The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-11-09
Sat statements of wit

nesses In the case against Germany.
So we have seen how the Germans
conducted themselves in Belgium an,
how they treated one British officer
| which is by no means an isolated case
For-this not to me, but in Colone
Vandeleur's statement to the British
war office-he tells of car ahead O.
his where, the men being threatened
with suffocation. they hammered 81
madly on the walls of the car that a
last carpenter was brought, who Gu
| a small round hole for air.
VIOLATED HAGUE CONVENTION.
Let US see for a moment what the
, Belgians had a right to expect from
| the invading army, considering Bel
GUM not neutral but enemy territory
Germany had subscribed to The
Hague convention, that gentleman's
agreement between nations which was
designed, since wars seemed inevi.
table, to make for fairness and de
cency. By Article 46 of that conven.
ton Belgium, as enemy territory, has
this claim:
ual life, and private property, as well
as religious convictions and worship,
must. be respected.
"Private property may not be con.
fiscated."
Article %:
"The giving over to pillage of a
town or place, even when taken by
assault, is forbidden.
''In sieges and commandments all
necessary steps must be taken to
spare, as far as possible, buildings ded-
icated to public worship, art, science,
or charitable purposes, historic monu-
ments, hospitals, and places where
the sick and wounded are collected,
provided they are not being used at
the time for military purposes"
That is what Belgium had a right
to expect. What she has had, in wan.
ton destruction of historical monu-
ments. we know. That is what France,
too, had right to expect, and what
she got, that also we know.
But The Hague convention did more
than order the protection of cities and
1t ordered such hui
manity as was possible toward the OPP
posing army; it forbade the use of
poison or poisoned weapons, the say
ing that no quarter would be given,
the killing of men who had surren-
1ered, the use of arms, material or
orojectiles calculated to cause unnec-
essary suffering; it forbade the attack
)r bombardment by any means what
ever of undefended towns, villages,
dwellings, or buildings.
On every one of these counts Ger
many must plead guilty. Every viola
ion of them is one reason why we are
It war.
Why WE ARE AT WAR.
We are at war today not because |
he crown prince of Austria was killed |
n Serbia but because the German
rmy protected its advance with nom
ombatants-men, women and children.
We are at war today not because
ierman submarines sunk battleships
ut because they have sunk and are
linking peaceful vessels, little fishing
oats, when the fishermen were labor
lg to get a scant livelihood, and
reat unarmed passenger ships car
wing combatants-men, women,
nd children.
We are at war because of those citf-
ems Of conquered Belgium who died
their women.
We are at war because of that Ger
ian order of August "a, 1914, for
'ightfulness.
We are at war against the convic-
on, in German minds, that might is
ght, that the end justifies any means,
D matter how brutal.
We are clean and humane people.
re would not believe these things at
-st. A million and half Belgians i
ed to England with the story. We
ere still incredulous. Noncombatants
ere sunk at sea. We still felt there
ust be some justification. New and {
'er new cruelties of death came from
e German trenches, and we have
i'd: "This is modern war"
But the score is mounting higher
" by day. The politics of this war 5
e lost in its inhumanities, fathered
German skill. 1t was not enough
at men should die. They must die ]
,rribly.
We have never understood. We !
i've been a people Of ideals, confront s
e a nation Of Grass materialists. 1t 9
time for us to understand. But it is I
It time, and never will be time, for
e American people to stoop to the
ethods of an enemy which would
ain today, If the necessity arose,
otect its advance by the helpless
rms of old men, of women and OF
i1dren.
1t is well for us to pause for mo-
,nt to look back on these things.
e were skeptical at first, but time
s shown their truth, for they are