The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-30


Advance Covered by Civilians.
This is u terrible accusation To
bring against a people, Vet know
tho thing Of which | speak During
tn" first year OF the war ! won't to
that portion Of EulEiun Which re-
manned uncouuucrod Thrrc | saw
men, Officers high in tho ls,lgiau aruy,
who had themselves seen that lnta
nous advance protected by their own
pcople-old men, women carrying chill
dren, small girls. sturdy boys. with
death behind and death ahead
II was impossible not to believe The
accumulation Of evidence WAS too
great, The German army had como
into Belgium prepared for opposition.
They brought fire confetti. which they
| flung into the houses while They wcro
occupied. More than one German diary
| tells Of the shooting Of the inhabitants
as they tried to escape. Drunken Ger
men soldiers firing their guns led
tho sober ones to believe the civil
population WAS rising, although il was
| known they had no weapons, and 40
or more leading citizens were shot
tackled in public places.
No Escape on This Awful Charge.
But even here there was Il chance
! for Germany, She could say and
| she has said she did moi order these
| things. although she did order the
| shooting of hostages without inquiry
and she did order the looling which
resulted in drunkenness aud It's thon-
/ sand resulting brutal crimes.
But on one count Germany must
| face the world must lac tried and sen
fenced. with no possibility Of ar.iui,tal
| She protected her advance with non.
! comhatants.
| | have before me on my desk IN,
original copy of an Interview viii
! Albert. King Of the Belgians, durint
The first winter of the war. Much tina
! was said during that interview hal
never been published and viii not b'
published nov. | have not the king
5. permission. although he would prob
ably give II. When the interview WA
written for publication we were still
a neutral people, He respected OF
neutrality. although h" was hopeful
of Belgium before the world II /
enough to say that lac confirmed tn
atrocities ont of his intimate l<nowl
edge, and that not the loss of II king
dom but the inhuman methods of In
invaders was the thing that had struc
To his very heart. Here is that in
terview. brought now to the atientio
Of the American people. lest we forge
In the tangle of international law an
the cutlery of Germany that We ar
fighting the allies. war. the real raus
| of our entrance into the world con
! fliet.
| To The American people today thi
| is n war not only of democracy aEains
| military au'ocracS. not only of ~
breaking Of treaties. not at all Of diplo
matte juggling and disputed points
law.
| II Is u war against brutality and IN
humanity. a war against cruelty:
war against ruthlessncss and harbnr
ism and incredible saxagcrr: a wa
against the German conviction Tia
might is right.
The first time King Albert of Ifr
GUM gave To the world At large h
statement as To the conduct Of IT.
German army in Belgium was on thf
January afternoon in 1915 when,
his own villa at La l'annc, he gay
me the following Interview. Later. Il
reread it carefully. have not change
"A word. He spoke slowly ana carofuil
waiting for my pencil TO follow hirl.
Later on when his eau"rry hrougl
me the interview, officially approve
he said: This wi. make histor
madame" so sure was he thar II
kings statement would carry With
not only conviction but the outrage
sympathy of the American people.
Fearful things have been done. pa
ticularly during the INVASION" Il
king said, weighing his words careful
~. although 1t would he unfair to co
:. denim the whole Germany army. Sor
regiments have been most human
but others behaved very badly. Ha
;" you seen the government report"
D. / said I had not seen it, though
n: had heard that careful investigat
I'd had been made
! "'rhe government was very c