Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-12
FURY OF GERMANS
SEEMS BOUNDLESS
They Are Enraged by Touching
Loyalty Of Alsatians to
France.
MANY ACTS OF REPRISAL
Spies Are Everywhere Denounc-
ing Citizens Who Are Hos
tile to Kaiser.
MANY ACTS OF REPRISAL
BY GEORGE: DuFREsNE.

ever nan any Illusions regarding the
| loyalty of the people OF Alsace to her
they have now completely disappeared.
and there is no better proof Of this than
tn" way in which German officials treat
the people of the ''Rcichsland."
Their fury against them is boundl S.
and every prison is fun Of men and
women Of all classes who have in
Cured German wrath. OF course. it is
strictly forbidden 10 speak French and
spies are everywhere making n very
comfortable living by denouncing pco-
pie Thom they have heard expressing
themselves in their mother tongue or
who have French newspapers in their
possession. Soldiers OF Alsatian birth
are sent to the most dangerous part of
the eastern front
FIDELITY OF ALsATIANs
TO FRANCE is TOUCHING
The fidelity of the Alsatians to France
Is touching. Everybody speaks the
Alsatian dialect. which most spies do
not understand.
Thirty Alsatian physicians and sur
geons from Strassburg have been sent
TO the eastern part Of Germany and
replaced by Prussian surgeons, who
have taken solemn oath not to re-
peat anything they hear from the lips
of wounded soldiers.
The Strassburg general staff has been
transferred to Robertson. with heal
quarters at Chateau Pourtelos, and the
general staff OF Mulhouse, which 1t is
thought will shortly fall into French
hands. has moved to a convent some
distance In the rear of the town
AT Strassburg thousands OF men are
once more working night and day con-
structing new forts. Each fort now
has its own Independent water supply
and electric lighting plant. the dynamos
OF which are far below the surface of
the ground, where they are safe in case
OF bombardment.
Along the roads leading out of
S,rassburg new sgnposts have been
put up, all indicating the way and dis
lance to Kehl, the frst town in Baden
The inha bitants consider this 10 be
the first sign of an intended German
retreat.
Some time ago committee OF Aus
TRAN priests, with the approval of
| Archbishop Pifl. OF Vienna. set out to
investigate the alleged cruelties Of
German troops in Belgium at the be-
ginning OF the war. II was hoped that
the report Of these priests. who had
been admonished direct from the Pope
10 consider the evidence from an alb.
solutely impartial standpoint would
cl.ar the Germans in the eyes of the
world.
The report has now been handed to
the Pope as we'll as TO the Archbishop
or Vienna, but the publication OF II
| has been forbidden in Austria and Ger
many In clerical circles in Rome how
ever, its contents are well known, and
the reason why II is being kept n Sc
cret in Germany and Austria Is per
fcc.ly plain.
ADMITTED THAT MANY
ACCUSATIONS ARE FALSE
The German War Department." the
report says. has already admitted that
many Of the accusations against the
| Belgian franctieours false"
Concerning the case of the parish
priest of Oyenbrugge, the committee
reports:
When the unfortunate priest re-
turned to his parish on August %,
1914, he was arrested without any rea-
son whatever and thrown into prison
together with twenty-eight civilians
Here he was compelled to stand In
the middle of the floor, with the hands
raised about his head for several hours.
| When he finally collapsed from ex-
haustion he was prodded with bayo-
| nets and struck with the butts OF
rifles. Soldiers tore his breviary to
pieces and threw them into his face
| Finally they threw n bucket of water
over him while he was lying helpless
! on the floor. and whenever he moved
| they prodded him with bayonets
When the priest tried to push aside
tho point of a bayonct which almost
4 L1I III Co.
! let through his head"
| This is n verbatim translation Of q
! report made by trustworthy priests.
| each OF whom is personally known to
| the Archbishop Of Vienna