Evening star., 1915-01-08
British Press Bureau Issues
Detailed Allegations of NAL
treatment of Catholics.
ALLEGED INCIDENTS
GIVEN IN Statement
Churches and Religious Houses De.
stroyed as Troops Pass Through,
It Is Declared.

LONDON, January s. li:26 a.m.-At
the request of the Belgian legation in
London the British press bureau today
issued detailed allegations Of the mall
treatment of Catholic clergy in Bel
gium and the destruction of their in
stitutions by German troops.
This statement says that churches
and religious houses were destroyed
or profaned in almost every village
and in many towns where the German
troops passed. In most cases the cdi-
fees were utilized as stables and
prisons, and when not placed in safe
hiding. the sacred vessels were stolen.
The statement makes the declaration
that members of the clergy have been
exposed to special indignities at the
hands of German soldiers. In the dio-
cese of Liege. Namur. Malines and
Ghent many priests and others con-
shot or hanged. Many other priests
were carried off to Germany, where
they appear to have been subjected to
abominable usage"
Specific Instances Given
given in the statement of the press bu-
reau:
August %: An American and a
Spanish priest, among group of sew
enty civilians. were dragged about
from place to place all day and molest-
ed. insulted and threatened with mill
tary execution. They were taken to
the church at Campenhout and shut up
for the night.
August 81: The priest of Duechen,
an invalid. eighty-seven years old, suf-
fering from disease, was accused by
He was arrested, hoisted on cannon,
tossed into a ditch, tortured and shot.
"a witness deposes that he saw the
priest Gelrode brought into Aershot
August "a with three wounded men.
The Germans said he was an English
spy and took him to the town hall. The
following day they beat him with rifle
butts and then on the Demer bridge
they shot him and cast his body into
the river
A priest makes the following deposi-
ton:
August Is. German soldiers swarmed
into the village of Schaffen and began
to burn and pillage on the pretense that
shots had been fired on them. One hun
dred and seventy houses were burned
and twenty-seven civilians were mur-
dered. The Germans maltreated me in
every way. They erected gallows
on which they said they proposed to
hang me. They thrust me into house
which was Oh fire, but dragged me out
again.
or 2o0 EdrQS tneS DeSdl SIioollHS d
me- l fell and pretended to be dead
and so / escaped
Continuing, the statement says the
commission of inquiry collected evi-
dence that in the diocese of Malines
alone twenty-si priests were killed
without cause. Similar atrocities oc-
Cured in other dioceses. In the Liegc
diocese ten priests were shot and in
the Manu- diocese twenty priests were
killed. The priest of Spontin was first
hung up by the feet and then by the
hands and pierced with bayonets.' In
the diocese of Tournai a bishop, sew
enty-four years old. was seized as a
hostage and struck by soldier. Three
ecclesiasts were shot in this diocese.
The statement concludes with these
words:
Nothing can demonstrate more clear
ly the tendencies of the Germans in
dealing with members of the clerical
body than the words Of a proclamation
posted by the German authorities at
Grivegnee. September 9. which says
when hostages are taken. the priests.
burgomasters and members Of the COM
munal administration are to be put at