New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-24
GERMAN ARMY BRUTALITY
Treatment Of Privates May Exulai,
Prussian Atrocities
10 the EDITOR Of Tho Tnbure.

\
Sir; Let me heartily congra,Bla..
your inspiring and fearless editorial,
European war has made almos. ever, ~
man ! have met a half-and-half maa,,..
sossed with the Cermanzed idea tia, -
IS right and that Germany was 49,,
forced into the war by England. o. ,,p
man who is not given 20 obliquity o. mr..
has different and soundcr view. He D.,
that this is the reverse Of fact. He
too, that Germany has been preparing o.,
var Of conquest Tor good many v.s,.-.
war Of world domination, with which -.
ond indemnity Of captured Paris x,,la !.
Of material help. he knows, also 10, ,,,,,
TO know, that Germany had not sl,,z.,s,,
a peaceful purpose IN honeycomslns E,,
land, France and this country With .Di., A.,
preparing some points With coner.,. o..
placements, az were found IN England a..
IN Scotland and in France
The most extraordinary thing IS sbo1, q.
German who has served some years IN D.,
country military service before comm, >,
the United States, and who va. ,s.s,.s
brutally by his officers and ron-commi,s!or,.
officers, the former regarding him a. u,l.
better than a brute, 20 be kicked and cg..I
and sworn a.
Has this not something % DO with u,
/ German soldiers brutality In France ana
Pelgium? The life OF a private soldl,, {,
the army Of the Kaiser un.il sixteen G,
seventeen years ago was one % incrsdA.
hardship. lie was treated bru.ally b. y.
mon CONS" Of his company struck, kek.l
and damned The King OF Saxony was Il,
first 10 stop these ou'rages; ard The con.
missioned officer in a way vas worse TIA,
his subordinate "non-com." In Berlin :,
staggered through the streets as though hls
civilian brother had no rights tha. he saogl.
respect. In the cafes or ol,-o,-door gar.
Gens officers seized on tables occupied y
civilians. Once, an American tourist, s.ttr,
a. table with party Of guests, was grgsy
requested TO 90 TO some other table II.
American, with HE freedom-.oying ins,lncs
demonstrated, for which he was abused Il.
asperated at the discourtey, the America,
struck the militant dandy and was arrested
Ol AIDsffl DN'eArANl4 as ''ttNHtf NtIp tt-- AltA
in the army half a dozen years, was sc.
costed By a schooifeiiow somewhat too a..
miliarly and was run through the body. For
this the officer was cashiered. lie should
have been shot or hanged The latter would
have been the penalty IN The British army,
even as far back as fifty years agol Tommy
Atkins's" rights are always respected. 70
officer struck him, no officer damned hin; :.
was as much a. his commission was worth.
"Non-com" or private was told in printed
regulations, hung Up in every barrack Foon,
20 regard himself as a gentleman. For The
last fifty years and more the British private
has been treated not as o brute but as =
man. The terrible crimes Of The German
in Belgium and in France cannot be laid .,
Tommy Atkns's" door he has proved him
self brave, chivalrous and courteous he
has not been a Hun or a coldbioodst EUR
derer; but then the German soldiers dog
life may account for his un5elevaa.'
brutishness.
Kultur ard Prussanism have many mex
plicable sides. GERALD CARLTON
New York, Jan. II, 1916.