The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-11-08
PRISONERS SEAIN@
BY KA|SERS men.
Gerard Says Soldiers Opposed
Slaughter of Captives.
ASKED ENVOY TO PROTEST
German Officers Ordered Machine Guns
Turned on Russians Who Were
Caught in the Masurian Lakes
and Swamps.

Washington, Nov. 6.-The fact that
German soldiers themselves appealed
TO Ambassador Gerard as the repre-
sentative of a Christian state" to pro-
test against atrocities and butcheries
in which their commanders forced
them to participate, will be disclosed
in forthcoming issue of pamphlet
by the committee on public informa-
! ton, entitled German War Prac-
tees"
One German soldier, conscience
stricken with the massacre of Rus
sian prisoners, implored the American
| ambassador 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 of prisoners, signed his
letter, "A Soldier and Man Who Is No
Barbarian"
"The Whole Lot Must Die"
This was the protest of a German
StlNlSlf an tS VI lilc
ter of Russian soldiers in the Masnri-
an lakes and swamps: ..5..
1T was frightfu1, heartrending, as
these masses of human beings werei
driven to destruction. Above the ter
rible thunder of the cannon could be
heard the heartrending cries of the
Russians, oh, PruSsians! Oh, Prus-
slams but there was no mercy. Our
captain had ordered, The whole lot
must die so rapid fire.
''As l have heard, five men and one
officer on our side went mad from
these heartrending cries. But most Of
my comrades and the officers joked
as the unarmed and helpless Russians
shrieked for mercy while they were
being suffOcated in the swampS mad
shot down. The order was: Close up,
and at it harder! For days after
ward those heartrending yells fol-
lowed me, and / dare not think of them
or l shall go mad. There is no God,
there is no morality and no ethics any
more. There are no human beings any
more, but only beasts. Down with
militarism!
Bayoneted, Per Order.
This was the experience of Prus-
sian soldier. AT present wounded;
Berlin October %, 1914:
'If you are truth-lOving man,
! please receive these lines from COM
| mon Prussian soldier"
IL, e
/ German soldier on the east front
Russian Poland, Dec. 10, 1914.
ain the name Of Christianity | send
you these words:
my conscience forces me as
Christian German soldier to inform
you of these lines.
"WOunded Russians are killed with
the bayOnet according to orders.
And Russians who have surren-
dered are often shot down in masses
according to orders, in spite of their
heart-rendng prayers.
I'm the hope that you, as the rep
resentative of a Christian state. will
protest against this, l sign myself,
"A German Soldier and Christian.
Il would give my name and regi-
mcnt, but these words could get me
| contaminated for divnlging mill
tary secrets"
Shot Down in Small Groups.
This letter was from a soldier on
the western front:
ITO the American Government,
Washington, L. S. A.:
"Englshmen who have surrendered
are shot down in small groups With
the French one is more considerable.
| ask whether men let themselves he
taken prisoner in order to be dis
armed and shot down afterward? Is
that chivalry in battle? 1t is no
longer secret among the people;
one hears everywhere that few prison
ers 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 COM
plant, there is no judge
as 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 Bar
barian."