The Robesonian., 1918-04-04
THE TESTIMONY.
Proofs of German Atrocities BY a
North Carolina Preacher.
Statesville Landmark.

II there be any among our people
and we're afraid there are more than
some of US want to believe-who yet
doubt the stories of German atroci-
ties. we trust they will read the let
ter of Rev. Chas. A. Leonard OF
Statesville, written from Paris, when
appeared in the last issue of The
Landmark. Mr.. Leonard is States
vile man, Baptist minister who has
been a missionary in China, and is
now engaged in Y. NJ. G. A. work
among the Chinese laborers employ
ed in war work in France. :,
The proofs of the atrocities submit
ted by Mr.. Leonard are supplemented
by Rev. T. w. Lingle, Presbyterian
minister, late a member OF the fac,
ulty of Davidson college and well
known to many of The Landmark, $
readers. Mr.. Lingle is now engaged
in Y. NJ. C. A. work in France. In
a recent letter he writes:
"About three miles from US was
situated the village Of x, just on
the outskirts Of which was an I'M,
portant military hospital, constructed
of tents, serving as operating ROOM
which was marked with very large
cross, so that the air scouts coulo
easily distinguish it in day time. AR
men who wish to do bombing at nlgnt
do scouting by day, and If posslble
photograph the objects on when tpev
have designs. The night OF Septem-
ber 3Oth about midnight, ''erman
aviator planted a bomb squarely on
the operating ward of the hospital ana
blew it all to pieces. The aviator
passed on a few minutes and tnen
turned his machine gun on the Keo
Cross nurses, women, who had rush
ed to the scene and were rendering
aid to the wounded! When the ar
man started away trench aviator
overlook him and succeeded IN nrlng-
ing him down with a crash. IN the
pocket of the dead German was 1ound
a photograph of the hospital ne nao
destroyed, showing the large cross
distinctly. .ou+,
human credulity. But there is no
mistake. My own intimate 1flenos
were in the midst of the vlliege at
the time and saw it all, including tne
photograph. l heard the pomD
and the machine gun and the next
day inspected the scene and nave now
in nv possession fragments OF tne
tent iacerated with shrapnel. A IaV-
orite stunt of the German avlatoIS
who drop bombs on civilians as wen
as on hospitals is to give the peopi,e
time to assemble and then return Win
that most deadly of all instruments
the machine gun. For some reason
there are certain hospitals wltlllll
range, to which no hostile aVlatorS :
have attempted an INJURY; "hy'
don't know. -, uo .,.
from home are going to su11ef WouIlus i. )
as they lie in the hospitals under the
protection of the Red Cross. some OF
them are going to be blown TO atoms
as certainly as the German avlators
con reach them on moonlight nights
MI have a dozen good friends among
petty officers of the artillery service
in the French army-men whose We
racitv can no more be doubted than
that of nv friends at home IN the
Carolinas. The past summer thell
hattery was in service on the famous
battlefield of Chemin-des-Dames
They tell of one occasion on which
thew were forced to give ground IN tue
afternoon and were unable to take
their wounded comrades with them
The next morning they succeeded II
goinq forward again and rega 'nin1
the lost ground. They found thel,
comrades lying where they had 'ef
them, but alas' the skull Of every one
of them had been crushed in with thu
gun stock by the Germans! This !:
not an isolated case, but is what tax y
place over and over again. -.
"Some of our Carolina boys vii
fall wounded on the battlefields G
France. If their comrades shoult
have to give ground, there is littl
doubt hut that the Germans will pu
in their deadly work on our helples
wounded fellows. This is, however
but token of what tie ruthless mill
tary caste CT Prussia will do to 5ll
American nation. if they ever get u
into their power. 1t behooves ever
person in cur land to lend all pc:sit
aid to the government IN its prepara
tions to take it's place as speedily q
possible beside our heroic allies VIII
are determined to have their free ne
tional existence and to render
death-blow to that most ruthless bal
barian of the ages, namely, Prussia
militarism. I. w. L.