Evening star., 1915-06-01
Germans Accuse Russian Sol.
diers of "Barbarous. Inhu-
man, UnciMIized' Conduct.
AFFIDAVITS PUBLISHED
DESCRIBE CRUELTIES
Imperial Government at Berlin
Stigmatizes Acts as Twentieth
Century Disgrace.

Detailed atrocities eliminating in an
order for all male inha bitants OF Ger
man territory from ten years Of age
up to be driven at the head of the
Russian stormins columns. attributed
TO the Russian military author tiles,
are given publicity in a memorial
record" given out today by Count Won
Bernstorff. the German amba assador
Accompanying this official statement
are aff1davits issued by the German
government as white book OF March
25. relating to brutal and bestial acts
committed by Russian troops on Ger
man civilians and German prisoners of
war"
Copies of this memorial record" have
heen delivered to all the neutral gov
ernments, and the German ambassador
announces that copies are to be open
for inspection at all Of the principal
consulates in the United States.
The memorial record summarizes
the acts set forth in the eighty affi-
davits attached as exhibits. each ac-
cusation being accompanied by ref
erence to the numbered affidavit Civ
ing details Of the charge. The "me-
mortal record" says:
Details Alleged Atrocities.
THE Russian troops have commit :
ted atrocities during the present war
which are Incompatible with the laws
of humanity and the customs of civil
lized nations. and which evidence the
utter barbarism of their warfare These
atrocities were directed against the
peaceful inhabitants of the occupied
German territory, as well as against
those German soldiers who opposed
them in lawful combat and who had
the misfortune OF being taken prisoner
by them.
The adjoining documentary material
shows that these are not isolated cases
of cruelty and deeds of violence for
atrocities of the most bestial sort have
been committed in SO many places and
by SO many different divisions of troops
that undoubtedly very great part of
the Russian army is permeated by a
spirit of inhuman savagery. A large
number of cases is already well known
but in the supplements only such cases
viii be found as have been incontro-
vertibly established by official testi-
mony. particularly testimony on oa tn
or by official report. These cases must
however. be regarded as being only
selection of the innumerable atrocities
actually committed.
The whole world knows that, owing
to the barbaric methods of warfare
c"piO1 GU ny tuc TtuSSlanS, East PruS-
sia. once a fiourishing country, in parts
now presents picture of hopeless de-
vastatfon, and that the peaceful inhab-
ftants were forced to fee and leave all
their belongings in order to save them
selves from assault and murder. 1t has
been officially ascertained that at the
time of the first we'll as of the sec
ond invasion of East Prussia by the
Russians. thousands of men. women
and children were carried on, thou
sands were murdered, about 10000
buildings were demolished or burned
down. and that during the second tnya-
sion alone about $4,000 homes were
piundered and destroyed. Tho last
Russian expedition against Memel like
wise was nothing more than a savage
raid. accompanied by atrocities of
every description. The dispositions
contained in the supplements give an
eloquent but CHASTITY proof of the acts
Of violence and cruelty which individ-
ual Inhabitants suffered at the hands
Of the Russians.
Property Destroyed.
The movable goods Of the poor as
well as of the wealthy were stolen,
looted or wantonly destroyed by the
Russian troops in every conceivable
way. Cattle and provisions were taken
without payment or promissory Ger
tificates. Men and women had to give
the covetous soldiers their last cop
pers. The dwellings were searched