The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-11-15
GERMANS TORTURE PRISONERS,
Many Soldiers Baked at Barbarism
But Had to Obey.

The fact that German SOL
diers, themselves appealed to
Ambassador Gerard. as the rep
resentative of a Christian State
to protest against atrocities and
butheries in which their commanders
forced them to Participate, will be
disclosed in a forthcoming issue OF
a pamphlet by the committee on
public information entitled German
War Practices. One German soldier,
conscience-stricke with the massacre
of Russian prisoners, implored the
American ambassador to protest and
signed his letter German Soldier
and Christian
Another, who through the ambassa-
dor addressed his appeal to the Amer
lean Government against the butch
cry of prisoners, signed his letter "a
Soldier and Man Who is No Bar
barian." This was the protest of a
German soldier, an eyewitness of
the slaughter of Russian soldiers in
the Mazurian lakes and swamps:
Driven to Destruction.
1T was frightful, heartrending, as
the masses of human beings were
driven to destruction. Above the ter
rible thunder of the common could
be heard the heartrending cries OF
the Russians: o, Prussians! 0,
Prussians!' but there was no
answer. Our captain had ordered,
The whole lot must die. So rapid
fire. AS I have heard, five men and
one officer on the outside went mad
from those heartrending cries. But
most of my comrades and the officers
ioked as the unarmed and helpless
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 yells followed me and l can
not think of them without fear |
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 beast. Down
with militarism!"
There was the experience of a
Prussian soldier, at .the present
wounded; Berlin, October %, 1914:
"If you are truth loving man
please receive these lines from a
common Prussian soldier"
Wounded Russians Isayonetted.
This was the testimony of another
German soldier on the east front:
Russian Poland, December is,
1914. Under the name of CHS
tianity l send you these words.
my conscience forces me as a
Christian German soldier to inform
you of these lines Wounded Russians
are killed with the bayonet, accord
ing to orders. And Russians who
have surrendered are often shot
down in masses according to orders,
in spite of their heartrending prac-
tice. In the hope that you, as the rep
resentative of Christian State, will
protest against, sign myself A Ger
man Soldier and Christian.
'T would give my name and regi-
ment, but these words could get. me
court-martialed for divulging mill
tary secrets
English Shot Down.
This letter was from soldier on
the western front:
ITO the American Government,
Washington, =. S. A. English who
have surrendered are shot down in
small groups. With the French
one is more considerate. l ask
whether men let themselves to be
taken prisoner in order to be disarm-
ed and shot down afterwards? Is
that chivalry in battle? 1t is no long
er secret among the people; one
hears everywhere 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 nc
ore to enter complaint, there is nc
Judge. Is there then no power III
the world which can put an end tc
these murders and rescue the victims:
Where is Christianity? Where is
right? Might is right.
"A soldier and a man who is nc
barbarian"
Els WOUNDS PROVE FATAL.
Private ""ad Kirk, of HaTtSville Co.