Meade County news., 1917-12-27
HUNS" SCORNED
Law OF NATIONS
Use of Civilians as Hostages and
for Screens Part of
DeviIiSh System.
FIRST MADE USE OF IN 1870
At That Time II Was Condemned by
the Civilized World, but the Ger
man Military Leaders Have
Never Abandoned 1t.

Ample proof that tRe m1TCH " '"0
German armies through Belgium
was marked By maSsacreS and cru
elites almost beyond belief is g'Uen
in a document made public by The
committee on public information
from which the fOIIowing IS taken:
The massacres in Belgium ana
northern France were part of the
German system of frightfulness. An
other feature of this system was the
use of civilians as hostages and Tor
screens.
In discussing the use of hostages the
German War Book (Kriegsbrauch I'm
Landkriege) says:
"a new application Of hostage right
was practiced by the German stan IN
the war of 1870, when it compelled
leading citizens from French towns
and villages to accompany trains ana
locomotives in order to protect the
railway communications which were
threatened by the people. Since the
lives of peaceable inhabitants we're
without any fault on their part there
by exposed to grave danger, every
writer outside Germany has stigma
tized this measure as contrary to the
law of nations and as unjustified to-
wards the inhabitants of the country
cIune to FrightfuIness.
Al,ot. N1oadc In fhQ Fr0np0
Prussian war had been universally
condemned, as they themselves admit
ted, the leaders did not intend tC
abandon such q useful measure o.
| frightfulness. In L'Interprete Mill
taire the forms were provided for sucf
acts in the next war. Both in Belgium
and In France the Germans have con
stantly used hostages. The evidence
is contained in the proclamations o
the governing authorities and also Il
the diaries of the German soldiers. !
few examples from these Will Illus
trate the system which was employed
A specimen of the arbitrariness ant
cruelty is furnished by the proclama
ton of Major Dieckmann, from whic
the following sections are presented
"After 9 a. m. on the 7th Septem
Der, will permit the houses in Beyne
Heusay, Grivegnee, and Bois-de-Breu
to be inhabited by the persons VIII
lived in them formerly, as long a
these persons are not forbidden to frt
uuent these localities by official pre-
hibition.
Prominent People Hostages.
''In order to be sure that the above
mentioned permit will not be abused
, the burgomasters Of Beyne-Heusay an
of Grivegnee must Immediately pr
pare lists of prominent persons VIII
will be held as hostages for "a houl
each at Fort .Fleron. September
1914. for the first time (the period {
detention shall be) from 6 p. m. unit
September at midday.
"The life of these hostages depend
: on the population of the above-mel
toned communes remaining quiet III
der all circumstances.
During the night 1t Is severely TO
bidden to show any luminous signal
. Bicycles are permitted only between
a. m. and 5 p. m. German time).
"From the list which is submitted
me I shall designate prominent pc
, sons who shall be hostages from noe
of one day until the following midda
If the substitute Is not there In d'
! time the hostage must remain anOt
er "a hours at the fort. After the
"a hours the hostage will Incur Il
penalty Of death. If the substitute fai
to appear.
"Priests, burgomasters, and the OF
er members of the council are to
taken first as hostages.
81 insist that all civilians who mo
about in my district she
their respect to the German officers
taking off their hats, or lifting the
hands to their heads in military salut
In case of doubt, every German 81
dier must be saluted. Anyone W
does not do this must expect the Gt
man military to make themselves
spected by every means"
This is an invitation to a service
memory of 60 men and women frc
\ one parish, of whom all but two we
) killed by the Germans in the massac
of August 5 and 6, 1914. The closi
sentences are:
"Gentle Heart of Mary, be I
refuge.
.. "Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for l
"St. Joseph, patron of Belgian, pr
for us.
"St. Hardelin, patron of the pari
pray for us.
"Sainte Barbe, patroness of kint
!! death, pray for u.s.
.
i EASn1t1a4