey
' are mere murders. Just as tho drownins
q. the innocent passengers and crew
= on merchant ship is murder and no,
an act OF war
e Set Purpose Evident.
That these acts should have beer
:, perpetrated on tho peaceful population
= Of an unoffendng country which was no,
: at war with It's invaders but merely
defending It's own neutrality, guaran.
=, teed by tho invading Power may excit.
q Amusement and even incredulity. II
/ was with amazement and Amos, witt
incredul!ty that the Committee first re al