Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-06
to Gerard as Rep
resentatiue Of Christian
State to Use All
His Influence.


WASHINGTON. November 5.-The
appealed to Ambassador Gerard. as the
representative OF a Christian state" TO
protest against atrocities and butch
cries in which their commanders forced
in Il Forthcoming issue OF pamphlet
by the committee OF public intorina-
tion, entitled German War Practices"
One German soldier. conscience
prisoners. impiorcd the American am
bassador to protest and signed his
letter "a German Soldier and Chris
tian."
Another. who. through the ambas-
sador. addressed his appeal To the
American government. against the
butchery or prisoners. signed his letter
"A Soldier and Man Who Is No Bar
barian."
This was the protest of German
soldier. an eyewitness of the slaughter
Of Russian soldiers in the Masurian
Lakes and swamps.
MEN DRIVEN MAD BY
HEANT-RESDING CRIES
ut was frightful. hcart-rendng as
these masses OF human beings were
driven TO destruction. Above the ter
riblc thunder of the cannon could be
heard the hcart-rending cries OF the
Russians: % Prussians! o prussians.-
but there was mercy. Our captain
had ordered: The whole lot must die:
SO rapid fire. AS have heard five
men and one officer on our side went
mad from those heart-rending cries
But most of my comrades and the Of
fcers jokcd as the unarmed and help
less Russians shrieked for mercy while
they were being suffocated in the
swamps and shot down. The order
was: Close up and at it harder For
days afterwards those heart-rending
Sclls followed me. and dare not think
OF them or shall go mad. There is
np God, there is no morality and no
ethics any more. There are no human
beings any more. but only beasts.
Down with miIitarism.
This was the experience OF a Prus-
sian soldier at preesnt wounded:
Berlin. October %, 1914
II you are truth loving man, please
receive these lines from a common
Prussian soldier
This was the testimony Of another
German soldier on the east front:
Russian Poland, December Is. 1914
I'm the name OF Christianity 1 send
you these words
My conscience forces me as Chris
tian German soldier TO inform you OF
these lines
Wounded Russians are killed with
the bayonct according to orders.
And Russians who have surrcnaered
are often shot down in masses accord
rending prayers.
I'm the hope that you as the repre
sentative OF a Christian State will pro-
test against this. sign myself
"A GERMAN SOLDIER. AND CHRIS
TIAN.
Il would give my name and regi-
ment. but these words could gctt me
court-martialcd for divulging military
secrets"
ENGLIsHMEN SHOT DOWN
IN SMALL GROUPS
This letter was from Il soldier on the
western front:
TO the American government. Wash.
lnston. L. s. A.:
EnGlishmcn who have surrendered
arc shot down in small groups. With
the french one is more considerate 7
ask why men let themselves be taken
prisoner in order to he disarmed and
shot down afterwards? Is that chiv-
airy in battle? !, is no longer a Sc
cret among the people: one hears cycrv-
where that few prisoners are taken:
they are shot down in small groups.
They say naively: We don't want any
unnecessary mouths to feed. Where
there is no one TO enter complaint, there
Us no judge Is there then no power
In the world which can put an end to
these murders and rescue the Victims
Where is Christianity: Where Is
right. might is right.
a SOLDIER AND MAN WHO IS NO
BARBARIAN.'