Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-17

SEMI-WEEKLY
to the barbarous outrages that are
committed by German troops under the
guise of modern warfare.
We refer to the Associated Press
correspondents description Of the sit
uation in Palestine, where the Turkish
allies of Germany are engaged In an
orgy of unspeakable crime, and to the
interview with Ashton Jones OF Great
Falls, son of a former resident OF OF
tumwa and an unimpeachable witness
as to some of tho specific atrocities OF
which German soldiers and officers
have been guilty during the occupation
of Belgium.
The Turks who are laying waste the
Holy Land are Germany's allies in the
war which the kaiser declares Is being
waged as defense against general
assault by league Of non-Teutonic ma
lions and in which he claims the CO.
operation of the Creator. These para
graphs from yesterdays dispatch tell
of the manner in which the Turks,
whose army, it must be remembered
is oficered largely by Germans, are
CARRYING on their share Of this holy
war:
While there was some prospect
of being able to retain or even en-
large their empire the Turks, al
though treating their subject races
badly, did not actually seek to
destroy them. Today, knowing
themselves doomed, 1t is their cal
cufated policy to kill of the bulk
of the inhabitants Of Palestine and
extort the last ounce of money and
goods from them so that II they
are forced to vacate the country
they will leave behind them
desert, a poverty stricken and de-
populated land.
Their policy is not consistent
with military or economic needs.
and is not supported by even the
slenderest pretexts for its neces-
sity. II is dictated solely by saw
age brutality.
If truth is the basis for even frac-
ton of the stories which come from
Belgium and of which ocular PROOF is
being obtained in the United States,
the Turks in Palestine are guilty OF no
more outrageous crimes than are the
Germans in Belgium.
At Great Falls, a few weeks ago,
Mr.. Jones saw cars fun OF Belgian
children who bore the marks OF Prue'
sian hate-hands, feet. noses and ears
cut off: cheeks slit by sabres; little
heads hacked savagely-all the sorts
of mutilation that insane. uncivilized,
inhunan conuuerors could conceive to
inflict on childish captives unable even
to defend themselves, much less TO
have offered resistance to Invasion:
This is from Mr.. Jones interview OF
yesterday:
Here and there one saw the
stump of an arm, the hand oelns
gone. No interpreter was neces-
sary to tell how 1t happened. Here
and there little face seemed to
shrink from view, for the end OF
the nose had been sheared on or
the face disfigured for life. Boys
and girls alike were among the
manned and mutilated little ones.
One peered through the car win
dows and saw child with the left
ear cut off perhaps on another 1t
was the right lobe. saw one
child with one side Of her mouth
slit open extending far into the
cheek. She felt conscious OF her
Disagreement even at her tender
age for the children ranged from
15 years downward with most OF
them seemingly about II years OF
age.
Since the world learned for the hrst
time Of the atrocities practiced by the
invaders in Belgium-now almost
three years ago-it has waited Tor a
disavowal by the decent citizenship OF
Germany, some message from within
the empire to the effect that these In.
human acts by war-mad soldiers were
deplored by the people at home. No
such message has come and as time
epes on without word Of disavowa!
the civilized and Christian people OF
nations outside Of Germany still are
Ioath to believe that the madness OF
war can have extended so far behind
the lines that it has poisoned the
minds of all the people OF the empire:
After more than two years some OF
the hope still persists that the German
people will yet rise to redeem the
reputation Of their race and d1sown inc
the uniformed criminals who denied
Belgium. but that hope dwindles as the
the DAYS go by. Truly, the Germany
that the world knew before the war
that Germany Of bewnching music
advanced literature: sublime art art
hearty hospitality, humane and life
saving science-has much for which 70
answer and much to explain to the
neoples that sought its high esteem IN
happier, ante-bellum days.
EVANS AND LocHNER.
Harry c. Evans of Des Moines. for
merly a resident of Ottumwa and for
many years a we'll known 1owan. was a
member of Henry Ford's ill-starred
neace party along with Louis P. Loeb
ner of New York and many other
Americans who sought sincerely and
with high purpose to intercede for