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


by civilians could have been made
However, If in individual cases shots
were fired at the German soldiers, this
may always be condoned in a country
suffering invasion. During an occupa-
ton it would be different, naturally.
No excuse can be offered for such an
action in occupied territory.
"Various Belgian officers have told
me of seeing crowds of men, women
and children driven ahead of the Ger
man army to protect the troops. This
whether it has any foundation of
| truth?"
| "It is quite true. 1t is barbarous
and inhuman system of protecting the
| German advance. When the Belgian
soldiers fired on the enemy they killed
their own people. Again and again
| innocent civilians of both sexes were
| sacrificed TO protect the invading army
during attacks. A terrible slaughter I"
There was much more to the inter-
| view, but this part is the part that
concerns US now.
There is no surmise in the kings
statement. 1t is quiet, dignified, as
restrained as possible, bare recital of
fact. On the right of Germany to in
wade Belgium there may be differing
opinions. On the right of any army
pretending to civilization to so protect
its advance there can be but one YER
dict.
The king of the Belgians had
spoken as ruler and soldier. He
had himself fought with his army
those terrible rear-guard engagements
which could have but one end. He
himself had seen this thing, so shock
ing that it is small wonder that
America heard it with incredulous
ears.
A kings statement and a mans.
How about woman who herself had
been among the last to leave Brussels,
and before whom, in the intimacy of
that small villa at La Panne, came
soldiers and refugee mobiles with their
stories of murder and debauch by the |
invaders?
/ have never before broken the 81 |
lence of my interview with Elizabeth, |
fraiI and heroic woman who has lived |
for three years under the roar of the
at Dixmude and Newport.
But the time has come to break that
silence. Not all can be told, but be-
cause an infamous report has been
spread broadcast that Elizabeth of
Belgium sympathiZes with Germany. /
shall tell some of the things she said.
QUEEN TELLS OF HORRORS.
Again I quote from my notes of
hat interview:
'Tt is the women and children!
The said. 'It is terrible. There must
,e killing. That is war. But not
his other thing"
She could not understand American
kepticism on this point. She had
ut lust returned from England
where in one convent 90 Belgian nuns
we're enceinte by German soldiers. She
ad visited them.
That to her was the most terrible
hing of war. That these quiet women,
wing their devout and simple lives,
hould have suffered so grossly bewil-
cred and dazed her. Was there moth
1g, then, sacred to these invaders, not I
ven the church?
81 am q Bavarian," she said. 81
ave always from my childhood heard
his talk that Germany must grow, T
lust get to the sea. thought 1T was
lst taIk-a pleasantly. And the lies Il
ley have told about us The en-
error has always pretended to be so
'iendly, and all the time"
She held out her hands expressively. r
"Anyone who knows the king knows n
lat he cannot do wrong thing. 1t
not possible for him. He cannot go Y
~ way but straight" f
Then she required to the invasion A
nd the terrible cruelties of the Ger u
an army. v
."They were terrible" she said, n
specially what they have done to q
omen and children. But more than fl
" men in the world the Germans are q
uel to women. / have seen them my
If when they did not know who
as-on trains sometimes-not since a
e war, of course. But the very way h
ey stare at women Is odious." =,
She thought that this attitude OF =
e Germans explained many things.
nd she told me in detail revolving :,
cries of the proclamation of churches -
lder the pretext, totally unfounded, &C.
at the Belgian churches were store =
uses for arms. She told me, too, Of =,
e especial cruelty they had shown to -,
tests and nuns; of locking the priests =,
churches and, after insulting the -
tar, of killing them. =,
I said it was difficult to say what =,
y army would be in an occupied
untry. But she protested.
Mn DIARIES CONVICT. m
''Do you think the Belgians would "
We done such things? Never. Never. hi
plated instances might be possible. of
it the Germans have committed h,
of crimes. have sat In tn
Is very room while the diaries of be
rman soldiers were read. Even If W
had had no other means of know
:, those. diaries would have told us m
orytbino Thev relate JlnSDeakable r.